Workplace incivility is on the rise. A survey of more than a thousand employees published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) early in 2024, indicates that two-thirds of employees experienced or witnessed incivility in their workplace during the one month period leading to the survey.¹ Another survey of over five thousand employees conducted during 2023 by meQuilibrium, a provider of digital solutions for workforce well-being and performance, reveals that a quarter of employees experience rude, disrespectful, or aggressive behavior in the workplace. Approximately five percent of employees report “being targeted with angry outbursts, being yelled or cursed at, being accused of incompetence, or being the but of jokes from coworkers.”²

The rise of incivility in our daily lives and workplaces is “out of control” says Joyce E. A. Russell, industrial and organizational psychologist, executive coach, leadership consultant, and professor of management at the Villanova School of Business, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.³ Professor Russell recalls hosting a chat on incivility, which “quickly filled up with leaders wanting to share stories regarding the rise of uncivil behaviors in the workplace.”⁴ Rising levels of incivility are widespread according to Russell and her colleagues. “Nearly everyone my fellow coaches and I have been working with, has brought up incivility as a source of major concern. In fact, it seems almost anyone you talk to brings up the rising levels of incivility” says Professor Russell.⁵

Definitions and variants of workplace incivility

According to Lynne M. Andersson and Christine M. Pearson, professors of management at Temple University and Arizona State University respectively, “workplace incivility is low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others.”⁶ Workplace incivility “represents a form of psychological harassment and emotional aggression that violates the social norm of mutual respect” says Audrey J. Murrell, professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh.⁷ These definitions leave out some of the more visible and aggressive forms of incivility associated with harassment and bullying.

Many forms of incivility are subtle and insidious. Being intentionally ignored, annoyed, undermined, misled or gaslighted are examples. Some experts associate such behaviors with harassment and bullying. Alternatively, incivility may also be more obvious and direct. Offensive or demeaning jokes, condescending remarks, verbal abuse, aggravation, exasperation, unwelcome advances, and inappropriate touching are examples. Behaviors that humiliate, intimidate or threaten are at the far end of the spectrum. From my perspective, workplace incivility can be defined as inappropriate, disrespectful, abusive or threatening behavior that includes (but is not limited to) harassment and bullying. Table 1 outlines examples of workplace incivility based on their various forms.

Consequences of workplace incivility

The consequences of workplace incivility are severe. It is clearly one of the most significant risk affecting organizations. “Workplace incivility creates a wide range of negative effects, including lower employee engagement, reduced work effort, increased worry or anxiety, withdrawal, lower individual satisfaction, and reduced commitment. In extreme cases, affected employees leave the organization, and customers who witness incivility take their business elsewhere. (…) The long-term impact of workplace incivility can create a toxic culture that is challenging to correct. It can also be financially costly in terms of time spent managing conflict at work, and in accounting for increased employee turnover, expensive litigation, and the negative impact on the customers’ experience and the overall company reputation” says Professor Murrell.⁸

“Workplace incivility creates a toxic work environment that undermines team cohesion and collaboration, erodes trust between employees and their managers, and can ultimately damage the organization’s reputation. (…) When employees are subjected to rude, disrespectful, or aggressive behavior in the workplace, it can lead to decreased job satisfaction, increased stress and decreased productivity, which can result in higher rates of absenteeism, turnover, and lower organizational performance” explains Brad Smith, Chief Science Officer at meQuilibrium.⁹ Figure 1 outlines the common effects of workplace incivility on employees based on a survey completed in 2013.

Although the above statistics are more than 10 years old, they are probably still representative insofar as the top four effects. However, recent data suggests that the bottom four effects are much higher today than they were 10 years ago. For instance, a survey of U.S. employees completed by Gallup in 2023 reveals that 59% of employees are “quiet quitting” (disengaged from work), and 18% are “loud quitting” (actively disengaged from work).¹⁰ A global survey conducted by LinkedIn during 2024 reveals that 46% of employees are planning to quit their jobs.¹¹

The negative effects of workplace incivility on organizational performance are broad and very significant. A study conducted by Accountemps (a division of Robert Half) suggests that managers and executives spend more than 10% of their time “mending employee relationships or otherwise dealing with the aftermath of incivility.”¹² Research also indicates that customers “are less likely to buy from a company with an employee they perceive as rude, whether the rudeness is directed at them or at other employees.”¹³ The following are the main effects of incivility on organizations:

• Creativity and innovation suffer greatly
• Team spirit and performance deteriorate
• HR services are overwhelmed with complaints
• Sickness, leave, and other absences increase
• Employee turnover rates are a lot higher
• Customers take their business elsewhere
• Organizational performance declines

Causes of workplace incivility

Research indicates that the misuse of power is at the core of workplace incivility. “The target of incivility is more likely to be of a lower [employment] status than the perpetrator. (…) It should come as no surprise that employees who admit to committing workplace incivility report that they modeled their behavior after the leaders of the organization” says Professor Murrell.¹⁴ “The actions or inactions of company leaders can signal that rude and discourteous behavior is acceptable. (…) Abusive supervisors, narcissistic leaders and passive aggressive managers create adverse conditions. The little acts of incivility that go unchecked by authority figures, which are known as micro-aggressions, can spiral into bullying and even workplace violence” concludes Murrell.¹⁵

