The Incivility Epidemic

Incivility

For decades leaders could ignore minor infractions and incivility without upsetting their workforce, but with the pressure placed on employees from the pandemic, leaders are now being called upon by employees to address these behaviors head-on. A recent McKinsey report showed incivility has doubled in the last two decades preceding COVID-19, with 95% of workers reporting they consistently experience incivility at work. Yet, only 9% of the employees report the experiences to HR or their team leaders. 

Workplace incivility is defined as one employee being rude or unkind to another, while less severe than bullying, it can easily lead to bullying if leaders fail to intervene on behalf of the offended employees. These unacceptable behaviors are characteristically described as being rude and discourteous, but are also ambiguous, making room for misunderstandings and anxious feelings. These behaviors may take the form of “microaggressions” such as subtle slights, offhand comments, avoiding contact, and feigning ignorance. They may escalate to interrupting, excluding people, yelling, being late for meetings, talking behind teammate’s backs, sabotaging projects, trying to ruin someone’s reputation, extorting others, disengaging at meetings, regularly failing to respond to emails or calls, and withholding needed information from a team member. 

Unfortunately, most uncivil behavior is not specifically listed as an HR violation, so people do not know how to address the behavior through traditional lines of reporting. The problem of incivility is more pronounced with a return to the office setting. Previously, the virtual nature of our pandemic work-from-home environment allowed an element of separation between work colleagues that encouraged a bit more tolerance for offenders. Now, as people return to the office and have grown accustomed to ignoring uncivil behavior, the in-person offenses will likely be more pronounced and will be difficult for returning employees to simply ignore. Leaders will be pressed to respond to the incivility to maintain employee engagement and organizational loyalty. 

The Impact

Hybrid work appears to be increasing exposure to incivility as it is more difficult to interpret intent in an online setting and tolerance is a bit more evident in the online forum. Unattended incivility festers, breaking down the effectiveness of a team. More affected employees, those with less control over the circumstances of their role or fewer options for career potential, as well as those frequently exposed to incivility are more likely to experience negative mental repercussions, or worse, respond with the same behaviors themselves. 

Incivility can lead to employee anxiety, social withdrawal, and burnout. Other effects may include impairment to decision-making, distraction, moments of fixation, impaired cognitive functioning, and inaccurate conclusions. One recent study found that medical providers subject to incivility are more likely to make incorrect diagnoses. Unchecked incivility can lead to impaired memory, increased cardiovascular issues, insulin production disruption which in turn adds to sick leave, mental health concerns, and family issues as the damage is brought home. However, managers and employees may be hesitant to report incivility because they are not certain as to what it is and is not tolerated by the organization. Individuals are fearful of repercussions or punitive actions if they bring forward what they perceive to be an offense but are not supported in their charge by senior leaders.  According to one research study, when leaders create and enforce a no-tolerance policy regarding unacceptable behavior, incivility is reduced.

In short, incivility damages team and individual performance and destroys organizational productivity. However, efforts taken to address employee anxiety brought on by incivility can build team resilience, help teams manage uncertainty, and improve organizational results. 

What can be done?

When it comes to civil behaviors, leaders must lead by example, by not excusing bad behavior, and using conflict resolution techniques to resolve issues between employees. Leaders must communicate behavioral guidelines to team members, hire civil individuals, quickly address offenders, listen to employees’ concerns, and encourage employees to speak up if they experience or witness incivility. Only leaders are in a position to educate and demonstrate the type of behavior that will be acceptable in the organization.  

It is wrong for leaders to believe that behavioral issues are the responsibility of the HR department and its EAP (Employee Assistance Program). Leaders must define behaviors, demonstrate the application of those behaviors, and enforce the application of the behaviors in a fair and consistent manner. 

Leaders must be alert as to the warning signs of incivility, normalize and destigmatize mental health issues, and practice open and honest communication with their workforce to identify problem areas. Executives and managers should be selected and promoted based on their ability to be empathetic and caring. 

Since individuals subjected to uncivil behavior tend not to speak up, leaders can use microinterventions — everyday words and deeds that counteract, change, or stop subtle discrimination — to discourage selective incivility and encourage opportunities for apologies to be given where needed. Encouraging follow-up between team members if there is a perceived slight and asking for clarifications during team meetings are also helpful strategies. 

In our new pandemic-influenced culture, emotions are high, uncertainty still lingers making incivility even more problematic. Leaders must take immediate and fair measures to ensure all employees find the work environment to be safe and meaningful.