Concern

Have you noticed that political discussions have been getting more heated and, well, shouty recently? We have. Both personally and professionally.

Personally, we all have that one uncle and that other in-law who’ve always bickered over political party affiliation at family gatherings. Increasingly, though, what used to be mostly friendly sparring has turned into full-on shouting matches.

Professionally, we’ve seen a similar rise in politically related workplace conflict. According to recent SHRM surveys:
–– More than 2/3 of U.S. employees have experienced uncivil behavior at work in the last month.
–– 47% of organizations listed political disagreements as one of their top challenges one year after the last presidential election.

The rise in tension is understandable. Election cycles have become so long that they’ve blended into what feels like an endlessly traumatic loop. The stakes are high, so emotions are, too.

We find that when politics comes up, it’s helpful to remember that most of us want the same basic things—safety, security, fairness, and to be seen. That’s true, no matter which party is on our ballot.

If we can recall that common ground, it makes it easier to discuss how to get there in a more civil and respectful way. https://lnkd.in/gUiN9g78

For our HR and workplace leader friends, this recent supervisor tipsheet from our library has some solid pointers for defusing political conflicts at work. https://lnkd.in/g7nC3JnT

Back in January Elmo—yes, that Elmo—posted this on social media, “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” Some 215M views and 45K responses later, the consensus was that everybody was not doing so great.

People were very candid in their responses, sharing their troubles dealing with relationships and finances and overwhelming feelings of exhaustion, loneliness, anxiety, and the general heaviness of the world.

Now, we know this is about a Muppet on social media. It’s not a scientifically designed survey with clearly defined results and metrics. Still, it reflects something we at Concern see in our work every day and something we believe we’ve all been feeling, that many of us aren’t OK.

This message is particularly timely, seeing as we’re halfway through Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a reminder that it’s always a good time to think about our mental health, not just once a year each May.
https://www.concernhealth.com/resources/article/its-always-time-to-work-on-mental-health/

Up to 1/3rd of adults who begin therapy don’t return for another visit, so the right employee-counselor match has never been more important. When implementing mental health support services, employers should seek a partner that has experience recognizing human complexities, subtleties, needs – and even unspoken concerns. For more workforce insights, visit concernhealth.com.

When implementing an employee mental health solution, it’s important to look beyond counseling and address the stressors behind the need. Factors such as finding day care or elder care, financial/legal challenges, and workplace conflicts can all play a role in an employee’s emotional state. For better outcomes, employers should look for a partner that addresses all aspects of mental health. Find more insights at concernhealth.com.