Americans at war (with each other)

For human resources professionals, these findings are not merely a sociological curiosity, they are a forecast of a deepening crisis in organizational culture and productivity.

The End of the “Workplace Neutral”

If more than half of the population views their neighbors as “bad people,” the likelihood of those same individuals viewing their colleagues through a lens of moral suspicion is high. This “affective polarization” – an aversion and distrust of those with differing opinions – is already leaching into professional settings.

The data suggests the “neutral” workplace is becoming an endangered species:

• A Willingness Gap: According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, only 20 percent of respondents said they would be willing to work with someone who strongly disagreed with them.
• The Civility Crisis: The SHRM Civility Index for early 2025 reached its second-highest level since its inception, with 44 percent of workers believing that the ability of Americans to be civil toward one another will only worsen.
• Political Distraction: Research from Brightmine shows that 27 percent of employed Americans report being distracted by politics at work – a 42 percent increase from the previous year.

A Generational Flashpoint

The Pew data highlights a sharp partisan divide: 60 percent of Democrats and 46 percent of Republicans view their fellow citizens as morally “bad”. However, in the office, the friction is increasingly generational.

While only 7 percent of Baby Boomers report being distracted by the political environment, nearly 30 percent of Gen Zand Millennials say the current climate significantly impacts their focus. Furthermore, 42 percent of Gen Z employees report having had a political disagreement at work, compared to just 9 percent of Boomers.