Growing Concerns With Workplace Incivility

Abstract

Workplace incivility (WPI) is a growing issue across all public and private sectors. Occupational and environmental health nurses can educate employees and management about WPI, its risk factors and characteristics, and ways to reduce incidents of WPI.

Workplace incivility (WPI) is a growing issue across all public and private sectors and is gaining attention due to the harm WPI causes individuals and workgroups without being legally punishable. Clark and Davis Kenaley (2011) define WPI as “rude or disruptive behaviors that often result in psychological or physiological distress for the people involved and, if left unaddressed, may progress into a threatening situation” (p. 158). Workplace incivility is described as distracting, annoying behaviors (e.g., speaking to someone who is not listening, talking down to someone, withholding important information from a colleague, leaving a mess for someone else to clean up, setting others up for failure, or not saying “please” or “thank you”). It can progress to bullying, which is defined as “repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed towards an employee (or group of employees), which is intended to intimidate and create a risk to the health and safety of the employee(s)” (State of Washington Department of Labor and Industry, 2006, p. 1), and potentially violent behaviors without management and/or staff intervention (Pearson & Porath, 2009). Incivility can cost companies millions of dollars annually from absenteeism, treatment for acute and chronic illnesses, and high turnover rates from loss of skilled professional staff (Pearson & Porath, 2009).

The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (2014) describes the importance of “early detection of workplace violence by identifying and eliminating incivility before it results in violent behavior” (p. 49). The American Nurses Association (2015) recognizes that incivility, bullying, and violence are serious issues and should not be tolerated in any form from any source.

Commonalities exist between incivility, bullying, aggression, and workplace violence; uncivil behavior occurs on a continuum (Clark, 2010). These disruptive behaviors range from eye rolling, sarcasm, and hurtful or damaging remarks to intimidation and threatening behaviors. Incivility erodes self-esteem, damages relationships, increases stress (Forni, 2008), and represents a toxic environment. Because incivility is subtle, it is often excused or accepted. However, it is neither excusable nor acceptable.

Occupational and environmental health nurses can educate employees and management about WPI, its risk factors and characteristics, and ways to reduce incidents of WPI. Educational programs on conflict resolution and stress management should be offered to provide employees with tools to address WPI (U.S. Department of Labor, 2016). Employees exhibiting signs of disruptive behavior and threats of violence should be referred to an employee assistance program, an emergency crisis intervention agency, and/or counseling. Furthermore, WPI research could support the collection of longitudinal data to establish causal relationships among triggers, antecedents, and WPI (Torkelson, Holm, Backstom, & Schad, 2016) and support the development of prevention programs.