How to Manage Choices at Work: From Taking a Break to a Mental Health Check-In

Navigating politics in the office can be difficult– especially during the USA election cycle it was deeply polarizing. But now is a critical time, and leaders need to act accordingly.

Managers and HR often have to manage tense situations and world events. There is only one day left until the US presidential election. tension is rising to the surface, but there are several reliable ways for employee management through the storm.

Luck spoke with workplace professionals and HR leaders to understand the best strategies to help navigate this year’s elections. While they agree that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, there are a few key techniques to help ease anxiety and conflict among workers. Experts say leaders should remain neutral, set clear expectations for discussing politics at work, provide flexibility during election week, check employees’ actions mental healthand perhaps even organize a group activity to promote togetherness.

“There’s a heightened sense of anxiety about this election,” says Kurt Jeskulsky, regional managing director of the US recruiting services company Page Group. Luck. “Everyone is a little paralyzed waiting for what’s going to happen. So let’s remind people that we need to be respectful in the workplace and it’s important that our people feel safe.”

Managers must remain neutral

Experts who Luck with whom we spoke agree that managers and HR leaders should avoid choosing sides when it comes to elections. While employees may chat about the candidates and who they think will win, management should refrain from taking sides because of their relative power status in the company.

“Managers should try to remain neutral because in these positions they have influence,” says Jeskulski. “You will have some employees who will feel like they need to conform to (management’s) political views.”

If bosses support a candidate or are open about who they’re rooting for, it can cause lower-level employees to conform to their beliefs out of fear, says Joe Galvin, chief scientist at Vistage. Luck. “If you disagree with your boss, will you be denied a promotion? Will you be denied good projects? Will this affect your relationship?

Overall, experts say the best course of action is for managers and supervisors to listen to their employees with empathy.

“Now is the time to listen,” says Jeskulski. “If you’re willing to listen and show that you care, that’s all people need.”

Set up a group lesson

Experts tell Luck Another way to relax during a stressful election cycle is to unite workers in a positive way. Lupiani suggests that managers guided by empathy, sensitivity, and kindness should develop a group strategy to implement this collaborative culture.

“As a manager, you can set aside time on Election Day for people to practice mindfulness and togetherness,” she says. A guided meditation or a themed event that employees can get creative with are examples of activities. “Everyone will be tense, there will be very strong emotions. It would be very desirable to do something that could bring people together and relieve stress.” she says.

Set clear expectations

If HR leaders have not yet established how to discuss workplace policies, they should immediately hold a town hall meeting or send out an email to reaffirm company policies.

“If you haven’t already discussed this issue, the first step is to send an email to all employees. And the next step is to communicate directly with your leaders and management to make those expectations clear,” says Natalie Lupiani, vice president of consulting firm BSG. Luck.

Once the election results are known, there is also the possibility that some employees will start boasting about their candidate’s victory in a way that makes their colleagues feel uncomfortable. In this case, HR must intervene.

“If you’re faced with a problem where you’re having a wild celebration that’s making other people feel uncomfortable, you really have to go back to (policy) with empathy and kindness,” Lupiani says. “You really need to take that person aside and remind them that their actions have an impact on the people around them, and that they also need to be conscious and sensitive to other people’s feelings.”

Give employees flexibility

Business leaders should provide more schedule flexibility during election week.

“First of all, everyone should have the right to leave for a few hours to go vote. That puts some people at ease,” Jeskulski says.

And while some companies offer employees part or all of the day off on Election Day to vote, they should also consider the fact that employees may need time to take care of themselves mentally. Lupiani says employers can show they care by providing distressed workers with time off to rest. She notes that this is not universal practice among employers, but it should be.

“Personally, I think allowing people to take time off to deal with their emotions when they are in crisis should become commonplace,” she says. “I recommend being very lenient in applying leave policies for these types of major events.”

Check your mental health

At the end of the day, employees’ emotional safety should come first. Politics can have a big impact on people’s mental health—about 77% of Americans. feel stressed about The future of the country, and 69% are concerned specifically about the 2024 presidential elections, according to recent survey from the American Psychological Association.

“The election is responsible for increasing loneliness among American workers across industries and sectors,” Lupiani says. “And the frequency of how often they feel lonely at work because of the election is higher. Leadership has a very important role to play in this.”

Galvin adds that anxiety And poor mental health will likely be heard for quite some time after Tuesday – after all, the final election results were extended several days ago. Therefore, it is important for managers and HR leaders to stick to their strategies and create the best possible work environment throughout the week.

“It is unlikely that we will have a clear winner on Tuesday night, as in the last election. It will probably take longer,” Galvin says. “The anxiety you’ll feel on Election Day will only grow and scale the longer this goes on. The whole world is reeling from this and we need to put that aside and get to work focusing on getting better as an organization.”

This story was originally published on Fortune.com