Bubbles of Belonging at Work: Redrawing Boundaries of Inclusion and Exclusion in UK Restaurants during Brexit

Abstract

This article examines how Brexit affected EU migrants’ sense of belonging at work by drawing on empirical data from a study of workers in the UK restaurant sector. Brexit was a political project of belonging that led to the formation of new communities at work based on citizenship and national identity. These ‘bubbles’ provided a sense of belonging for EU migrant workers during a period of heightened socio-political tension about migration. However, these bubbles were ruptured by conflict between EU migrants and other workers and managers, and by interactions with customers who become a conduit for socio-political issues to enter the workplace. The article highlights the problems with workplace community building as a strategy of solidarity in political contexts where societal belonging is disrupted. While bubbles of belonging create temporary safe spaces at work, by raising awareness of difference between groups they become a divisive approach to managing employee relations.