Employees in Glasgow’s social housing sector have faced threats and intimidation as tensions over immigration have intensified. Shettleston Housing Association temporarily closed its office over staff safety concerns, while another housing association building was reportedly affected by a planned protest.
Housing leaders condemned the behaviour and stressed that threats towards staff and local communities cannot be tolerated.
Aggie Yemurai Mutuma, CEO of Mahogany Inclusion Partners, told HR Magazine that these incidents should not be dismissed as isolated hostility. Fear and misinformation can become embedded when organisations and leaders fail to challenge them clearly.
She stressed that racism and intimidation have a profound effect on employees who may come to work fearing abuse because of who they are or how they are perceived.
Employers must respond quickly and visibly when anti-immigration sentiment affects the workplace. Immediate priorities should include staff safety, meaningful support for affected colleagues and practical bystander intervention training.
Aggie also called on leaders to name harmful behaviour directly and challenge misinformation, warning that silence can be interpreted as tolerance. Temporary closures may protect people during an immediate threat, but organisations must follow this with sustained work to create safe and inclusive cultures.
Aggie Yemurai Mutuma is a multi-award-winning leadership coach, speaker, and workplace culture strategist with expertise in workplace culture and strategy.
She blends her engaging and authentic approach with her deep experience in leading organisations to empower individual, team, and organisational transformations.
