One-half of workers believe it’s important for employers to make a public statement about the Israel-Hamas war

Companies in the US have been trying to find the right balance when responding to the Israel-Hamas war.

A new survey from ResumeBuilder finds that while some employees believe companies should make public statements, many workers are afraid of the repercussions of voicing their own opinions.

ResumeBuilder surveyed 1,000 workers in the US at the end of October, and found that 51% of respondents said they feel it’s at least somewhat important for companies to make a statement about the war.

“It benefits the company to make both an internal and external statement, as it may allow them to maintain, and simultaneously attract, employees aligned with their culture,” Stacie Haller, ResumeBuilder’s chief career advisor, said in the report.

ResumeBuilder found that just under one-half (46%) of workers say they have a strong or very strong opinion on the war, and 19% are either “very worried” or “extremely worried” about consequences of expressing their opinions publicly. Respondents are afraid their opinions could lead to physical (36%) or verbal (50%) assaults, or the loss of future (27%) or current jobs (29%).

Employers may be trying to keep discussions about the war to a minimum, but the topic is still being raised at work, reported the Wall Street Journal, and some workers have reportedly been fired for their public statements.

Finally, some employees appear to support firing or refusing to hire someone based on their sentiments about the conflict: 18% of workers surveyed believe that employees who make a statement in support of Hamas should “definitely” be fired, while 8% believe the same about employees who are pro-Palestine.