Gen Z and Millennial Workers: 40% Ready to Quit Jobs Over Workplace Political Differences, Study Finds

Vice President Kamala Harris at the Pride Parade in San Francisco, California (Credit: White House)

While generally believed to be more apathetic about politics than the preceding generations, a new study from Harris Poll reveals that political alignment is a major factor for Gen Z and Millennial employees, with 40% stating they would quit a job due to political differences. The study was commissioned by the employment services website Indeed.

According to Indeed, the survey found that a significant majority of Gen Z/Millennial workers, especially younger generations, prefer to work for companies with CEOs who share their political views. Specifically, 60% of all workers said they would prefer a job at a company with a politically aligned CEO, while this number rose to 66% among recent college graduates and a striking 71% among men aged 18-34.

Moreover, 42% of Gen Z/Millennial workers indicated that their entire company or corporate leadership is aligned with a single political party. This trend was particularly pronounced among employees aged 18-34, with 53% reporting that their company or leadership is aligned with a specific party.

According to the Harris Poll survey commissioned by Indeed, 63% of respondents care “at least a little” about politics, and 35% admit to openly discussing politics at work. A further 44% say that they’ve overheard their coworkers discussing politics while on the job.

Indeed found that 28% of Gen Z/Millennial workers would consider resigning over political differences at work, and 32% might leave if the CEO expressed views they disagree with. What’s more concerning here is nearly 40% of workers aged 18-34 would leave a job because of political differences at work, and 40% of this same age range would also leave if their CEO expressed political views they disagreed with.

“While it’s clear that the onus falls on employers to establish psychologically safe workplaces, there are still a few things job seekers and current employees can do to actively advocate for their wellbeing at work—or, if necessary, find a company that better aligns with their values,” said Indeed.

The survey found that more than one third of employees discuss politics at work, but more than half want it kept out of meetings.

Even in remote meetings, political leanings can be subtly expressed, such as through visible campaign stickers or mugs. In fact, 16% of workers reported seeing some form of political affiliation displayed in the background of a video conference.

These instances can have a significant impact on the workplace, with 42% of employees stating that politics have affected their team in some way. Given that 34% believe politics have negatively impacted team morale, it’s evident that addressing political discussions at work is crucial to maintaining a positive and productive environment.

Gen Z-ers – or Zoomers as some people call them – no longer meet new people in person. They find them on Instagram and other social media services. So, what do they do instead of flirting? They “like” someone’s social media post and expect to be contacted through direct messaging.

Generation Z, often abbreviated as Gen Z, refers to the demographic cohort following Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. There’s no universally agreed-upon birth year range, but most sources place it somewhere between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s. This means the oldest members of Gen Z are entering their late 20s, while the youngest are still teenagers.