Civility in the Workplace

Building a respectful workplace starts at the top.

Workplace Civility refers to the respectful and courteous behavior exhibited by individuals toward their colleagues in the workplace. It involves treating others with dignity, showing appreciation for their contributions, and refraining from any behavior or discussions that may be perceived as rude, aggressive, or disrespectful.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), rather than dwelling on legal standards and what NOT to do, organizations, managers and employees should focus on what they MUST do—the words, communications, body language and actions that promote respect and fairness, and everyone’s responsibilities for contributing to respect in the workplace. This topic has been evolving for decades and has grown with changing societal standards, legal and regulatory developments, and an increased understanding of the relationship between social issues in the workplace and the value of such initiatives to virtually everyone.

All organizations must look beyond what the law requires and endeavor to cultivate an ethics-centric, respectful workplace. Open discussions and training should be implemented to achieve this goal. These exercises must focus on defining what the civil workplace looks like and how we can get there as an organization and as an individual contributor? What are the little steps and best practices that we can incorporate into our professional, daily interactions? How can we spot incivility and what risks could this cause for our organization?

Little adjustments and investments can make a significant impact on our workplace and workforce. The civil workplace not only leads to increased productivity (which assists the bottom line) and reputation, but also improves employee engagement, trust, and retention. I encourage you and your organization to promote civility at work just as you would any other business goal that you have!