Office Politics and Office Pressure

Workers reported feeling the pressure that comes from office politics They also worry about whether or not it would be beneficial to participate.

Half of the workers (49 percent) surveyed say they feel pressured to engage in office politics, while over two in five (42 percent) say engaging in office politics is just part of the job In addition, onethird of office workers (32 percent) say engaging in office politics makes them feel like part of a group at work. Regardless of the response, whether office workers see office politics as negative or positive, workers feel the brute force of the “foot on their neck ”

So is there an acceptable level of office politics? Are there any positives at all to the office workers?

According to survey results, one-third of office workers (33 percent) say there are no positive aspects of office politics. Many workers feel office politics negatively impact their relationships with colleagues, discourage collaboration, and ultimately hurt their career goals by often making it difficult to find a mentor Office politics also have a different impact on subsets of workers What might help is some education as four in five office workers (79%) say advanced skills in management, leadership and/or interpersonal skills would help them navigate office politics one option

What would you say are the negative aspects of office politics? Please select all that apply.

Hurtsrelationshipswithcolleagues

Discouragescollaboration

Hurtsrelationshipswithdecision-makers

Hurtscareergoals

Keepsyoufromknowingwhatishappening

Makesnewopportunitieshardtofind

Canstopyoufromfindingnewresources

Canstopyoufromfindingamentor

Someotheraspects

Therearenonegativeaspects

Office Politics For Good?

Of those who chose to focus on the positive elements of office politics, one in five (21 percent) said a positive aspect is office politics help build relationships with decision-makers and actually help them when looking for new opportunities and achieving their career goals. About a third (31 percent) said they felt a positive aspect of office politics is that it lets them know what’s going on behind the scenes

What would you say are the positive aspects of office politics? Please select all that apply.

*Respondents were able to select more than one option

Letsyouknowwhatisgoingonbehindthescenes

Buildsrelationshipswithcolleagues

Canencouragecollaboration

Buildsrelationshipswithdecision-makers

Helpsfindnewopportunities

Helpsadvancecareergoals

Canprovidenewresources

Allowsyoutofindamentoratwork

Someotheraspects

Therearenopositiveaspects

Office Politics: Who it harms

In all walks of life, actions have consequences, and the same can be said about office politics Office politics weigh heavily on today’s workforce. Though workers clearly stated they feel pressure to participate in some capacity in their place of employment, they also clearly stated their belief that office politics have dire consequences for their place of employment

Let’s start with workers - two in five office workers (39 percent) say office politics caused them to think about leaving an employer completely, while one-quarter (25 percent) say it caused them to leave an employer Others gave indications that office politics caused them to think about changing positions within an employer and less than one in five (16 percent) say it actually caused them to change positions within an employer

Even more alarming, women are more likely than men to say office politics has caused them to leave an employer (29 percent vs 19 percent) while men are more likely to say office politics has never caused them to do any of these (39 percent vs 31 percent)

Did office politics in a job ever cause you to do any of the following? Please select all that apply.

*Respondents were able to select more than one option

Workers surveyed went on to point out additional threats to their organization if office politics are allowed to flourish. More than nine in ten (94 percent) say too much office politics can cause ethical issues for companies and too much can create a toxic culture (93 percent). Nine in ten (89 percent) say too much office politics can cause legal issues for companies.

Office Politics by Generation

Different generations are known to look at the world of work through contrasting lenses Younger workers tend to focus on the long future ahead. Middle-age workers focus on succeeding in the present. Older workers are considering their life’s work and legacy. It’s logical that Millennials are more likely to say office politics is negative and that they have been impacted For Gen X, office politics can go either way Boomers are more likely to be nonplussed by office politics Here are some of the key data:

Who has the most influence over the level of office politics?

Millennials and Gen X are more likely than Boomers to say the CEO and/or other C-Suite executives have the most influence over the level of negative office politics (21% and 18% vs 12%)

What behaviors are seen the most often?

Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say they see bullying (13% vs. 7% and 7%) and flattering (13% vs 6% and 5%) the most Boomers are more likely than Millennials and Gen X to say they don’t see any of these (24% vs 13% and 11%)

Are there positive aspects?

Millennials and Gen X are more likely than Boomers to say office politics builds relationships with colleagues (38% and 27% vs. 16%) and encourages collaboration (28% and 25% vs. 16%) are positive aspects of office politics Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say positive aspects of office politics are it builds relationships with decision-makers (32% vs 18% and 11%), it helps find new opportunities (22% vs 11% an 11%), it helps advance career goals (24% vs 13% and 6%), it can provide new resources (20% vs 13% and 8%) and it allows them to find a mentor at work (18% vs. 9% and 4%). Boomers are more likely than Millennials and Gen X to say there are no positive aspects of office politics (49% vs. 18% and 33%).

Are there negative aspects?

Gen X and Boomers are more likely than Millennials to say a negative aspect of office politics is it hurts relationships with colleagues (69% and 72% vs. 58%). Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say a negative aspect of office politics is it can stop them from finding new resources (28% vs 21% and 18%)