While it’s easy to dismiss news and current events that don’t affect your organization as not worth discussing at work, employees are increasingly expecting their employer to acknowledge them. Younger generations in particular have higher expectations for their company to display corporate citizenship by getting involved, taking stands and modeling values that align with their own.

Discussions of current events can lead to debate and conflict, which is not uncommon in a workplace setting. To help diffuse tensions, consider having a documented company policy on political speech and activity in the workplace that you can refer to if it becomes necessary. Providing a broader context can also be helpful, as people often overestimate how likely it is that unusual events will affect them personally, psychologists note.