How companies should respond to Gaza protests

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Will leaders let the activist tails wag the corporate dogs or crack down like Google did?

Company leadership teams bracing for the corporate version of the pro-Palestinian protests that have disrupted U.S. colleges over the past week should remember this basic tenet of crisis management: The best way to avoid a crisis is to manage it before it happens.

“Behaviour like this has no place in our workplace and we will not tolerate it,” Google’s head of global security, Chris Rackow, said in a hard-line all-employee memo. “If you are one of the few who are tempted to think we’re going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again.” The issue reflects the continued growth of political and social activism, born during the social-justice movement and driven by rising employee entitlement, which is causing crises that have little or nothing to do with the quality or performance of the products and services companies sell. Just ask Wayfair, the online home-décor company, which saw hundreds of workers stage a walkout in 2019 to protest U.S.

It is not about whether or not a company agrees with a cause. It is about the fact companies are not – or should not be – platforms for social or political grandstanding. Leaders need to remember that and remind their stakeholders of it. Besides, there’s no shortage of other platforms people can use to air grievances or proffer arguments.

If you are looking for guidance, Google’s posture is a good place to start. Swift, direct and tied to existing company policy, not politics. But also look at some of the highly ranked schools that have no-nonsense strategies. The school walked the walk, too, suspending several student protesters and shutting down a campus group it says was inciting disruptive activity. It also warned faculty and staff that such behaviour would trigger disciplinary action, including termination.

 

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