# Workplace Taboos and How to Discuss Them > Leaders can create safe spaces for discussing money, politics, family, age, and fear at work. - Title: Workplace Taboos and How to Discuss Them | Shortify - Summary: Leaders can create safe spaces for discussing money, politics, family, age, and fear at work. - Keywords: workplace taboos, psychological safety, leadership communication, money transparency, political discussions, family responsibilities, age discrimination, fear of failure, unspoken topics, manager training, employee engagement, taboo topics - Source: Harvard Business Review — https://hbr.org/podcast/2026/11/the-topics-we-avoid-at-work-and-how-to-start-talking-about-them - Published: 2026-11-03T11:07:52+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: workplace taboos, psychological safety, leadership communication, money transparency, political discussions, family responsibilities, age discrimination, fear of failure, unspoken topics, manager training, employee engagement, taboo topics ## Taboo Topics at Work Money, politics, family responsibilities, age, ambition, and fear are topics employees avoid discussing at work. > Money, politics, family responsibilities, age, ambition, and fear: Some of the topics that matter most to employees are the ones they feel least comfortable discussing at work. ## Impact of Avoiding Taboos Avoiding these conversations erodes trust, undermines psychological safety, and leaves leaders making decisions without crucial information. > But avoiding these conversations can erode trust, undermine psychological safety, and leave leaders making decisions without crucial information. ## Christina Wing's Expertise Christina Wing, a Harvard Business School senior lecturer, author of Unspeakable: The Taboo Topics We Avoid and How to Talk About Them, advises on addressing workplace taboos. > Wing is author of the book Unspeakable: The Taboo Topics We Avoid and How to Talk About Them. ## Why Discuss Taboos? Discussing taboo topics with the right people creates a safe space for input and prevents decisions from being made without crucial perspectives. > So what’s interesting is we talk about these things, but just not with the right person. And so a lot of these conversations happen in a side room or somewhere else, but not with the person that could actually affect change. ## Cultural Differences National and corporate cultures influence how employees feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics at work. > Well, cultural differences come into how to have the conversations, but most companies present themselves as a values-based place to work. ## Generational Shifts Younger generations are more comfortable discussing salary and social issues, while older generations avoid these topics. > The rising gen is very comfortable talking about certain things like their salary. They share what’s going on, but the existing generation doesn’t. ## Politics in the Workplace Managers should address political topics like elections and tariffs to prevent decisions from being made without input. > If you’re doing business in Egypt and the tariffs are going to go up, you need to understand that and be able to talk about the consequences of different political actions. ## Role-Playing Conversations Managers should role-play conversations about sensitive topics to prepare for difficult discussions. > You should role play because you really, really need to make sure it’s worth bringing up and you should choose your words very carefully. ## Recovering from Failed Conversations If a conversation doesn’t go as planned, take a break and try again later to maintain trust. > You know what? This is not going great right now. Why don’t we take a beat? Or, This isn’t going right now. Why don’t we both think, and can we talk about this again in two days? ## Race and Religion Discussions Leaders should create safe spaces for discussions about race and religion to foster understanding and respect. > I really believe in privacy and there are certain things, but if you’re keeping secrets that will affect an organization, that’s different. ## Work-Family Conflicts Employees need to discuss work-family conflicts like elder care and fertility to avoid losing qualified workers. > When you have a baby, it’s celebrated. 75% of our generation are taking care of elder people as well. That’s not celebrated at the workplace. ## Age and Retirement Managers should address age-related concerns without linking slowing down to age to avoid bias. > We need a total reset on age and work. In terms of noticing somebody slowing down and correlating that to their age is already us projecting something onto them. ## Fear of Ambition Women often face greater fear of ambition and may be overlooked for promotions due to this. > Women have a harder time saying they want something greater than what they currently have, and they are misconstrued when they say it. ## Overcoming Fear Sharing mistakes and fears builds trust and psychological safety in the workplace. > I think storytelling is a great thing. I tell all of my students that I’ve been fired before and they want to crawl under their desk. ## Salary Transparency Managers should discuss salary and pay bands early to avoid misunderstandings and build trust. > So if your company awards bonuses and salary increases in December, in February, you should go to your manager and say, I want to add a lot more value to the company this year and I want to make a lot more money. ## Layoffs and AI Managers should address AI and layoffs honestly to prevent fear and maintain trust. > If managers just avoid that AI is there, they’re scaring their team. I think being as honest as possible, which is, Listen, we are going to start using AI. ## Key takeaway Managers should address taboo topics like politics and family responsibilities to build trust and psychological safety.