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Managing workplace civility: respecting differences, protecting the vulnerable

With political polarization on the rise, political discourse in the workplace can lead to stress and uncivil behaviour. Here’s how employers can assure positive work behaviors and create a safe haven for all.

In 2024, almost half of the world’s population will go or have already gone to the polls, spanning elections in 64 countries. With political polarisation on the rise, political discourse in the workplace can lead to stress and uncivil behaviour. For example, during the last US presidential election 62% of workers reported politics affecting their ability to work and 50% avoided working with or talking to a co-worker because of their political beliefs.

Risks and expectations of a new work environment

Misinformation and societal polarisation were cited as top short-term risks in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report. Veracity and tone of information are both susceptible to manipulation and provocation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have been seen as trusted sources of information, with employees often scoring their employers higher than government entities. Businesses score higher than governments on ethics and competence according to the 2024 Edelman trust survey. As the risk and frequency of misinformation rises, organisations will need to keep pace, protecting both their brands and their people.

Yet where and how we work is rapidly transforming. From hybrid and remote arrangements to the influx of assistive technology and generative AI, both organisations and employees are constantly adapting.

Employees’ expectations have evolved — they are looking not only for financial stability, but also psychological safety, digital enablement, and skill growth.  Many employers in turn responded to these expectations — and a tight labour market — by providing more competitive wages, more robust health benefits, and more flexible working arrangements. Increasingly, employers have also tried to position the office as an inclusive social space and encourage employees to be their ‘authentic selves’. But as a primary space in people’s lives to socialize and interact with others, the office has the potential to absorb the political tensions and polarisation increasingly prevalent in broader society.

Employers would be wise to continue monitoring political discourse in the workspace and to evaluate how best to promote healthy social interactions and civic duty – keeping in mind that, when political discourse occurs in the office, it can trigger workplace incivility or even transgressions like intimidation and harassment. Incivility can in turn increase employees’ incidence of depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional exhaustion. This can create a negative feedback loop: employees who report being unwell are less likely to feel like they can be their authentic selves at work.

Incivility has impact

Incivility has implications for business outcomes as well, including decreased job performance, lower productivity, work withdrawal behaviours, and turnover intentions. Employees who believe their workplace is uncivil are more likely to say they are dissatisfied with their jobs and are two times more likely to indicate they will leave their jobs within a year.

Incivility and organised misinformation campaigns target and impact certain populations more than others. People who identify as LGBTQIA+, adults with disabilities, and people of colour cite the political climate as a stronger source of stress in their lives compared to other groups.

So how can organisations balance employees’ need to socialize and express their views, while putting guardrails or safeguards in place for speech and conduct at work? How do we create safe and productive workplace environments for civic discourse during a time of global polycrisis? How can we respect differences and protect the vulnerable? While the workplace reflects larger social contexts, it is also regulated by a different set of guidelines, including a duty of care for employees and brand stewardship for investors.

We propose a framework for employers to consider as they review their policies and protocols. The continuum spans from advocacy of social discourse to an awareness of the consequences of incivility. Do work teams have ample diversity of thought and adequate psychological safety required to create and produce at their best? Are cliques formed among co-workers that lead to exclusion, intimidation, or harassment? And are managers equipped with the tools and resources to identify risks and suitably respond? 

Workplace incivility risk: From healthy social interaction to toxic environments

A framework for focus on escalation points and impact of high conflict topics

Source: Mercer Marsh Benefits

The spectrum serves as a map to define points of escalation and identify specific interventions across the continuum.

Organisations should consider defining the roles of individuals, colleagues, managers, HR, and leadership in setting the tone upstream versus managing for problems downstream.

  • Safe, creative, collaborative, and authentic social spaces: Cultivate opportunities for individuals to communicate in supportive and neutral spaces: collaboration across groups can reduce polarisation.
  • Civic engagement and opinionated discourse: Monitor internal communication tools. Define and assure codes of conduct are part of presentations and spaces for dialogue — similar to a “safety warning.” Acknowledge the reality that diverse political beliefs exist among employees and communicate the need to treat each other respectfully and not let political differences negatively impact work.
  • Incivility: Proactively provide a range of support services, like employee assistance programs and sensitivity trainings, to acknowledge the civic obligations and diverse political beliefs among employees. Recognise that vulnerable populations may have unique risks and/or require enhanced support beyond baseline programs.
  • Alliances, intimidation, and harassment: Assure policies are in place with enforceable consequences for uncivil behaviour and hold offenders at all levels accountable. Drive accountability for civility in the workplace as a company value.

Provocative public discourse can become a public health issue and result in workplace incivility causing psychological distress and a reduction in workplace engagement and productivity. Employees benefit when their leaders set the tone of civility and respect within their organisations.

The current risk environment coupled with the trust employers have generated during the pandemic create an imperative for leaders to continue holding the torch for positive work behaviours and assure a safe haven for those who may be marginalized by incivility.

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About the Authors

Dr Marleece Estella

Dr. Marleece Estella

Global leader in Occupational Health and Safety

Dr Marleece Estella is a global leader in Occupational Health and Safety having led initiatives at a diverse set of industries. She has been responsible for designing, developing, and executing a health and productivity strategies that includes wellness and preventive care for 100,000’s of employees. She has served on numerous boards focused on health and safety including Leapfrog, HERO, The Business Group on Health and was an inaugural member of the Institute of Medicine’s Public-Private Partnerships for Global Health and Safety Committee.

Dr Lorna Friedman

Dr. Lorna Friedman

Senior Partner, Health, Transformation and Sustainability, Mercer

Dr. Lorna Friedman, Senior Partner with Mercer Marsh Benefits and leads Health Transformation and Sustainability.  Lorna has extensive experience designing health solutions for diverse populations including risk analysis, operational and benefit design, onsite and digital delivery. Lorna has published and presented on issues regarding public health including with the World Economic Forum , The HLTH conference, The Institute of Medicine, The Agency for Health Care Quality and Research and the International Aids Conference. She has served on several boards with a focus on improving access to health including the Global Business Group on Health, Blueprint Health Tech Accelerator, The American Council on Exercise and the March of Dimes. Policy Board.

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Alex Lumby

Alex Lumby

Mercer Marsh Benefits Region Leader, Pacific

  • Australia

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