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02 June 2025 / Essay
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Copy LinkUS society has become increasingly polarized over political, moral, cultural, and socioeconomic issues. Social media and partisan news outlets often fan the flames, raising the temperature and likelihood of disrespectful or uncivil behavior both inside and outside the workplace. What can leaders do to help lower the temperature and keep incivility from eroding both the workplace climate and business results?
Workplace incivility, or disrespectful behavior occurring in the workplace, has become disturbingly common in the US. According to the Q1 2025 Civility Index survey, 77% of workers personally witnessed incivility in the last month and over half of those workers reported that it occurred in the workplace. Furthermore, 71% of those witnessing workplace incivility reported that their manager could have done more to prevent it. The cost of workplace incivility in the US, in terms of reduced productivity and increased absenteeism, is estimated at $2.1 billion per day.
Rather than addressing incivility after it has occurred and the damage is done, leaders should work to create a climate of civility that will safeguard the workplace from the adverse impacts that acts of incivility can have on employees and on business results.
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