Dive Brief:
- Workplace bullies are bad news, of course, but new academic research from Lund University in Sweden says basic incivility from a single co-worker – many notches milder than bullying – is enough to pollute a workplace, according an article at Forbes.
- Nasty things such as ignoring others, dirty looks or intentionally leaving a co-worker off the CC line in an important email may not be bullying, but researchers say those acts can be just as damaging as classic bullying.
- The article outlines five outcomes that can happen when a jerk is allowed to run roughshod over a work environment, including decreased job satisfaction, higher turnover rates, sleep problems, poor mental health and, finally, much like the common cold, the viral spread of bad behavior.
Dive Insight:
Of all the downsides incivility can cause, decreased job satisfaction and high turnover can drive financial problems. But the contagious pull of rudeness is perhaps the most lethal. Lund University researchers found that workers who saw unkindly acts perpetrated by a co-worker on another were more likely to follow suit.
In the end, making excuses for aggressive, overly blunt or hostile workers who are otherwise competent on the job will poison the workplace. HR leaders need to be on the lookout for that type of scenario (and keep business managers aware of the risks).