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According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety among Americans increased from 37% to 43% this year, with 73% citing the elections as a major contributing factor. This could spell trouble for the workplace, with drops in productivity and an increase in interpersonal disputes and microaggressions. Following the debate between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, 64% of U.S. workers said they witnessed or experienced negative treatment in the workplace due to their political views, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.
But whether employees are involved in conflicts at work or at home, or internalizing their feelings altogether, this election cycle is bound to take a toll.
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"Several of my clients have expressed experiencing a lot of anxiety and uncertainty," says Stacy Thiry, a licensed mental health counselor at Grow Therapy, a navigation platform that helps people find mental healthcare providers. "A lot of these political outcomes have such an impact on people's personal lives. But at the same time, people don't want to be targeted in their [workplace] for their views. People are feeling overwhelmed."
The Center for Prevention and Health Services estimated that untreated mental health concerns cost businesses $105 billion nationwide in lost productivity, presenteeism and absenteeism. Thiry encourages employers to address the anxiety and burnout that is likely present in their workforce if they want to finish the year strong. This may mean expanding an existing employee assistance program by adding free counselor visits or ensuring employees have the ability to find therapists in their network.
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For employers with wellness apps or virtual therapy platforms, there's no better time to remind employees that they have access to those resources, underlines Thiry.
"Polarizing issues that lead to strong opinions can be communicated in a way that feels contentious, overwhelming and dysregulating for other people," she says. "And these issues, whether it's healthcare, the economy or social issues, can be personal."
Thiry reminds employers that the outcome of the election can also potentially have a harmful impact on employees' everyday lives. For Americans of color, the LGBTQ community and women, discriminatory comments could easily be disguised as political opinions. Thiry notes that employers may want to ask workers to keep political conversation to a minimum to avoid the workplace feeling hostile.
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"You may want to ask employees to refrain from political conversations so people can feel more emotionally safe in the workplace," says Thiry. "This can help with anxiety if people just know we're not going to talk about this at work."
Ultimately, Thiry asks that workers care for themselves, whether that means removing themselves from political discussions, taking social media breaks or taking the time to tap into their employer's resources.
"If something is overwhelming, disengage and get yourself to a place where you are safe within your own body," she says.
