Research has proven that incivility in the workplace can
have dramatic negative effects on employee engagement,
turnover, productivity, etc.

We define incivility as inconsiderate words and deeds some
of which may seem inconsequential at the time but all of
which typically are contrary to conventional workplace
conduct.

Incivility may include such things as verbal humiliation,
sarcasm, withholding information, talking down to others,
excluding others from meetings, failing to give credit,
etc.

HR CONTRARIAN POINTER: As counterproductive as incivility
can be, the bigger problem many times is the people in the
organization who protect or minimize (i.e., buffer) the
behavior of the “toxic employee.”

By their failure to deal with incivility, these protectors
and buffers are telling everyone that the organization has
a high tolerance for toxicity.

A survey of managers and employees discovered the
following reactions to people who faced incivility:
38% intentionally decreased work quality
47% intentionally decreased time at work
48% intentionally decreased work effort
63% lost work time trying to avoid the offender
78% said their commitment to the company declined.

With these shocking statistics, the only question is, “Why
would any organization allow a toxic employee this much
control?”

In next week’s blog, we’ll identify the solution for
incivility, which is much more creative than simple
disciplinary action.

Employee Manuals are not just for large organizations. 

Here is our rule of thumb:
If you have more employees than you have fingers on one
hand, you need the legal protections that an Employee
Manual provides.

Years ago, lawyers were recommending against creating an
Employee Manual for their small business clients.

Times have changed to the point that the single biggest
protection a company has in an employment lawsuit is the
Employee Manual.

HR CONTRARIAN POINTER: Compliance with federal laws
requires notifying your employees that you support equal
opportunity, prohibit harassment, allow time off for
certain reasons, etc., etc., etc.

In the absence of such notifications, courts will
interpret past practices and actions of managers based on
the testimony of witnesses, which can easily be slanted by
a good attorney.

The best way to communicate this information and protect
your company is through a well-written Employee Manual
that preserves management’s right to manage the
organization in a productive and efficient manner.

For a modern-day list of Employee Manual pros and cons,
click on the link below and download our PDF file,
“Reasons For An Employee Manual.”
http://www.hrcontrarian.com/dfy_manual/