UK workplaces are feeling the fallout of the conflict in the Middle East. Each news report brings a new twist, another reason to clash opinions and strain relationships.
Research on Islamophobia and Antisemitism at Work*, shows a rise in discrimination. Around half of Jewish workers and 36% Muslims (of 500 workers interviewed) said that they experienced more discrimination after the start of the war 2023. 39% of Jewish workers and 24% Muslims said that they felt discriminated against (80% and 69% stated they were the victim of “microaggressions”). People were most concerned about “being stereotyped” or “verbal harassment”. Social media was often blamed for the problems.
In a climate so negative, it’s easy to get into disputes based on mistrust and misunderstandings. People with good intentions — such as colleagues or team members — may make comments without regard to religion, race or culture identity. However, the context can transform these comments into something that sounds and feels like bias and inappropriate criticism. Words can become weapons. In this polarised environment, those who identify with either the left or right side of the conflict will see any contradictions as an attack against themselves.
There’s confusion, assumptions and anger in the workplace, messaging, and conversations. It’s not easy to communicate anymore, especially when people are looking for reasons to get angry or to justify their position. There’s also the larger problem of employees feeling misunderstood not just by their colleagues, but by their employer in general.
Organisations could respond by ensuring that staff are aware of how to report issues. They might also encourage them to speak to their manager, HR or even anonymously. It’s difficult to deal with the wide range of issues and concerns that arise from other people’s attitude. What is discrimination? What is the HR line drawn between reasonable opinions and expressions of hate? Who decides who is ‘right?
The most practical HR approach is to facilitate listening and understanding at an early stage, in an informal way. This will ensure that concerns among Jewish and Muslim staff are not either ignored (as they may be too sensitive and hard to resolve), or escalated into formal disciplinary proceedings (where the risk of escalating disputes and opposition exists). Open up discussions that promote mutual trust even when there are fundamental disagreements.
HR professionals should receive mandatory training in conflict resolution and mediation skills as a basis for a culture of informal resolution. This could be part of CIPD qualifications or HR degree studies. HR professionals should act as coaches and mentors to managers when it comes to resolving disputes and give priority informal resolution processes like Neutral Assessment and mediation. In terms of recruitment, development, and reward for the entire workforce, there should be a greater emphasis on core interpersonal skills, as well as support in developing Conversational Integrity. This means focusing on the skills which create an environment where people can have better conversations every day, which will help them deal with difficult situations and uncertainties. For example, situational awareness, curiosity, the ability to listen to what’s being said and to be interested in the reasons behind it, instead of dismissing it or disagreeing, reflective listening, listening with the focus of ensuring the other person has been heard, as opposed to listening just to reinforce or refuel a debate. It ensures that there is full disclosure and mutual understanding. Empathy (the ability of being present to what’s going on in the moment for someone else or yourself) are also important. It allows them to see their world from a different perspective and move forward. What difference would be made if everyone in a workplace was equipped with such skills?
It doesn’t work to treat disputes as a source of embarrassment or as something that should be reduced to formal administration. They will encourage conversations, empathy and listening to help resolve conflicts informally. Understanding the causes of poor performance and behaviour will become more important, especially when they are closely tied to employee stress and wellbeing.
Pearn Kandola’s research
