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Daily Read: Business

75% of Jewish Workers Say DEI Fails on Antisemitism

A new study released Tuesday found that 75.5% of Jewish employees in the UK feel that corporate DEI efforts do not consistently address antisemitism. The research, conducted by Pearn Kandola, a UK‑based occupational psychology consultancy, surveyed 1,002 Jewish workers across a range of sectors and included in‑depth interviews. While 87% of respondents said their organisations publicly commit to tackling racism and 83% saw the diversity function as active, 72.7% noted a gap between words and action. Only 15.9% of participants felt they could safely raise concerns, and 70.8% avoided reporting because they feared their complaints would be dismissed. Interviewees described a range of tactics that silence or minimise antisemitism, from denial and omission to framing it as a religious or political issue rather than racism. Professor Binna Kandola, co‑founder of the firm, warned that DEI frameworks built on power‑and‑privilege models can overlook Jewish vulnerability due to stereotypes of wealth and influence. The report also highlighted the emotional burden placed on Jewish staff who act as informal educators for their colleagues and the risk of being seen as self‑interested. Pearn Kandola calls for more specific, actionable reporting channels and a shift in DEI practice to recognise antisemitism as a distinct form of discrimination.

· jpost.com

The essential points

  1. 0175.5% of Jewish UK employees say DEI programs fail to consistently tackle antisemitism.
  2. 02Only 15.9% feel safe reporting antisemitic incidents, with 70.8% avoiding complaints out of fear.
  3. 03Survey shows 87% agree organisations commit to anti‑racism, yet 72.7% see a gap between words and action.
  4. 04The study warns that power‑and‑privilege‑based DEI models can ignore Jewish vulnerability due to stereotypes of wealth and influence.
The full brief

A new study released Tuesday found that 75. 5% of Jewish employees in the UK feel that corporate DEI efforts do not consistently address antisemitism. The research, conducted by Pearn Kandola, a UK‑based occupational psychology consultancy, surveyed 1,002 Jewish workers across a range of sectors and included in‑depth interviews. While 87% of respondents said their organisations publicly commit to tackling racism and 83% saw the diversity function as active, 72.

7% noted a gap between words and action. Only 15. 9% of participants felt they could safely raise concerns, and 70. 8% avoided reporting because they feared their complaints would be dismissed.

Interviewees described a range of tactics that silence or minimise antisemitism, from denial and omission to framing it as a religious or political issue rather than racism. Professor Binna Kandola, co‑founder of the firm, warned that DEI frameworks built on power‑and‑privilege models can overlook Jewish vulnerability due to stereotypes of wealth and influence. The report also highlighted the emotional burden placed on Jewish staff who act as informal educators for their colleagues and the risk of being seen as self‑interested. Pearn Kandola calls for more specific, actionable reporting channels and a shift in DEI practice to recognise antisemitism as a distinct form of discrimination.