Verbal abuse, put-downs and public belittling – Are we really OK with this?

The current controversy surrounding Senator David Leyonhjelm’s verbal attack on Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has prompted further debate as to what is acceptable and appropriate behaviour in the workplace.

Commentary on the issue has ranged from David Leyonhejelm championing libertarian views and fighting back against male victimization and demonization of men to the incident providing further evidence of the declining status of females in Australia, particularly with respect to economic participation and political empowerment. Regardless of your opinion on this particular matter, I think that most of us would agree that such overt, direct and public ‘abuse’ (as described by David Leyonhejelm himself) is destructive, counterproductive and has no place in Australian workplaces.

It is great that this incident has been a catalyst for so much discussion on sexism in the workplace but I think that the national debate needs to more broadly encompass how we should treat and expect to be treated by one another. Unfortunately some of us, and ashamedly I’m including myself here, are guilty of treating others rudely whether it be a rolling of the eyes, using a sarcastic tone, withholding information, intentionally ignoring someone or demeaning someone in a subtle way. Deviant behaviour like this, which is covert and low-intensity, is collectively known as workplace incivility. Workplace incivility is ubiquitous, with reports that 98% of workers experience incivility, 50% of whom experience it on a weekly basis.

This may come as a surprise to some, though not to anyone who has been on the receiving end of condescending remarks, dirty looks, malicious rumours or innuendo, there is a real personal and financial cost to incivility in the workplace. Workers who experience incivility have been found to experience embarrassment, depression, lower trust, increased insomnia (as a result of rumination), increased levels of stress and poorer task-related memory recall. Understandably, individuals who have experienced incivility also tend to be less satisfied with their supervisor and coworkers, more likely to leave the organisation and more likely to retaliate and engage in deviant and counterproductive behaviours themselves. Witnessing incivility is associated with experiencing negative affect, reduced task and creativity performance and emotional exhaustion. It is estimated that the combined effect of cognitive distraction and project delays due to incivility equates to $14,000 (USD) per employee annually.

Research over the last 15 years has shown that we are rude to one another regardless of geographic location, industry or profession. Well done us. Consistent with other studies, one study found that 54% of participants confessed to instigating interpersonal incivility, 12% of whom did this frequently. If, as you are reading this, you are cringing or feeling a bit guilty thinking about some of the behaviours that you’ve engaged in while not your ‘best self’, rest assured, of the limited research available on perpetrators, incivility does not seem to be borne of any one particular characteristic or circumstance, rather a combination of dispositional, behavioural and situational aspects. Interestingly however, individuals who experience incivility are more likely to instigate incivility.

Perhaps because of the subtle nature of workplace incivility, many managers fail to recognise it and are ill-equipped to deal with it. Given what we know about workplace incivility - that it happens all the time, is costly for those experiencing it, those witnessing it and the organisations in which it occurs –

What can managers, HR Professionals and other interested parties do to reduce workplace incivility?

1. Set clear expectations. Unlike more overt behaviours such as harassment or bullying which are defined and prohibited by law, workplace incivility is more ambiguous and as such judgement about what is rude and disrespectful behaviour may be more difficult to identify. Making explicit interpersonal conduct standards to all new and existing employees will clarify expectations ensuring that workers know what behaviour is and is not tolerated.

2. Stop the spread. Rudeness is contagious. Experiencing rudeness causes rude cues to be more accessible and can trigger hostile behaviour. Recognising and dealing with incivility in a timely and constructive manner should prevent the development of a climate of rudeness.

3. Manage conflict constructively. The temptation to be uncivil is high in times of conflict. Handling conflict with a problem-solving orientation and genuine willingness to work with others is likely to reduce the instigation and experience of incivility. In contrast, individuals with a dominating or winner takes all conflict management style are more likely to instigate and experience incivility and may benefit from education on how to more adaptively manage conflict.

4. Treat employees fairly. Open and transparent processes and systems help to maintain procedural and distributive justice. Employees who feel that they have been let down or treated unfairly are more likely to engage in incivility.

5. Develop a culture of mutual respect and support. Emphasizing the importance of treating employees with respect and encouraging co-worker support should provide some protection against the effects of incivility.

So obvious is David Leyonhejlm’s misconduct that over the last week I have been wondering why there has been any public debate as to whether David Leyonhejlm’s comments are justified or appropriate. They are not. Most workplaces recognise either implicitly or explicitly (such as through a written code of conduct) that abusive, aggressive and sexist language is not acceptable and such harassment would likely attract disciplinary action. Collectively we know that such behaviour is wrong and the law says it is wrong. Indeed there is state and Commonwealth legislation that offer protection to male and female workers who experience harassment or bullying in Australian workplaces. The Fair Work Commission as well as the Australian Human Rights Commission have powers to deal with applications to address such behaviours.

There is an issue with using sexist language and there is an issue with using abusive language, but there is also an issue with using condescending and belittling language. Research has suggested that incivility may be one way in which gender and racial discrimination exist in modern organisations, so by focusing on reducing incivility we can potentially reduce or prevent exchanges like that between David Leyonhejlm and Sarah Hanson-Young. Debate as to whether David Leyonhejlm should apologise or not is almost immaterial – if the research conducted over the past 15 years is to be believed, which I think it should, we all pay for incivility. We can set the bar higher and by doing so we all benefit.