Employers seek civility training to foster positive workplace cultures, where community is valued and employees treat coworkers with respect, dignity, and consideration. Civility training at work is gaining importance as corporate and non-profit organizations attempt to build cohesive teams and improve the way employees interact.
Diversity Builder trainers have extensive experience in leading civility workshops for corporate entities, the federal government, and organizations. In-person workshops and webinars are offered.
Research shows employees have experienced increasing incidents of incivility as documented in the latest SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) survey.
This SHRM research indicates that more than 66% of the employees surveyed have experienced or witnessed incivility in the workplace in the month prior to taking the survey. When an organization’s culture is deeply rooted in civility and humanity, communication is characterized by mutual respect and consideration.
Top 4 Reasons for Incivility at Work
- Political Differences– Politics and work do not go together within the workplace. Talking about politics at work can be divisive and toxic in the workplace and cause heightened emotions and can destroy relationships.
- Social Beliefs and priority variances – Similar to differences in political preferences, what matters to employees on a social justice level can sow discord when such opinions are discussed at work.
- Generational Differences – For the first time ever, there are five generations in the workplace. Each generation has had different influences; employees from different generations often experience conflict resulting from different preferences in communication, attitudes toward technology, work styles, expectation on number of hours worked, along with giving and receiving feedback. Generational Differences Training is a beneficial additional course that helps employees work cohesively together across generations.
- Racial and Gender Differences – Diversity across identities such as race and gender is beneficial to a team’s performance and innovation, yet harm may be caused when making assumptions or comments that rely on stereotypes, unfounded beliefs, and bias.
According to the latest research, the following are the most frequent types of uncivil behaviors:
List of Common Incivility Examples
- Addressing employees disrespectfully by using nicknames or name-calling
- Interrupting employees in conversations or group events
- Gossiping
- Inappropriate jokes
- Rough-housing
- Excessive monitoring by leadership
Learning Objectives
- Define civility and its importance
- Recognize and identify uncivil conduct
- Know the benefits of civility
- Practice positive and non-violent communication
- Understand topics to avoid at work
- Manage conflict constructively
- Self-reflect on current communication practices
- Know how to respond to incivility and intervene
- Recognize steps to take if you have caused harm
Ask about Civility Training
Frequently Asked Questions about Workplace Civility Training
What happens if organizations do nothing about incivility?
Ignoring incivility can normalize harmful behavior within the workplace and result in deep-rooted cultural issues. The latest 2025/2026 SHRM workplace survey shows that when uncivil treatment and behaviors are left unchecked, employees experience the following negative impacts:
*They experience mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
*They are less likely to come to work (absenteeism).
*They are more likely to resign or quiet-quit.
*They are less likely to collaborate or be innovative.
What is Civility Training?
Civility training is a workplace program in which employees build skills in psychological safety, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and positive communication to avoid mistreatment, inappropriate conduct, and bullying behaviors to cultivate belonging and mutual respect at work.
What topics are covered in Civility Training?
Resilient listening
Respectful communication
Emotional intelligence
Topics to avoid at work
De-escalation strategies
Conflict management
Microaggressions and incivility
Bystander intervention
Having difficult conversations
Best practices in workplace civility
How is civility different from general workplace etiquette or diversity and inclusion training?
Civility training addresses the way employees communicate and on a regular daily basis. Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are more expansive and look at systems of oppression, inequitable practices, and the history of advantages that are tied to one’s identity or intersection of identities. Etiquette training instructs employees how to respond and be polite to others in a formal manner across cultures.
How is the effectiveness of civility training measured?
Organizations seeking training in workplace civility want to know about what results to expect. They want to know if the training will be effective in reducing the incidence of complaints and bullying at work.
These tools help measure the outcomes of civility training:
- Customized pre-training and post-training surveys
- Training evaluations from participants
- Human resources reports of the number of complaints of uncivil treatment post-training
- Employee engagement and retention metrics
What is incivility in the workplace?
Incivility I the workplace refers to inappropriate and disrespectful communication and behaviors that cause harm. It is generally less severe than bullying or harassment, yet can lead to both.
How should an employee respond to incivility
Remain calm and be thoughtful in responding
Intervene to halt the behavior
Document the situation
Report to human resources or a leader in the organization
What role does leadership play in preventing workplace incivility?
Employees observe leadership’s actions and behaviors. Leaders set the bar for workplace expectations. By modeling exemplary behavior that supports the corporate or organization’s core values, addressing issues promptly, and fostering transparent communication, leaders can minimize incivility. Clear policies, regular learning and development, and accountability support sustainability.