Research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reveals that 61% of U.S. workers have experienced or witnessed acts of incivility in their everyday lives over the past month alone, translating to more than one act of incivility per worker per day. Georgetown University professor Christine Porath’s extensive research over 20 years reveals that 98% of workers have experienced uncivil behavior, and 99% have witnessed it. Workplace incivility has increased significantly, from 25% in 1998 to 50% experiencing rude treatment at least once a week by 2011.
What Is Workplace Civility?
Workplace civility encompasses the basic level of respect, courtesy, and politeness that employees show toward one another in professional settings. It goes beyond mere politeness to include behaviors that demonstrate consideration for others’ dignity, opinions, and contributions. Civility creates an environment where all employees feel valued and can perform at their best.
Unlike workplace harassment or discrimination, which involve specific legal violations, incivility often manifests in subtler ways that can be equally damaging to organizational culture and employee well-being.
The Hidden Costs of Workplace Incivility
Research reveals that workplace incivility carries significant financial and operational consequences that many organizations underestimate. When employees experience rude or disrespectful behavior, the ripple effects extend far beyond the immediate interaction.
Productivity and Performance Impact
Incivility directly affects employee performance in measurable ways. Research by Christine Porath and Christine Pearson shows that 38% of employees who experience workplace incivility intentionally decrease the quality of their work, while 47% deliberately decrease the time spent at work. Additionally, 66% of affected employees admit their performance declined, and 78% report reduced commitment to the organization. The cognitive resources required to process and recover from uncivil encounters leave less mental capacity for productive work.
Employee Turnover and Recruitment Costs
Organizations with poor civility climates face higher turnover rates. Porath’s research found that 12% of employees who experience uncivil treatment leave their jobs as a direct result. Replacement costs typically average 50-200% of an employee’s annual salary. Beyond direct costs, frequent turnover disrupts team dynamics, reduces institutional knowledge, and damages employer brand reputation.
Customer Relations and Business Outcomes
Incivility doesn’t stay contained within organizational walls. Employees who experience disrespectful treatment are more likely to provide poor customer service, directly impacting client relationships and business revenue. Customer satisfaction scores consistently correlate with internal workplace culture metrics.
Common Forms of Workplace Incivility
Understanding how incivility manifests helps HR professionals identify and address problematic behaviors before they escalate. Workplace incivility typically appears in several common forms:
Communication-Based Incivility
This includes interrupting colleagues during meetings, dismissing ideas without consideration, using condescending language, or failing to acknowledge others’ contributions. Email communication often becomes a breeding ground for incivility, with terse responses, exclusion from relevant communications, or public criticism replacing constructive feedback.
Social and Professional Exclusion
Deliberately excluding colleagues from meetings, social events, or decision-making processes creates an environment of isolation. This form of incivility is particularly damaging because it undermines collaboration and makes targeted employees feel undervalued.
Microaggressions and Subtle Disrespect
These behaviors include making assumptions based on demographics, questioning competence without a basis, or using language that marginalizes certain groups. While individual incidents may seem minor, their cumulative effect has a significant impact on workplace culture and employee experience.
Building Your Workplace Civility Strategy
Creating a civil workplace requires intentional effort and systematic implementation across all organizational levels. Successful civility initiatives combine clear expectations, consistent enforcement, and ongoing education.
Establish Clear Civility Standards
Begin by defining what civility looks like in your organization. Create specific behavioral expectations that go beyond generic respect policies. Include examples of civil and uncivil behaviors, making expectations concrete rather than abstract. These standards should be integrated into job descriptions, performance evaluations, and organizational values statements.
Leadership Accountability and Modeling
Leaders set the tone for organizational culture through their daily interactions and decision-making processes. Implement leadership training programs that focus on civil communication, conflict resolution, and inclusive behavior. Hold managers accountable for maintaining civil environments within their teams through specific performance metrics and regular feedback.
Comprehensive Training and Development
Develop civility training programs that address both awareness and skill-building. Effective programs include scenarios relevant to your workplace, interactive elements that allow practice, and follow-up sessions to reinforce learning. Training should be mandatory for all employees and regularly updated to address emerging challenges.
HR’s Role in Promoting Workplace Civility
Human Resources departments play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining workplace civility standards. This responsibility extends beyond policy creation to active culture cultivation and conflict resolution.
