What you need to know about Jewish employee resource groups (J-ERGs)

According to the Academy to Innovate HR, affinity groups and employee resource groups are both formed around shared identities or interests, but ERGs are typically formalized within an organization, often with a focus on professional development, networking, and influencing company policies. Affinity groups, on the other hand, are usually less formal and more focused on social support and community-building among members with common interests or backgrounds, without necessarily having an organizational mandate or influence.

Amid a 189% increase in antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts since 2022, workplaces play a critical role. Jewish ERGs help organizations support employees and respond in real time.

Jewish employees are navigating real safety concerns at work and beyond. In one case, a kippah-wearing employee was attacked near his office, prompting a Jewish ERG to push leadership to acknowledge antisemitism.

As Project Shema states, “attacks on Jews today aren’t usually about how Jews pray, but rather are about what people accuse Jews, as a people, of doing.” ERGs help organizations respond to these realities and ensure employees feel safe, respected, and heard.

Some Jewish employees have felt left behind in the creation of ERGs. They attribute this, at least in part, to the complex status of Jews in society. People can be Jewish in many ways, from religiously to culturally. As such, employers might be unsure about the role of a Jewish ERG. “While some Jews are religious, others may be atheists,” the organization Project Shema wrote. “All of us are still part of the Jewish people.”