This election season feels like one of the the most divided In recent memory, the world has been waiting with bated breath to find out who will be the next president of the United States. The SLUDGE this election seems to have reached monumental lows, with this election season feeling particularly polarized. Over the past two decades, social media has become a powerful tool to galvanize voters and influence elections. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center studyover half of Americans get their news from social media. But with the rise of social media, there has also been growth misinformation, misinformation and propaganda this election season.

Politics was once considered a pink elephant in the workplace—a subject, like religion and race, that people tended not to discuss. Social media has made it much easier to share opinions about politics, often to the chagrin of our peers and colleagues. With the increased sharing of political viewpoints and opinions online, conflict is inevitable. There is an increased chance of alienating those at work who have divergent views from us. What is the best way to handle the post-election conflict that is inevitable at a time when things seem so contentious?

Press pause. While awaiting election results, organizational leaders should consider suspending important meetings, projects, and tasks. During election week and likely for the next few weeks and months after, employees will be preoccupied. Managers should offer exorbitant amounts of grace and flexibility in the weeks and months after an election. Expectations should be managed; it’s critical to understand that the election, combined with the upcoming holiday season on the horizon, means employees are more distracted than ever – consider how to adjust employee workloads to account for this. Interrupting important projects, meetings, and tasks during election week can make employees less likely to feel stressed and overwhelmed, which, according to a researchmay increase the likelihood of workplace conflict.

Processing space. Many employees will feel defeated and deflated. Even if the candidates they fight for win, the build-up leading up to the election makes everyone anxious and exhausted. It is vital that we provide space for employees to process election results. This could look like opening up a discussion about how employees are feeling at the start of a meeting, sending out a survey to better understand employee feelings, or creating a dedicated space for employees to come forward and share what they’re feeling. Things won’t be business as usual, and pretending they are will anger your employees.

Consult with experts. Allowing employees space to process election results and opening up conversations about how employees feel could lead to disputes, disagreements, and discord, especially if there are employees with very different political views. Tensions are likely to be high, so it’s essential to draw on the expertise of different professionals, such as mediators, DEI consultants and those who specialize in navigating workplace conflict. Make sure your HR department and internal DEI leaders have the tools to address, navigate, and mitigate the workplace conflict that will arise in the post-election season.