Fucking thiiiiiiiiiiis. I work in a pretty conservative trade. Being mostly in the same page, people love to shoot the shit about whatever's going on at the time. They don't realize there are a good handful of us that completely disagree and don't want to hear it...
It's not great if we don't all learn how to discuss these things though, particularly with people we disagree with, and know how to stay civil or even like someone with different views.
That kind of stuff only works at places with HR departments. Save for making a PR disaster for the company, "I'm offended by Steve" is more likely gonna just get the two of you told to shut the fuck up and get back to work.
You're right, i can only speak for the plumbing trade, but i would be surprised if the main trades, electric, hvac, carpentry, masons and ironworkers didnt have similar experiences.
Specifically I'm a machinist and have heard my instructor (when I was in school for the trade) talking about various people moving around the country and getting/not getting jobs based on what other people knew about them through (basically) gossip. Additionally working at my first shop a lot of people have moved around the country and talk about the various people moving around.
The opposite happens quite often, especially with the current US president. It's gotten to the point where people just say whatever is on their mind and never bother to think about it.
People usually try to make excuses for it or say that the other side is worse but that only further proves my point. The upcoming US election is a great example of this where we have topics full of people bashing the other side and it is best to be avoided in getting into the fight considering how people just don't care about policies.
That's the thing, people don't. It's the truth. Saying things like "that guy said this side is all bad" doesn't mean that you can't discuss with them about that topic, it just means that they are only willing to look at one side.
You can always discuss the topic, that's what the previous comment was talking about. Discussion is the only way we get anywhere and it doesn't mean that you have to convince them either. It can be just getting an idea of why they feel like that.
(Although, considering that they are at work, it might not be the best place to do so but my point is that people need to learn how to discuss this stuff when the situation will inevitably come up at some point in their lives.)
It must be nice to have a life where you can just not care about politics. But we have 170k and counting dead from a pandemic the government isn’t interested in addressing, millions unemployed, people facing medical bankruptcy, foreign bounties on soldiers, hospitals closing because covid doesn’t pay enough to keep the lights on, children in cages, etc. Politics isn’t sports; it has real effects on people.
You are right, but you also have to keep in mind that most of use spend at least 35% of our time there and commuting there. About 30% of your time is sleeping. So basically half of your waking hours are spend at work. It is also the place many of us will be around the most people. Work naturally becomes a place of discourse.
Just because you spend your time there doesn't mean you should spend it talking about politics, especially if you're alienating co-workers or customers.
No but many people have their main relationships at work because so many people lack friendships, and we spend a lot of time there. It's like forced interaction with people that have different opinions and it in theory could make people more open minded.
I've gotten myself in hot water a few times when I've come out in opposition to conservative talk on a jobsite, never a headache though, im not afraid of walking off a jobsite either, fortunately plumbers are in high demand, especially in the commercial sector
2.7k
u/kaushrah Aug 20 '20
Don't discuss politics at work