Geopolitical Shockwaves in the Office: The Erosion of Workplace Norms and the Rise of Antisemitism in the Post-October 7 World

The October 7th, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel triggered a surge in antisemitism worldwide, with North American workplaces and campuses emerging as places of exclusion, harassment, and alienation of Jewish persons. This study examines the impact of October 7th on Jewish professionals in the U.S. and Canada, utilizing the Industrial Relations (IR) Systems Framework approach to contextualize workplace dynamics within broader socio-political shifts. Drawing on two waves of survey data - one from university campuses in late 2023 and another from workplaces in 2024, and on a randomized survey experimental design, our analysis reveals high levels and a significant increase in antisemitic rhetoric, victimization, and social marginalization. Findings indicate that while campus settings had pre-existing hostility toward Jewish and Israeli individuals, non-academic workplaces experienced a more abrupt and intense rise in exclusionary behaviors, verbal harassment, and institutional failures to address safety concerns. Our analysis suggests that the normalization of exclusionary workplace practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with ideological biases in institutional policies, has exacerbated post-October 7th antisemitism. We argue that this phenomenon reflects a systemic failure to uphold workplace dignity and equity for Jewish employees, necessitating urgent policy interventions.