President Trump gives a thumbs-up to reporters as he waits to speak by phone with Saudi Arabia's King Salman in the Oval Office on Jan. 29, 2017. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Managers in many workplaces, watching their employees distracted by the political tensions of the 2016 campaign, probably thought they'd breathe a sigh of relief once the brutal and divisive election came to a close. People would refocus on their jobs, divisions between workers would quiet down, and the news cycle would settle into a manageable pace that didn't fill employees' desktop screens and mobile phones with the latest social media outrage every few minutes.

But nearly three months later, many are still holding their breath. Instead, human resources consultants say, the onslaught of headlines, tweets and executive orders that have characterized President Trump's chaotic first two weeks have kept politics center stage in many workplaces. As employees -- supporters or detractors -- digest the latest Trump tweet or the world responds to the newest controversial order from the president, the intensely active and rapid-fire style of Trump's first few days has become a constant and, some say, distracting workplace presence.

One human resources consultant compared the deluge of headlines and the constant access many workers have to social media, news alerts and confirmation hearing videos on their screens to the distractions that sporting events like March Madness can bring to working hours. "People are riveted," says Jeanne Meister, a consultant who works with human resources managers from Fortune 500 companies. "But unlike March Madness, this affects our lives. This affects our children's lives."

Read more about how the anxiety, unease or at least eagerness to move on amid Trump's chaotic first two weeks are affecting workplaces across the land here.

More on leadership in Washington:

*Trump vowed, ‘I alone can fix it.’ But he discovers power has limits. (The Washington Post)

*Does Trump actually want to succeed? (Politico Magazine)