By Dr. Max Reinwald
In the global context of mass migration and aging workforces, immigrant newcomers play a vital role in the labour markets of their host countries. Organisations must be aware of local and regional political climates, as support for far-right political parties may translate into colleagues undermining immigrant co-workers’ social standing and career prospects. This, in turn, can lead to stress, burnout, and risks to successful labour market integration.
Estimates place the number of people living outside their country of birth at over 280 million as of 2020, accounting for roughly 3.6 percent of the global population. Such high levels of international migration play an important role in the business ecosystem, with immigrants helping companies fill labour shortages, increase innovation, and secure prosperity in their host countries.
Yet, research shows that adjusting to work in a new cultural environment is difficult. Factors such as the local political climate can affect how easily immigrant workers can integrate into the workforce.
Many countries have seen a recent rise in far-right political parties, reflecting a growth in anti-immigrant sentiments. A better understanding of how this phenomenon creeps into work environments is crucial for organisations because this ideology manifests in social hierarchies that may exclude or undermine immigrant employees, affecting both their wellbeing and career development.
When Political ideology becomes social undermining
In a study I published with my colleagues Benjamin Korman, Florian Kunze, and Sebastian Koos, we investigate how support for far-right parties in a region affects the level of social undermining – deliberate behaviour to harm a person’s social standing and goal achievement – perceived by immigrant and native workers working there.
We collected and analysed survey data from over 1,000 immigrant and native apprentices based in Germany during their first 13 weeks of their apprenticeship. This is a critical time for employee onboarding, when newcomers start to build social relationships with co-workers.
Research also shows that contract dissolutions in Germany between apprentices and their organisations are reported as the highest within the first four months of the apprenticeship. This is when roughly 34 percent of contract dissolutions happen, suggesting this is a critical phase of the onboarding process.
We find that immigrants working in regions where far-right political support accounts for around six percent or less of the voter share report decreasing perceptions of social undermining over time. In contrast, immigrants working in regions where far-right political support comprises over 13 percent of the voter share perceive social undermining increases with time.
So, why is there a link between far-right ideology and this undermining behaviour?
The impact of social undermining on immigrant employees
One reason may be that far-right parties shaping public discourse portray immigrants as a threat to the prosperity and cultural identity of the native population. These political messages can seep into the workplace.
As a result, native co-workers may feel their group’s dominant position is under threat and respond by subtly undermining immigrant newcomers’ efforts to integrate and gain recognition. This social undermining can take many forms, such as being left out of conversations, receiving less support or information, or being criticised more often than peers.
These actions often have the effect of alienating immigrants in the workforce. Our findings show that increases in social undermining over time increase emotional exhaustion and hurt job satisfaction. Accordingly, immigrants working in regions with five percent or lower far-right political support report lower emotional exhaustion and higher job satisfaction due to their perception that social undermining by colleagues is decreasing with time.
On the other hand, immigrants in regions where far-right support is at 18 percent or above of the voter share experience the emotional toll of increasing social undermining. Native employees, whose perceptions of social undermining are unaffected by far-right support, show no comparable changes in their wellbeing.
The effect on immigrants stems from the repeated experience of rejection as they try to establish themselves as valued members in the workplace. Past studies have shown that immigrant newcomers are a group that tends to be particularly motivated to improve their social standing through work. However, their sense of belonging and future prospects may be eroded over time, with their mental health hanging in the balance.
What Organisations and leaders can do
To properly address the challenges facing immigrant newcomers, organisations located within far-right communities must acknowledge the increased risk that their employees may face negative social interactions, which could have a toll on their mental health.
Given the higher likelihood that immigrant workers may feel isolated or undermined, organisations must pay close attention to social dynamics outside of the immediate work environment. This is especially important because, as our study finds, it only takes 13 percent of the local population to support far-right political parties for immigrant workers to perceive increasing levels of social undermining.
There are several steps organisations and managers can take to support immigrant newcomers better.
First, organisations should proactively create an inclusive internal climate that counteracts negative societal narratives. Past research shows that inclusive organisational climates, where differences such as immigrant status are respected and valued, can significantly improve relationships across demographic groups. This means building a workplace where immigrant employees feel seen, supported, and included from day one.
Second, managers and leaders must set the tone. Even seemingly minor behaviours that repeatedly undermine immigrant employees, like systematic exclusion from conversations or repeated overly harsh criticism, can erode wellbeing over time. A zero-tolerance approach to such systematic social undermining is essential. Leaders should model inclusive behaviour and intervene early when problems arise.
Last but not least, our findings point to a broader message: companies should care about the political climate in which they operate. In the context of aging workforces and growing labour shortages, many firms depend on immigrant talent. If these employees are made to feel unwelcome, it risks harming both their wellbeing and the organisation’s long-term success. Defending the mental health and preserving the career prospects of immigrant employees and their native co-workers is both a moral and an economic imperative.
Dr. Max Reinwald
