India's youngest employees, Gen Z (born 1997-2012), are most eager to engage in cross-partisan political discourse at workplaces nationwide, reveals a new study by Indeed. The survey of 2,631 employees and 1,266 employers ahead of India's general election results finds 64% of Gen Z respondents report actively participating in political conversations at their workplaces, compared to just 54% of Gen Xers and 55% of Baby Boomers.

Gen Z (46%) and Millennial (65%) workers say they are far more comfortable working alongside colleagues with opposing political views than Gen X (38%) and Baby Boomers (38%).

However, 82% of employees described the overall office atmosphere surrounding these discussions as "heated and divided." More than half (56%) confessed to feeling discomfort, suggesting potential strains on employee wellbeing and workplace cohesion.

To maintain a respectful environment, many companies are striving for neutrality (44%) and establishing clear codes of conduct (34%). At the same time, a substantial 43% are encouraging open but bounded dialogue between employees with differing views.

These sensitive discussions often take place during informal workplace gatherings (14%), on social media (14%), and over lunch breaks (11%) – rather than official meetings.

While nearly half (49%) of employers expressed concerns about stereotyping or prejudiced behaviours stemming from political talk, over one-third (34%) of workers say their sense of support is not significantly impacted by their leader's political leanings.