Megan Paul, Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, offers a similar view of the causes of workplace incivility. According to Paul “the factors most strongly related to experienced incivility are contextual, including passive leadership, a lack of civility norms, an uncivil climate, and a socially unsupportive climate.”¹⁶ Employees who engage in uncivil behaviors tend to have negative personality traits driven by selfishness, manipulation, arrogance, insecurity, jealousy, apathy, emotional instability, psychopathy, etc. Employees are also more likely to engage in workplace incivility when they have “feelings of job insecurity, perceive a violation of their psychological contract with the organization, have work-life conflict, and perceive unfairness in the organization” says Paul.¹⁷ Alternatively, people who have “positive personality traits such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness are less likely to engage in uncivil behaviors. (…) Finally, when employees have perceptions of support, respect, trust, and civility from others, they are less likely to be uncivil toward others” says Professor Paul.¹⁸

Solutions for addressing workplace incivility

Setting the right tone at the top is fundamental for addressing workplace incivility. “Leaders at the top have to model and support a civil workplace. If the leaders are the problem, then it will be nearly impossible to change the organizational culture [that creates incivility]” says Professor Russell.¹⁹ Other experts offer the same view. “We must acknowledge that responsible, proactive leadership is essential for preventing the spiral of workplace incivility. Principled leadership is essential because unlike violations of sexual harassment or discrimination, there are no explicit laws against incivility. As such, incivility frequently goes unreported until the situation blows up. Leadership should establish norms of zero tolerance for incivility. (…) When incivility occurs, leaders must step forward to correct it and not ignore it, even if the behavior is exhibited by top-level executives or high-potential performers” advocates Professor Murrell.²⁰ Table 2 outlines management techniques that should be implemented for addressing workplace incivility.

Conclusion

Working environments are plagued with issues that negatively impact employee wellbeing, motivation, productivity and performance. Chief among them is workplace incivility. It takes unwavering leadership commitment and forceful management actions to counter workplace incivility. The effort required is huge, but so is the reward. Incivility must be challenged every day, every step of the way. Employers have a moral and legal responsibility to create a safe and healthy working environment. As stated by Professor Murrell: “Workplace incivility is not random, but it is preventable. Research is clear that the spiral of incivility can escalate into more severe forms of mistreatment, antisocial behavior and workplace aggression. To turn back the rising tide of hostile behavior, leaders must act. It is incumbent upon them to serve as responsible and proactive role models to both prevent and correct the disruptive and dangerous spiral of incivility.”²¹

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¹  Matt Gonzales, Workplace Incivility Is More Common Than You Think, (SHRM, March 6, 2024).
²  meQuilibrium, One in Four Workers Experience Workplace Incivility, Fueling Toxic Work Environments, (March 30, 2023).
³  Joyce E. A. Russell, “Coping With the Rise of Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (February 5, 2024).
⁴  Joyce E. A. Russell, “Coping With the Rise of Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (February 5, 2024).
⁵  Joyce E. A. Russell, “Coping With the Rise of Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (February 5, 2024).
⁶  Lynne M. Andersson and Christine M. Pearson, “Tit for Tat? The Spiraling Effect of Incivility in the Workplace,” Academy of Management Review, (1999, Vol. 24, No. 3, 452-471).
⁷  Audrey Murrell, “Stopping the Downward Spiral of Workplace Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (July 16, 2018).
⁸  Audrey Murrell, “Stopping the Downward Spiral of Workplace Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (July 16, 2018).
⁹  meQuilibrium, One in Four Workers Experience Workplace Incivility, Fueling Toxic Work Environments, (March 30, 2023).
¹⁰ Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report, (Accessible within www.gallup.com), p.4.
¹¹ Ryan Broad, Workers Are Eyeing the Exit in 2024, (LinkedIn, May 16, 2024).
¹² Christine Porath and Christine Pearson, “The Price of Incivility,” Harvard Business Review, (January-February 2013).
¹³ Christine Porath and Christine Pearson, “The Price of Incivility,” Harvard Business Review, (January-February 2013).
¹⁴ Audrey Murrell, “Stopping the Downward Spiral of Workplace Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (July 16, 2018).
¹⁵ Audrey Murrell, “Stopping the Downward Spiral of Workplace Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (July 16, 2018).
¹⁶ Megan Paul, Workplace Incivility, (Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development, Dec. 2021).
¹⁷ Megan Paul, Workplace Incivility, (Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development, Dec. 2021).
¹⁸ Megan Paul, Workplace Incivility, (Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development, Dec. 2021).
¹⁹ Joyce E. A. Russell, “Coping With the Rise of Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (February 5, 2024).
²⁰ Audrey Murrell, “Stopping the Downward Spiral of Workplace Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (July 16, 2018).
²¹ Audrey Murrell, “Stopping the Downward Spiral of Workplace Incivility,” Forbes Magazine, (July 16, 2018).