Disrespect in the workplace

What is disrespectful and uncivil behaviour?

Uncivil behaviours are insensitive behaviours that demonstrate a lack of regard for others. They go against social norms of good behaviour, and can be done with or without intent (i.e. targets of workplace incivility may not be able to tell whether the behaviours were intentional). They are also low intensity behaviours, which means they are not as serious as bullying, workplace aggression or physical violence. Often, these behaviours are not reported because they do not seem serious, but they can still have a major impact on individuals and workplaces.

Uncivil behaviour can include being rude to people, using a degrading tone or ignoring someone. It’s not as serious as bullying, harassment, aggression or violence, but it can still have negative effects on individuals and organisations. 

What causes workplace disrespect and incivility?

Many studies show that workplace disrespect and incivility is rising. Possible explanations include:

• stressors such as rapid change and high job demands, which can negatively affect people’s behaviour
• increased collocated or virtual workplaces, which can weaken interpersonal relationships 
• reliance on digital communications, which can lead to misunderstandings
• competitive workplaces
• cultural differences.

What are the effects workplace incivility?

Uncivil and disrespectful behaviours can affect individuals and organisations. 

For individuals, uncivil behaviours than can lead to:

• negative health consequences (e.g. depression, physical symptoms)
• lower self-esteem and confidence
• lower job satisfaction, creativity and productivity
• negative spillovers to family relationships.

These individual effects can affect organisations through:

• lower productivity
• loss of customers or damaged customer relationships
• higher staff turnover
• higher management costs (e.g. to manage relationship breakdowns).

Tips for addressing workplace disrespect incivility

Often, workplace incivility goes unaddressed because incidents seem trivial or not serious. However, the long-term impact of incivility can be a toxic workplace culture that is difficult to correct. 

Here are some ways you can promote civility in your organisation: 

• Set clear organisational values and embed into the ways of working. 
• Model good behaviour – Be present in meetings and conversations, follow up on promises and speak respectfully to others.
• Ask for feedback – Colleagues and workers may reveal things you do that upset or offend them. 
• Teach civility – Provide training on being civil (e.g. improving civility across generations, giving and receiving feedback, interpersonal skills).
• Create group norms – Set expectations within your team or organisation (e.g. arriving on time, ignoring emails during meetings).
• Reward good behaviour – Publicly acknowledge good behaviour, provide bonuses or small rewards (e.g. gift cards). 
• Address bad behaviour – Call out instances of uncivil behaviour. Uncivil behaviour may provide grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment.
• Ensure a consistent management approach – Both reward good behaviour and address poor behaviour.
• Conduct exit interviews – Identify instances when people leave due to incivility.

Don’t let uncivil behaviour go unaddressed—it can create a toxic workplace culture that’s difficult to fix. You can promote workplace civility by modelling good behaviours, setting expectations, rewarding good behaviour and addressing bad behaviour.