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The Hidden Cost of Incivility In The Workplace

April 8, 2026

Incivility in the workplace is expensive.

Harvard Business Review studied what happens when people are treated with disrespect at work. The results should make every leader pause:

• 8% intentionally reduced their effort

• 47% cut back their time at work

• 38% lowered the quality of their work

• 78% said their commitment to the organization declined

• 12% actually left their job because of uncivil treatment

That’s not a culture issue. That’s a performance, retention, and revenue issue.

How we speak to people. How we handle conflict. How we show respect—especially under pressure.

It all matters more than we think.

Civility isn’t “soft.” It’s a leadership skill with measurable ROI.

See “The Price of Incivility”, by Christine Porath and Christine Pearson January–February 2013 issue of Harvard Business Review.

What behaviors are you seeing rewarded in your workplace right now?

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