With the general election announced for 4 July, it’s safe to say the political climate in the UK is fully charged right now. A recent survey by Stylist of more than 500 women found that less than 1% believe in our current political parties. Despite this, the hot topics of the election are firmly on our lips, making their way into conversations (and perhaps even forming debates) with the people in our lives.

But while we may be no strangers to a dinner table discussion or pub garden exchange, how do we handle bringing up politics at work?

Talking about who you intend to vote for has long been considered a social taboo, but even more so in an office setting. According to a 2024 study of 2,000 UK employees, a third of them said they felt uncomfortable expressing their opinions on politics at work, while nearly a fifth of workers admitted that they have fallen out with a colleague or manager over opposing political views.

From a legal standpoint, under the Human Rights Act 1998, everyone has the right to freedom of expression, explains David Rice, an HR expert at People Managing People. However, this right is also subject to other prescribed laws that restrict certain conduct. “In simple terms, you can express your political opinion at work; however, there are some circumstances when you may not be able to do so,” he says.

It may also depend on your employer. “Some employers don’t have guidelines in place for these things and therefore have nothing to enforce,” Rice continues. “But in general, people should be wary when talking about politics in a work setting. The risk is the conversation veering into inappropriate territory where people’s personal views conflict with one another so drastically that they hinder those parties’ ability to have a productive and professional relationship.”

However, Rice also recognises that such conversations will inevitably occur. Particularly as election day nears, voting will be on people’s minds and the topics discussed in debates will be directly relevant. Therefore, instead of a blanket ban on discussing politics, he believes that a clear policy about what level of discussion is appropriate, what settings it is appropriate in and outlining the topics that are off limits is key.

“As a general rule, if it doesn’t impact the business or the work you’ve come together to achieve as a group of people, that topic should probably just be avoided,” he adds.

Naturally, any workplace will attract lots of different personality types, and not every will see eye to eye. So what should you do if you have opposing views to your teammates?

“Be respectful and recognise that it’s OK to disagree,” Rice says. “Everyone’s views are generally shaped by two things: the information they are exposed to and the life experience they live. You likely can’t change either of those things for that person, but you can present your opposing view in a way that doesn’t belittle them or create a problem between the two of you.”

At any time, he says, it’s probably advisable to walk away and recognise that your job isn’t to change their minds. However, if the position they’ve taken is offensive, such as saying something racist or xenophobic, that falls under a different policy that all companies should have in place, and you can take it to HR or a manager.

“Ultimately, if you are going to share your political views at work or even online on your personal social media channels, it’s a good idea to be aware of the rights your employer has before doing so,” Rice suggests.

Indeed, political views can (understandably) get people very riled up, so even if you didn’t mean to cause any harm initially, a discussion could end up getting very heated, which can be dangerous territory to be in as an employee.

“If you’re concerned that your views might cause a rift with colleagues, it’s probably best to keep them to yourself or between friends outside of the workplace,” he adds.

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