Search Desktop Diversity: advice > Q&A index > Ethnic Fighting Ethnic Fighting by Karen Stinson, CEO, ProGroup, Inc.® Dear Experts, I manage a large group of employees in our factory. Lots of the line employees are immigrants from Africa and work very hard. They do good work on the line and are highly productive. But too frequently, fights break out between employees. Last week a group of men broke into a yelling fight that stopped the line for several minutes. When I tried to get to the bottom of it, I was told the conflict was based on hatred between their countries of origin that had been going on for generations. What do I do? The fights are escalating. War Zone Wally Dear Wally, Time to accept that your employees will never be friends. But you're renting their behavior at work so you have a right to expect they'll set aside their differences and behave. You've got to re-establish clear guidelines for your employees about the behavior you expect from them at work. Have an all-employee meeting with the people you manage and state that a few incidents of conflict have happened lately and that those have to stop. Tell them that you're committed to a workplace of respect for everyone. To get there, tell them to pay close attention because if they don't meet these expectations, they won't work there anymore. Give them expectations like: All employees will act respectfully to each other, their manager, customers, and vendors. There will be no verbal or physical violence among employees. There will be no disrespectful actions or comments toward or about anyone while they are at work. If there are disagreements or conflict, employees will use [internal resources] to appropriately handle them. Anyone involved in a disruptive conflict will be reprimanded. You can change these or create your own, but make them clear when you say them and give each employee a written copy in the language. Afterward, make sure you reinforce the expectations with ominous hints at the imminent risk of your terrible wrath. If another fight breaks out, prepare to make an example of the combatants to show that you are serious. back to top Submit a Question Can't find the answer? Submit a question and our experts will see what they can come up with. Related Content ARTICLES: > Religion In The Workplace: An Uncharted Journey We Must Take > Critical Success Factors for a Diversity Council > Four Business Issues > What is EEO anyway? CASE STUDIES: > Nevi Battles the HR Cops > Sales Manager Revs Up His Temper > Ghosts of the Past > Process Managing... en Français Q&As: > Getting What I Want > Sales vs. R&D > Falling Into Patterns > How to Celebrate Heritage Months DOWNLOADABLES: > When Departments Collide! > Six Ways to Light the Fire Again > Five Things to Know About Time > So Your Employee Has a Medical Condition... Copyright © 2008 Novations Group, Inc. All rights reserved.