An Evolution at Work

The conference declined through a spokesman to comment.

Most illustrations of the situation are subtler. A co-worker once invited to coffee is left behind in his cubicle after sending an anti-Bush e-mail to people he assumed shared his views. An e-vite to a Kerry fundraiser raises blood pressure among colleagues who are invited but support Bush. New poll numbers result in morning bash sessions in the cafeteria. It has become so that workers have a hard time not abhorring colleagues in the same way they abhor the candidate their colleagues support.

"People are losing the ability to disagree without being disagreeable," said Peter Handal, chief executive of Dale Carnegie Training, which advises clients how to keep the heated discussions cool. "With 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' people say, 'What, you went to that? How could you?' "

"We hear a lot about red and blue states. But if it were that simple, everyone in a red state would agree, and everyone in a blue state would agree," said Jonathan Segal, an employment attorney in Philadelphia. "But there are many Kerry supporters in red states, and many Bush supporters in blue states. They not only share states, they share workplaces.

"There's always, around election time, strong feelings. And with strong feelings, sometimes disagreements."

Which is why some companies have tried to squelch potential problems by enforcing codes of conduct. Several have called Segal to ask what, if any, restrictions they could put on employees who want to talk politics.

"A private employer can probably impose restrictions on political speech in the workplace," Segal said. "But I don't think it's practical or enforceable, and it would result in many employees feeling fairly stifled."

Keeping a strong political stance quiet, especially among co-workers with whom many hours are shared, is incredibly difficult, particularly in such an acrimonious election year. Some employees fear if they speak out, other co-workers will unleash on them, and working together will become nearly impossible. There is little way to avoid a difference of opinions in the workplace, no matter which way a state swings.

But employees are finding they need to make life at work more palatable, despite a wide disagreement on presidential candidates.

In a town like Washington, presidential politics in the workplace can wreak greater havoc than in other areas of the country. That's because some bosses rely on a Bush reelection to keep their jobs.