Workers Avoid Sharing Politics at Work

Two-thirds (66%) of respondents said they do not share their political ideas at work, and 28% said they feel like they need to keep them secret at the office. The study also found men are more likely than women to share their political beliefs at work, with 37% sharing their affiliation compared with 31% of women.

Nearly all (98%) workers do not have Presidential campaign items or decorations displayed at their office.

Workers who keep their political affiliations secret at work usually do so because they do not feel politics should be discussed in the office unless it affects their job (68%). Thirteen percent keep them secret because they think their co-workers mostly support the opposing party.

Employees new to the work force and the voting population are less likely than their older co-workers to share their affiliations at the office. Twenty-one percent ages 18 to 24 share their political opinions at work compared with 29% of workers ages 25 to 34 and 36% of workers age 35 and older.

The survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 4,152 U.S. workers (employed full-time, not self-employed, government and non-government) ages 18 and over between August 13 and September 6, 2012.