Even though the 2013 report, Civility in America, showed a sharp decline in workplace incivility in the last two years “there has been a 30% increase in Americans reporting they have quit a job because it was an uncivil workplace.”  This increase in job shifts is surprising because a similar decline was found by the Workplace Bullying Institute in relationship to more abusive situations; down from 13% in 2007 to just 7% in 2014.

University of Missouri Shares Civility Toolbox

True or False? “Civility Means Not Openly Disagreeing With Someone At A Meeting”

False: Disagreement is a healthy and necessary part of organizational life. Instead of shouting, demeaning someone’s ideas, withholding your opinion or pretending to agree, disagreeing ‘civilly’ means expressing your perspective in a manner that reflects your understanding that you are not always right and other people are not always wrong.

How can employers ensure that valuable workers stay put? The University of Missouri website houses a treasure trove of resources that include myth busting quizzes like the one above, academic articles, toolkits, discussion pointers and other tips on how to improve your work environment or classroom.  You can download their excellent workshop powerpoint here [link].

With falling unemployment figures employees may feel freer to walk away from abusive situations. Leslie Gaines-Ross, Chief Reputation Strategist at Weber Shandwick cautions employers in their report: “Since reputation is a company’s most competitive asset, workplace incivility cannot be taken for granted. Incivility can negatively impact retention and recruitment not to mention customer service. Ultimately, there’s a reputation cost.”