Counteract Professional Discourtesy with Positivity
The Subtle Saboteur: Incivility Sparks Attrition
Most people work to live, not live to work.
But considering the amount of time most people spend in the workplace, over time, many employees begin to value morale over money.
Not surprisingly, job satisfaction is often directly tied to workplace culture, where employees survive and thrive when they feel supported, and leave when they feel devalued.
One of the main complaints from employees who have traded salary for satisfaction, is not overt discrimination or harassment, it's incivility.
Incivility and Emotional Exhaustion
Sana Shahzadi et al. (2025) studied the impact of workplace incivility on non-work outcomes such as insomnia and rumination.
Studying healthcare workers in Pakistan public and private hospitals, they found that the link between workplace incivility and the reported adverse dependent variables effects they studied: insomnia and rumination, was emotional exhaustion.
Incivility Invites Reciprocity
Juseob Lee at al. (2024) describe the "Incivility Spiral" which can be caused by uncivil behavior in the workplace.
They explain that although workplace incivility may present as low-intensity behavior, it can escalate into more serious aggression through reciprocity.
In a study of 296 employees in the United States, they found that the more an individual perceived a coworker's behavior as uncivil, the more likely they were to reciprocate.
One positive finding, however, was that people with high levels of agreeableness were less likely to reciprocate incivility.
Turnover is Trending
As much as jobs reports make the news, attrition does as well. Employers suffer in terms of both productivity and profit when they are forced to recruit, onboard, and train replacements to fill the shoes of talented, experienced employees who loved their craft but hated the culture.
Turnover negatively impacts the bottom line as well, in terms of production as well as potential legal costs related to employee claims of constructive termination.
Thankfully, there are recommendations to reverse the trend.
Engagement as Intervention
Di Zhang et al. (2022) explored the mediating effect of engagement within a workplace of incivility-related fatigue.
Studying 1200 female nurses in China, they found a significant positive link between workplace incivility and reported fatigue.
Regarding contributing factors, they found workplace incivility to be inversely associated with engagement, a result they suggest could be explained by the impact of workplace incivility on internal motivation.
When incivility is a sustained stressor, Zhang et al. (ibid.) explain that nurses use mental and physical energy to defend themselves, thereby decreasing self-esteem, sense of achievement and work efficiency, creating additional pressure.
They recommend that managers seek to improve workplace civility by promoting workplace engagement to reduce fatigue.
Productivity, Positivity, and Profit
Across professions, incivility in the workplace can cause productive employees to become discouraged, disengaged, and disinterested in professional development, resulting in increased absenteeism and reduced productivity.
To both recruit and retain talent, employers should proactively prioritize positive workplace culture at every level of a company.
By preventing incivility and promoting satisfaction through smart strategies of support, employers can ensure they hire the best people and know how to keep them.
This article was originally published in Psychology Today, and is used with the permission of its author.
Wendy L. Patrick, JD, MDiv, Ph.D., is an award-winning career trial attorney and media commentator. She is host of "Live with Dr. Wendy" on KCBQ, and a daily guest on other media outlets, delivering a lively mix of flash, substance, and style. Read Dr. Wendy L. Patrick's Reports — Click Here Now.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.