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Jim Priesr

Even though Oklahoma is far from the conflict zone, and even though the White House says the war is “over” (perhaps) Oklahoma employers are being impacted by the war, some more than others.

– Oil & gas companies may have employees traveling through the Middle East.

– Aerospace & defense firms must update risk and security protocols.

– Universities have students and faculty who are from the region or have family there.

– Any employer may have workers from the region who can face bias or stress.

As a lawyer, I had a client company during the first Gulf War with a manager who thought he was harmlessly joking with an employee from the Middle East.  He teasingly called the employee a “Camel Jockey” and laughingly told him to “Go pound sand”.  It happened so much the employee contacted the EEOC and hired an attorney resulting in a lawsuit. So employers should stay alert.

Here are a few policy recommendations for employers:

Strengthen anti‑harassment and anti‑discrimination enforcement

Re‑train managers on Title VII obligations and remind employees national‑origin, race and color harassment are prohibited.  Provide clear reporting channels and make sure employees know about them. This is explicitly recommended during the Iran conflict.

Provide mental‑health and emotional‑support resources

Some employees may be monitoring news constantly, worrying about family, or dealing with pre-existing trauma. Employers should increase awareness of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and train supervisors to manage with empathy.

Update travel‑safety and evacuation protocols

Companies with employees traveling through the Middle East must:

Monitor airspace closures
Maintain evacuation plans
Review travel insurance exclusions

This has been necessary as firms like Citi and HSBC which evacuated staff from Dubai and Qatar due to the conflict.

Prepare managers to address morale and uncertainty

Studies show morale drops and job‑confidence declines during geopolitical instability. HR should train leaders in conflict de-escalation and be quick to provide support.

Let’s hope the Iran conflict is truly winding down.  But even if it is, the likelihood of other conflicts arising elsewhere is an ever present threat.  This means all levels of management, not just HR, should be tuned in and trained up to spot and address these issues.

Jim Priest is president of Sage Counsel LLC.