How did your workplace handle election fallout?

The American workplace has now had about two weeks to absorb the most surprising presidential election in our lifetimes.

Since then, the full range of human emotion, from grief to glee, has played out in offices, shops and warehouses — a volatile mix that caused arguments and some violence among co-workers. Human resources departments have been called in to answer questions they could never have previously imagined (“Does our leave policy cover election-induced depression?”). And employee assistance programs saw an increase in calls that was led by a “Facebook-fueled sadness spiral,” says Philippe Weiss, managing director of Seyfarth Shaw’s workplace consulting arm.

For HR and managers on the front lines, the post-election period has had less to do with politics and more to do with people. When they walk in the office door each day, “people” automatically become “employees” and we expect them to check their feelings at the door. Emotions at work, some would say, are unprofessional, out of place or simply wrong.

In reality, though, emotions are what make us human, and managing people requires knowing how to respond to their emotions. Here are four things that any supervisor or HR professional should remember when facing a highly charged emotional issue in the workplace:

• Emotions are real. We’ve been conditioned to believe that emotions are different from “facts.” But when you feel your heart racing, that’s an objective biological reality caused by emotions. Never feel foolish about asking employees, “How do you feel about this?” And, just as important, ask yourself, “How do I feel about it?”

• Emotions can’t be shared. Though we talk about “sharing” our emotions, what we mean is expressing those feelings. We can’t expect employees will feel the same way we do about a particular situation. We can, however, understand how someone else feels if we discuss those feelings openly. There’s really no other way.

• Emotions precede thoughts. Emotional responses are typically a person’s first response. It’s better for managers to allow for an initial emotional reaction — both from their employees and from themselves — whenever there is a change or crisis. Acknowledging those feelings openly gives our emotions a chance to resolve themselves, allowing us to move into a more analytical mode for actual problem solving.

• Emotions are signals. Very few people have emotional reactions for no reason. When employees are happy, we want to think they’re clearly satisfied with their work life. But when the same employees are angry, we often want to believe they’re just “blowing off steam.” Instead, we should assume such emotions are real danger signs, and that we need to figure out — or ask — what the employees need to not feel threatened or deprived.