Survey Finds Office Politics Is Prevalent

Eighty percent of professionals surveyed by Accountemps said they believe office politics is alive and well.

Of those 80%, 46% identified gossiping or spreading rumors as the most common office politics activities. Twenty-eight percent identified gaining favor by flattering the boss as the most common, while 17% chose “taking credit for other’s work,” and 5% selected “sabotaging  coworkers’ projects.”

Only 14% of survey respondents said participating in office politics is not necessary at all to get ahead, compared to 42% in a 2012 survey. Twenty-eight percent said “politicking” is very necessary for career advancement, up from 15% in 2012.

More than half of workers (55%) said they take part in office politics, with 16% describing themselves as ” Active campaigner: I have to play the game to get ahead” and 39% self-identifying as “occasional voter: I get involved when issues are important to me.” Forty-three percent said they are a neutral party and stay completely out of the fray.

Accountemps identifies six types of office politicians and has issued a guide for how to navigate office politics.