The tragic murder of three young children in Southport has been difficult to comprehend. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends and communities who are mourning this senseless event.
To then see this dreadful situation being exploited by some to perpetrate violence against others is appalling.
Over this weekend and in preceding days, a number of towns and cities across the UK have experienced a surge of Islamophobic and racist attacks. People targeted on the basis or perceived basis of their faith, skin colour or citizenship status.
So where do we go from here? What can we do to support colleagues / friends impacted by this violence?
As an employer, colleague, leader, here are some suggestions on what you can do:
Wellbeing Support
Check in with Muslim colleagues, Asian Colleagues, Black colleagues. Ask them how they are doing. Ask them if they need any support and if they do, ask them what specifically they need.
Signpost them to mental wellbeing resources they can access.
If they feel comfortable opening up to you, listen to them and provide a safe, confidential space for them to share their experiences.
If required / as appropriate, you can also signpost them to the following organisations that have expertise in supporting those impacted by hate crimes:
Understand that impacted colleagues may be quieter than usual, or less focused or distracted due to current events. Bear this in mind when reviewing deadlines and expectations.
This LinkedIn post from Sadia Siddiqui contains great guidance on holding meaningful check-ins with your colleagues and how to approach these conversations.
Travel
- Review and where necessary update the risk assessments for work related travel, keeping duty of care in mind. Understand that Muslim, Asian or Black colleagues may not currently feel safe travelling to certain places in the UK. Can some in-person meetings become hybrid or virtual meetings instead?
- If you have colleagues who use public transport to come to work, check how they are feeling and perhaps ask if they would like you to accompany them to e.g. the bus stop or local train station.
- If possible, offer work from home arrangements, until employees feel safe to use public transport or to travel into the office again.
Education
Encourage learning and understanding of ways to recognise and tackle Islamophobia and racism. This can be achieved through:
- workshops or training sessions on these topics,
- active bystander training, equipping people with a framework they can use when they witness harassment or discrimination,
- carefully constructed and facilitated open dialogue sessions across teams,
- reading articles/books or listening to podcasts from trusted sources
Speak Up Routes
- Provide feedback or speak up routes, where employees can share concerns or suggestions anonymously.
- Remind employees of any external feedback options you have available to them too.
If your workplace says it wants to be inclusive and truly welcoming for all, acknowledging the impact of these recent events is part of the process of making those intentions a reality.
