Survey shows a sickening side to job rudeness

Incivility at work causes more than hurt feelings. A recent study finds a correlation with job satisfaction and performance as well.

Psychologist Lilia M. Cortina and collegues at the University of Michigan Institute for Research on Women and Gender recently completed a large study on incivility in the workplace, presenting it at last month’s annual meeting of the American Psychological Society in Toronto.

The findings showed that 71 percent of 1,100 employees in a large federal court system had experienced workplace incivility in the previous five years. About 40 percent said the incivility occurred once or twice, another 25 percent said it occurred sometimes and 6 percent said the incivility in their jobs was frequent.

“This kind of behavior is pervasive,” said Cortina, lead author of the study, which was published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology earlier this year. “Since we asked about rude treatment in the last five years, the incidence rate is, if anything, underestimated. Also, we didn’t ask about rudeness from the public, delivery people or others from outside the organization, just from co-workers and superiors.”

Cortina said the research was funded by the federal court system as part of an ongoing effort to examine gender bias and sexual-harassment issues. The hierarchical nature of the court system and top-heaviness of males in top jobs reflects many workplaces in America, she said.

Rude or uncivil behaviors in the study included being addressed in an unprofessional manner (“Hey, you,” “Missy” and “Little Miss Lawyer Girl” were examples), being the target of demeaning or derogatory remarks, being ignored or excluded from professional camaraderie, receiving little interest in one’s statements or opinions, put-downs, doubting one’s judgment in positions of responsibility and being frequently interrupted.

“It’s milder and more subtle forms of rudeness,” Cortina said. “We didn’t even include temper tantrums, name-calling and accusing people of incompetence.”

What distinguishes this workplace study is that Cortina and her co-authors, Vicki Magley at DePaul University and Jill Williams and Regina Langhout at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, linked this subtle incivility to personal health. Anyone who experienced rudeness scored lower on a psychological stress scale, along with negative impact on eight measures of work satisfaction and performance.

The incivility results in more than just hurt feelings. The unhealthful personal consequences included nervousness, sadness, moodiness, excess worrying and increased minor illnesses such as colds and flu.

“It’s a connection that people might not make,” Cortina said. “We don’t want organizations or individuals to dismiss rudeness and incivility as trivial.

“Although one instance of uncivil behavior might appear trivial, those slights and indignities add up. They create low-level chronic stressors. It wears people down.”

Cortina said one barrier is convincing managers that incivility exists in their organizations. “One [manager] responded to our findings by saying, ‘If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen,’” Cortina recalled.

A second study by Cortina and Magley showed the negative health consequences such as sadness or anxiety are heightened for any employee who experienced incivility but chose not to report it.

On the other hand, the researchers found that people who complained about rude behaviors directed at them were subject to “professional and social retaliation.” These folks might be passed over for promotions, unfairly disciplined or become the subject of gossip.

“You need to be careful to whom you speak or complain about the incivility,” Cortina said. “It should be someone you trust.”

The primary goal of this research, according to Cortina, is to raise awareness of rudeness and personal health among sufferers and leaders alike. Realizing your health and mood are affected by rudeness is the first step -- whether in the workplace, your home or neighborhood. Managers can make a big difference in preventing repeat acts.

“Leaders can call for more respectful behaviors in the workplace and make the consequences clear,” Cortina said. “They can also be good role models themselves.”

Sounds like a good idea for the leader in all of us.