Policy Development and Implementation
Create comprehensive civility policies that clearly define acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Policies should include reporting procedures, investigation processes, and consistent consequences for violations. Regular policy reviews ensure relevance and effectiveness as workplace dynamics evolve.
Conflict Resolution and Mediation
Develop systematic approaches to addressing civility issues before they escalate. This includes training HR staff in mediation techniques, creating safe reporting channels, and establishing fair investigation procedures. Early intervention often prevents minor issues from becoming major problems.
Employee Support and Resources
Provide employees with resources and support systems that promote civil interactions. This might include employee assistance programs, communication skills workshops, or peer mediation programs. Creating multiple avenues for support ensures employees have options when facing civility challenges.
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Measuring and Monitoring Civility
Effective civility initiatives require ongoing measurement and evaluation to ensure progress and identify areas for improvement. Organizations should implement multiple assessment methods to gain comprehensive insights into workplace culture.
Employee Surveys and Feedback
Regular pulse surveys and annual culture assessments provide valuable data about employee experiences with workplace civility. Include specific questions about respectful treatment, inclusive communication, and psychological safety. Anonymous feedback mechanisms encourage honest responses about sensitive topics.
Behavioral Indicators and Metrics
Monitor quantifiable indicators such as turnover rates, grievance filings, employee engagement scores, and productivity metrics. These data points often reflect underlying civility issues and help identify trends before they become significant problems.
Exit Interview Analysis
Analyze exit interview data to identify patterns related to workplace culture and civility issues. Departing employees often provide candid feedback about the organizational climate that current employees might hesitate to share.
Technology Solutions for Civility Management
Modern HR technology platforms can significantly support workplace civility initiatives through automated processes, data analysis, and communication tools.
Digital Communication Guidelines
Implement technology solutions that promote civil digital communication. This includes email etiquette reminders, collaboration platform guidelines, and tools that help employees communicate more effectively across different channels.
Reporting and Documentation Systems
Utilize intelligent HR information systems to track civility-related incidents, monitor resolution progress, and maintain comprehensive documentation. Digital systems ensure consistency in handling cases and provide valuable data for trend analysis.
Training and Development Platforms
Leverage e-learning platforms to deliver civility training consistently across the organization. Online systems enable customized content, progress tracking, and convenient access, accommodating different learning styles and schedules.
Creating Long-Term Cultural Change
Sustainable workplace civility requires ongoing commitment and continuous improvement rather than one-time initiatives. Organizations must embed civility into their cultural DNA through consistent reinforcement and evolution.
Recognition and Reward Systems
Implement recognition programs that celebrate civil behavior and positive cultural contributions. This might include peer nomination systems, civility awards, or integration of civility metrics into performance evaluations and promotion criteria.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation
Workplace civility challenges evolve with changing demographics, technology, and social expectations. Maintain flexibility in your civility programs, regularly updating training content, policies, and support systems to address emerging issues.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Engage all departments in civility initiatives rather than treating it as solely an HR responsibility. Encourage managers, team leaders, and individual contributors to take ownership of maintaining civil workplace environments.
Conclusion: The Business Case for Workplace Civility
Investing in workplace civility delivers measurable returns through improved employee engagement, reduced turnover, enhanced productivity, and stronger business outcomes. Organizations that prioritize civil workplace cultures position themselves for long-term success in competitive talent markets.
For HR professionals, leading civility initiatives represents an opportunity to drive meaningful organizational change while directly impacting employee well-being and business performance. By implementing comprehensive civility strategies, measuring progress consistently, and adapting to evolving workplace needs, HR teams can create environments where all employees thrive.
The path to workplace civility requires commitment, resources, and patience, but the benefits—both human and financial—make it one of the most valuable investments organizations can make in their future success.
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Sarah Monreal is an HR professional with over 10 years of experience spanning small businesses to enterprise environments. She has led People Operations as an HR Specialist, HR Manager, and Director of HR. She has successfully overseen multiple HR systems implementations, guiding organizations through vendor selection, process mapping, data migration, configuration, and change management to ensure successful adoption and measurable ROI.
Sarah holds MBAs in Human Resources Management and in Arbitration & Dispute Resolution, and completed all but dissertation toward a PhD in HR Management.
Before beginning her HR career, Sarah served four years in the United States Navy and was honorably discharged.
