Colleague insists on discussing Palestine-Israel situation

[Hydrahelix]

I work for a relatively new SME based in the Home Counties. I manage a team of 11. I'm new here (Ocober 2024), management training has been non-existent and there is a very slim company handbook. HR is a young woman who handles contracts. One of my team has taken to wearing a kaffiyeh scarf to work and talks a lot about the situation in Palestine. He attends rallies in London and has become very passionate on the subject. I should perhaps also mention that he has a history of MH issues which may or may not be relevant here: he does seem to have become somewhere fixated on this issue.

He's alienated a number of his co-workers: two of them are Jewish or have Jewish heritage/ family but there are others who find his expectation everyone will agree with him, and his obvious annoyance is people don't want to get involved, oppressive. Staff have asked me to ask him not to talk about this subject at work. One has reported that the colleague has a 'From the river to the sea' sticker prominent on occasion.

My manager is dials in on occasion from wherever he is and has a robust management style. I imagine he'd tell everyone, including me, to grow a pair and get over themselves. What do I do? Particularly given the potential MH complications?

I'm assume your thr manager if you're being asked to talk to him about it? Just explain that he is making people uncomfortable and that it's best not to talk politics at work.

Yes, this^^

Yes, I'm the manager of the department. So far I've had very little to deal with other than ensuring schedules are kept to and orders handled. Nothing to do with personnel.

I can start with that. A quiet chat about people not being comfortable and how he needs to save his pet subject for discussion with friends out of the office. Need to think how to word that.

Not having been here for long I can't say I know him, but I suspect he's getting a bit manic and I'm not sure how to take things forward if he doesn't/ can't heed the warning.

Can I ask him not to bring his 'from the river to the sea' sticker in with him? If I understand what it means accurately, it's inciting violence against Jews and that's not appropriate for work. I don't want to get into an argument with him over what it means. He's very argumentative.

This would be totally inappropriate in every company I have ever worked. You do not discuss things like politics or religion or even mention it.

From the river to the sea sticker. Is this actually for real?

It depends on your workplace tbh. I am not allowed to wear or display anything political at work in order to promote my own views (I work in a school, so discussing issues in a neutral way is ok, but I couldn't have a sticker saying Vote for whoever). We also get emails around election time saying please don't discuss it.

I wouldn't be allowed to wear the sticker you've mentioned, no.

Is there anything in the conditions of employment that might help with this? It will give you something to fall back on.

Could you simply say that for the comfort and peace of mind of all the team he needs to dial down airing his political views. Tell him you all respect his right to hold those views but that your job is to help the team to work well together.

I probably wouldn't phrase it as "it's best not to talk about politics at work..." because the way you describe him, he might choose to interpret it as a suggestion, not an instruction, and blithely carry on.

I would phrase it more robustly, "I understand that the situation in Palestine is enormously emotive, but it is not appropriate to discuss politics in this way at work - I would say the same if a colleague was discussing Trump, Northern Ireland or Brexit. The office simply isn't the right place for it, and that also applies to wearing political slogans or politically charged accessories." and not drag it out into a long chat. Move swiftly on and don't be drawn into a debate about it.

Yup. Problem is that everyone talks about Trump all the time because there seems to be a consensus on him. So if I say no discussion of Israel-Palestine I may also need to clamp down on the Trump talk too.

It's a private company with none of the no-politics policies that apply to those in the public sector. I'm going to have to think carefully how to phrase this because he's someone who enjoys arguing. I may have to emphasise that there have been complaints and be extra formal with him to get through to him. Cheers.

I know what you mean re Trump. It is easy to throw him into conversation as everyone tends to agree on him. I do avoid talking about him at work, but I doubt anyone would complain if I didn't avoid it. I just think there are better things to talk about at work.

You are the manager? then manage..

You should have put your foot down a long time ago and tell everyone in your team that political discussions are not appropriate in the workplace. Then you should have made it clear to the individual that he will be disciplined if he continues to create an hostile environment and have inappropriate conversations.

As it stands by doing nothing you are leaving your company at risk of a grievance claim by the jewish employees, who should not have to listen to his opinions on the conflict in the first place. They are here to work, not to be lectured.

Unfair dismissal for expressing a political belief, for example, on social media is different to requesting that employees refrain from open discussion of politics in the workplace.

I would just say a blanket no to any political discussion. We can’t discuss Trump where I work (American company, lots of Americans) and due to it being such a global and diverse workplace even the most innocent comment would be addressed immediately by management or HR. You need to just wear your corporate personality at work and everyone understands that.

Having a 'From the river to the sea' sticker is really really inappropriate.
I second the advice to say that politics are not to be talked about in the workplace full stop, and maybe pick some less current/emotive examples than Trump or Brexit.

Yes, that's a lot like what we get at work.

I thought with all your "don't shoot the messenger PLEASE" you were saying just let him crack on with it 😂

Relieved to have misunderstood you

I would be really offended if my employer allowed a 'from the river to the sea' sticker to be displayed at work, or another employee to wear a badge with the slogan on it. I'd definitely consider it to be a hostile working environment.

Does the company have any policies on political activities in the workplace? (I'm guessing not. Now is the time to put something formal in place.)

https://www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/politics-in-the-workplace/

On the subject of the sticker
Firstly, I don't understand what you mean by a sticker? Is it like a child would wear on their jumper for good behaviour? Secondly people interpret that phrase in different ways, so your understanding of it is only one take on it. I certainly wouldn't interpret it that way.

But I don't think he should be going on about this at work. Wearing a keffiyah is fine by the way, people can wear what they like. But it's best to not get into political arguments at work.

Thanks @Racheloates for that template. I'm going to have discreet word with him, informing him that there have been complaints, and warning him that the sticker which has been spotted on a laptop he's brought in to work with him is offensive and mustn't be brought in work again. I'll follow it with an email to all staff.

As for the 'just manage him' remarks, he's a person who could be protected under two of the characteristics of the EA 2010 (Belief and Disability) and that means that I have to take those into account.

This is one of those small companies that many of us work in, where staff are expected to get things done without benefit of detailed policies. As I said, I'm a fairly recent hire and my job spec didn't include detailed knowledge of how to handle interpersonal issues. I was hired because of my understanding and experience in what we actually produce/ do.

If there are any legal/ HR people here, what can an employer do if they suspect an employee with a history of MH issues may be experiencing a recurrence, but the employee doesn't agree?

Easiest solution is to not make it about politics.

Simply say discussion around wars is not appropriate for the workplace.

We're paid to go a job, not show our biases.

Ergo, there should be zero impact to his MH or anything else.

You need to contact Prevent. This person sounds to be high risk, if he is already vulnerable, and is adopting offensive symbols.