Civility and Respect in the Workplace

Show care and consideration for others to help create a welcoming, safe, inclusive work environment.

Use respectful language. Say please, thank you, excuse me, and I'm sorry.
Value the time of others. Be on time and give your full attention.
See a co-worker? Say hello.
Include others. Offer an invite to lunch or ask for input.
Before making a joke, consider the audience. Remember that humour isn’t always appropriate.
Elevate other people. Give credit when it’s due.
Intervene respectfully. See inappropriate behaviour? Step in.

Define civility. Engage in conversations and educational opportunities.
Train and develop employees. Teach them how to listen, give feedback, resolve conflict, interact with clients, and how to recognize and address uncivil behaviour.
Use inclusive language. How do workers refer to themselves? Check to see which terms workers use, and update communications if needed.
Address uncivil behaviour with enforced policies and consequences. Encourage constructive problem solving. Manage conflicts in a timely fashion. Always follow up.
Show respectful leadership behaviour: Provide managers and supervisors with ongoing training and support. Make sure they can recognize and resolve issues.
Create and post a code of conduct. Outline respectful and civil behaviour.

Incivility is contagious, but you can stop the spread.

Show empathy and de-escalate the situation with kindness. Pause, put yourself in their shoes, and ask, “how can I help?”