New Data Shows Managers Could Do More to Curb Incivility at Work

When workers experience incivility in the workplace, they often feel their managers failed to mitigate these incidents, SHRM research found. About two-thirds of workers who experienced incivility (66%) agreed that their manager could have done more to prevent the act, according to SHRM’s Q2 2025 Civility Index. Additionally, 70% expressed that managers care more about business objectives than how people are treated in the workplace.  

A respectful workplace fosters productivity and drives better business outcomes. A workplace where acts of incivility are common and managers fail to intervene loses sight of organizational goals and can be easily fractured. In fact, U.S. workers who have personally experienced or witnessed incivility at work reported losing an average of 36 minutes of productivity per act. Along with taking time off from work because of acts of incivility, this amounts to a total daily cost of about $2.07 billion, according to SHRM’s data.  

How can executives lead managers to better handle incivility? It starts with culture and ends with training. Managers are on the front lines of supporting a culture where employees feel comfortable communicating and resolving conflict, but they can’t lead without understanding how to respond to incidents.

HR leaders can guide managers by focusing on two key pillars of civility-building: culture development and training in conflict resolution.  

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Culture as the Foundation

A strong workplace culture lays the groundwork for civility, and managers play an essential role in reinforcing it day to day. A strong culture isn’t created overnight, however, and it often reflects the behavior of executive leaders. This makes it critical for CHROs and the rest of the executive leadership team to make conscious decisions around the values shared within an organization, ensuring they promote positive interactions.

One way to reinforce positive culture is through “values blueprinting” — a process where leadership collaboratively creates and documents core organizational values. This helps avoid a fragmented culture shaped by individual discretion so that everyone operates from the same foundational playbook. Once the framework is complete, a committee of managers and employees can connect with leadership, ensuring a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top link that upholds culture.

Conflict Training for Managers

While culture is the foundation for a civil workplace, training is the structure formed on top. Establishing shared values is important, but managers need to know what their role is in supporting civility. 

It starts with “creating a neighborhood mentality,” according to Josh Smith, former head of Americas HR and global head of talent at Sedgwick, a global claims administrator based in Chicago.  

In a neighborhood, there are shared values around supporting a peaceful environment in which to live, but there’s also proximity to one another where the highs and lows of life play out, oftentimes spilling over to impact one another. A family gathering for one neighbor can turn into a parking nightmare for another. On the other hand, parking issues might be overlooked if the neighbors who need the parking offer a meal in exchange.

In a traditional neighborhood and in the workplace, resolving conflict is key. Managers should be well versed in:

• Active Listening: Giving full attention to employees’ concerns to build trust and help defuse tension before it escalates.
• Investing in Team Members: Building genuine relationships, understanding individual communication styles, and fostering personal development.
• Resolving Conflicts Promptly: Using practical tools and strategies to address incivility in real time to help prevent minor issues from snowballing into larger disputes.

SHRM Members-Only Content: Managing Workplace Conflict Toolkit

A Collaborative Mission

Curbing incivility requires collective action. HR leaders must champion a workplace culture built on respect and civility while equipping managers with targeted training. By supporting these pillars, organizations can create environments where employees thrive, conflicts are resolved constructively, and inclusivity becomes a norm. 

When HR, leadership, and management collaborate to foster civility, it isn’t just the organization that benefits. It’s also every individual within it.

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