The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 522 workers 18 years of age or older and employed in an office environment.

Employees were asked, “Which statement best describes your views about professionals discussing political campaigns or candidates at work?” Their responses:

It’s useful to talk about political issues and engage co-workers in debate  14%

It’s OK in small doses, as long as the conversation isn't too heated  67%

It's inappropriate  18%

Don’t know/no answer  1%

Employees also were asked, “Thinking about the upcoming presidential election, how often do your co-workers talk about political campaigns or candidates on the job?” Their responses:

Often  39%

Not often  59%

Don't know/no answer  2%

“With the presidential election drawing near, it’s only natural for politics to be a topic of interest,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. “However, employees should be careful to not allow discussions of the election to become a divisive issue.”

Domeyer pointed out that, as with any potentially sensitive subject, diplomacy is key. “Imposing one’s political views on others is never OK. Employees also should not pressure co-workers to share which particular party or candidate they support,” she said.