Forty per cent of Jewish employees have experienced antisemitism in the workplace since the October 7 atrocities, according to research published this week.
Of the 500 Jewish employees surveyed by Work Avenue, 39 per cent said that they had experienced antisemitism from colleagues or clients.
Antisemitic incidents occurred during direct conversations with colleagues, social media posts, internal emails, blogs and overheard discussions. Some respondents said that colleagues had been avoiding them.
Some reported that their colleagues had denied what had happened on October 7, while others said their colleagues’ had used antisemitic tropes around money and influence.
One participant, who recalled telling a fellow employee that her son had survived the attack, her cousin had been murdered and a friend taken hostage, said that another colleague had interrupted “to tell me that he supports Hamas and the murder of innocent civilians as justified resistance to the existence of a Jewish State. He called me a ‘baby killer’ amongst other slurs.”
One person taking part, whose colleagues did not know they were Jewish, said they heard regular remarks “expressing hatred for Jews and Israel, including things such as ‘those f***ing Jews again’. There are also comments such as ‘Jew-bag’ to describe people perceived as being tight with money.”
Another said: “I have experienced consistent antisemitism. I have been ignored at social gatherings, bullied and treated differently. They claim Israel is a racist state, that it commits genocide and that Jews cannot be trusted.”
In some cases, the hurt was compounded by management’s failure to act, and some reported that the antisemitism came from senior staff.
A concern that appeared in numerous responses was that diversity and inclusion procedures and networks, which had been put in place to support minority groups, did not protect Jewish staff.
Work Avenue, which provides employment and business support to the Jewish community, instigated the study after receiving a large number of reports of antisemitism in the workplace.
Its CEO, Debbie Lebrett, said: “This is a very difficult time for our community as we mourn those lost on October 7, worry about friends and family in Israel and have to deal with rising antisemitism at home.
“For four in ten Jewish people responding to our survey to also be suffering hatred in the workplace, which should be a safe space, is shocking. It’s extremely upsetting that people don’t feel as safe at work as they do at home. home, even though many people spend the majority of their time at work.”
Meanwhile, 72 per cent of those taking part in the survey said that they had received support from colleagues or clients, although some of these people had also experienced negativity. The former included instances of people checking in, as well as general support for the Jewish community.
One person said: “Colleagues — some of whom I wouldn’t describe myself as close to — reached out to say that they had been thinking of me and hoped I was OK.”
Another participant with family in Israel said: “I have very caring and supportive non-Jewish colleagues who recognise that this is a tough and anxious time for me as I worry about my family. Also, they have seen what’s going on across London, with the rise in antisemitism, and have been asking how I am and if I feel safe.”
Lebrett said: “It is comforting to know that almost three quarters of our participants have received support from colleagues and management at this time.”
She added that Work Avenue was available to support members of the Jewish community who were experiencing antisemitism at work, as well as those from outside the community “who wish to learn how better to deal with such situations”.
