Managing Political Anxiety. How Organizations Can Reduce Risk and Support Employees

A changing workplace climate

Even within boardrooms, and project sites, it is common for employees to be impacted by geopolitical tensions. Conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine have intensified an atmosphere of uncertainty and protest. For many, round‑the‑clock exposure to humanitarian crises and divisive commentary can foster fear, grief and helplessness, even when the event is thousands of miles away. Add cost‑of‑living pressures, debates on migration and territorial disputes, and the emotional load can quickly spill into workplace culture.

Recent survey findings capture the mood with 64% of US employees report experiencing or witnessing political disagreement at work; 71% say tensions make it harder to sustain a positive culture; and 74% feel political uncertainty is fueling burnout. These trends are echoed in the International SOS Risk Outlook 2025, where 65% of organizations identify political stress and anxiety as significant risks and 78% expect burnout and stress to impact business performance this year.

For employers with people spread across diverse risk locations, understanding how anxiety arises, and how it affects performance, safety and wellbeing, is now part of everyday Duty of Care. The physical and emotional consequences can be severe; meeting that duty starts with recognizing the hazard, assessing its impact and building supportive programs that proactively reduce risk.

What is Political Anxiety?

Political anxiety is best described as a chronic stress response triggered by political events, elections, policy changes, international conflicts, or domestic crises. The term political anxiety gained visibility after the 2016 US election, when psychologists and political scientists began distinguishing it from general anxiety. Research links political anxiety to sleep disruption, irritability and, in severe cases, depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation during high‑stress periods. While experiences vary, the net effect is clear: political anxiety undermines health, performance and mental wellbeing across the workforce.

Where does political anxiety come from?

There are several overlapping forces that drive political anxiety at work within the workplace; however, we have outlined four key root causes.

1. The “infodemic”: a constant stream of politicized updates and commentary across social feeds and news syndicates makes disconnecting difficult. Polarizing narratives elevate stress, and the cognitive effort of sorting fact from misinformation adds further strain.
2. Economic concerns: policy shifts and global uncertainty affect job security and household finances. Even distant geopolitical events can carry indirect health effects through prolonged uncertainty.
3. Frequent policy changes: rapid changes in regulation and government priorities create fear and ambiguity about roles, operations and long‑term prospects.
4. International crises: conflict, terrorism and humanitarian emergencies can make employees, especially those with personal ties to affected regions, feel vulnerable and distracted at work.

People leaders are often not aware of the impact that economic and political uncertainty can have on the health of their personnel. – Dr Anthony Renshaw

How does political anxiety appear in the workplace? 

Political anxiety rarely appears in isolation. It slows concentration and decision making, reduces productivity and work quality, and increases error rates, with a tangible rise in incident probability in high-risk sectors such as energy, transport and security. It can erode team cohesion and psychological safety, particularly in global teams where different worldviews and communication styles meet without agreed norms.

Employees may avoid commuting or business travel, driving higher absenteeism and lower mobility. Over time, prolonged anxiety contributes to clinical concerns, including anxiety disorders and depression, necessitating professional support and time away

What can employers proactively do to support their people?

Addressing political anxiety effectively means embedding support into culture and everyday operations rather than treating it as an ad hoc campaign.

We are seeing a growing number of requests for strategies to help organizations manage the impacts of political anxiety. – Morgan MacDonald.

• Begin with a psychosocial hazard assessment of internal and external exposures, aligned to Workplace Health and Safety frameworks and Duty of Care.
• Use what you learn to design end to end support: mental health resilience programs, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), clinical pathways, and confidential helplines that employees can access during high stress events.
• Counter misinformation with vetted briefings and trusted updates, especially ahead of predictable flashpoints like elections or periods of rising tension.
• Equip teams through education and training: practical coping strategies, guidance for respectful political dialogue, and manager training to recognize and respond appropriately.
• Communicate transparently during political events or crises so employees understand what is happening, why decisions are being made and how support is being provided.
• And finally, reinforce psychological safety by offering safe, confidential reporting, from whistleblowing channels to confidential HR routes, so people can raise concerns without fear.

Together, these actions turn Duty of Care into lived practice.

Creating a mentally healthy workplace culture in a volatile world

As socio political volatility evolves, organizations that normalize help seeking, invest in resilience and build psychologically safe communication will be better placed to sustain performance. Leaders play a central role: by acknowledging the reality of political anxiety, modelling healthy boundaries with information, and backing words with accessible support, they make it easier for employees to focus on their work, and recover when external stress peaks.

FAQs:

Q1: Is political discussion at work always harmful?
Not necessarily. Structured, respectful dialogue can be healthy and reduce tension. The key is to set clear guidelines, provide manager training and signpost support.

Q2: What’s the most effective first step for employers?
Conduct a psychosocial hazard assessment to map exposures, prioritize action and align interventions with duty of care obligations.

Q3: How do we counter misinformation without restricting information access?
Centralize vetted updates, teach simple source evaluation skills and share trusted briefings ahead of high-risk events, so employees spend less energy filtering noise.

Q4: Which risks should be escalated to clinical support?
Any sustained symptoms that impair functioning (e.g., sleep disruption, depressive symptoms, intense anxiety) should be routed to appropriate clinical pathways via EAPs or healthcare providers.

References:

1. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2022/10/multiple-stressors-no-function
2. The impact of election stress: Is political anxiety harming your health?
3. Risk Outlook 2025
4. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers report political conflict at work, with no policy to address It | theHRD
5. America’s Workforce Is Burdened by Surging Stress in 2025, Fueled by Global Political Turmoil and Unmet Mental Health Needs
6. Mojica, MG; Sjoberg-Varney, TL; Rodriguez-Fernandez, R; Renshaw, A; Ebringer, A; Kalia, N. It Is Time for Employers to Recognize and Address Political Anxiety in the Workplace. J. Occ Env. Med 66(8):p e379-e381, August 2024. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003156 | https://journals.lww.com/joem/fulltext/2024/08000/it_is_time_for_employers_to_recognize_and_address.24.aspx