The Cost of Lack of Civility at Work

by Dec 3, 2015

Incivility, disrespect, and rudeness are becoming rampant in the workplace, and the costs of such behavior chip away at the bottom line. In turn, the ones who receive such kinds of conduct respond in a negative way, further threatening civility at work.

Furthermore, incivility affects productivity and sales of an organization. Employers become less creative when they feel disrespected; employees loose the appetite to work if being bullied, while people are less likely to patronize the products or services of an organization they perceive as rude. To sum it up, a single unpleasant interaction may lead customers to generalize about employees, the organization, and the product or service. All these impacts could only be treated by building a civil workplace.

While many would regard incivility as wrong, not everyone is aware nor would recognize its tangible costs which prompt organizations not to regard workplace bullying solutions as necessary. Sometimes, victims of incivility punish or retaliate against perpetrators and even the organizations. Studies show that among the impacts of incivility are: decreased work effort, reduced working hours, decreased work quality, declined commitment and performance, or resignation. Some even reported that they take their frustrations from the clients or customers.

To learn more, click here for full article.

Civility is the platform for organizational success—it is absolutely necessary for an organization to reach its goals. Download our Ebook on Seeking Civility to learn more on how to create a workplace free of bullying and abusive conduct.

 

Catherine

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the founder/CEO of Civility Partners, an organizational development firm focused on helping organizations create respectful workplace cultures and specializing in turning around toxic cultures. Civility Partners’ clients range from Fortune 500’s to small businesses across many industries. Catherine is a TEDx speaker and an HR thought-leader who has appeared in such venues as USA Today, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, and many other national news outlets as an expert. She’s an award-winning speaker, author and blogger, and has 50+ courses reaching global audiences on LinkedIn Learning. Catherine’s award-winning book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, was hailed by international leadership-guru, Ken Blanchard, as, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” Her latest book is Navigating Toxic Work Environments For Dummies (Wiley),

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