It may be the most contentious presidential election in recent memory. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are controversial in their own ways and plenty of voters don't like them.

Though the home stretch of the election officially launched during the Labor Day weekend, the heated debates over the candidates got off to an early start everywhere, including the workplace. That can create major headaches for human resources leaders if political banter among employees turns ugly, according to the Society of Human Resource Management.

In June, weeks before the Democratic and Republican national conventions, SHRM released the results of a survey that showed 26% of HR professionals perceived a greater political volatility in the workplace this year compared with previous election years. Other national surveys have also shown nearly half of Americans have gotten into fights with friends, relatives or co-workers over Clinton and Trump.