Civility in America 2018: Civility at Work and in Our Public Squares
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The 2018 Civility in America survey reveals a persistent perception of incivility among Americans, with 93% acknowledging a civility problem in society, which has significantly increased since 2016. While workplaces are generally viewed as civil by 92% of employed Americans, discussions on sensitive topics remain challenging, and there is a strong belief in the responsibility of leadership to enforce civility. The findings emphasize the interconnection between civility and diversity/inclusion, advocating for mandatory civility training and a cultural commitment to civility in order to improve workplace dynamics.
Civility in America 2018: Civility at Work and in Our Public Squares
- 2. have conducted Civility in America: A Nationwide Survey annually since 2010. In this eighth edition of Civility in America, conducted online among 1,481 U.S. adults in January 2018, we continue to track Americans’ perceptions of and experiences with civility in their lives. We also dig deeper into a phenomenon we detected last year – the role of the workplace as a civility safety zone.
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- 4. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Jan-16 Dec-16 2018 Not a Problem Minor Major Americans continue to report a severe civility deficit in our nation, with a vast majority – 93% – identifying a civility problem in society, and most classifying it as a “major” problem (69%). 4 (among total Americans)
- 5. More than eight in 10 Americans (84%) have at one time or another experienced incivility and in a wide variety of places and settings, most typically while shopping (39%), while driving (39%), or on social media (38%). 5 (among total Americans) 16% 7% 11% 13% 14% 21% 22% 24% 25% 25% 29% 38% 39% 39% 84% Have not experienced incivility At a house of worship Elsewhere At a political event or rally In a hospital, doctor's office, or medical facility In your neighborhood At a social event On public transportation Online, or cyberbullying In school At work, either at your current job or a past job On social media While shopping On the road Experienced incivility in any of these locations (net)
- 6. Among those who report ever experiencing incivility, encounters are frequent, averaging 10.6 times per 7-day week. Online interactions slightly edge out in-person interactions (5.4 vs. 5.2). More disturbingly, the frequencies of uncivil encounters have risen dramatically since 2016. 6 Jan-16 Dec-16 2018 In Person/Offline Online/Social Media (among Americans who have personally experienced incivility somewhere)
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- 8. More than nine in 10 Americans who work with others (92%) describe their place of employment as very or somewhat civil, a statistic that rose since our last measurement at the end of 2016 (86%). 8 Dec-16 2018 Don't Know Very/Somewhat Uncivil Somewhat Civil Very Civil Significantly higher than Dec 16 (among employed Americans with coworkers)
- 9. The number of Americans overall who report ever having experienced incivility at work has declined since 2011. 9 2011 2012 2013 2014 Jan-16 Dec-16 2018 (among total Americans)
- 10. Employees in Civil Workplaces Employees in Uncivil Workplaces** In civil workplaces, leadership is more likely to be perceived as civil and employees feel safer reporting uncivil conduct. In uncivil workplaces, employees are more likely to distrust management to handle complaints about incivility. 10 *significant difference **small base size (% of employed Americans with coworkers who agree with statements) The leadership where I work is civil I feel safe to report incivility or harassment to my supervisor or someone in authority in my workplace, such as the Department of Human Resources I do not trust management at my employer to handle complaints about incivility
- 11. Employees believe that leadership has a responsibility to enforce civility in the workplace, even in uncivil workplaces! 11 When Americans overall are asked to respond to a list of actions that would improve the level of civility in the country… “Leadership has a responsibility to enforce civility in the workplace.” of employees in civil workplaces agree of employees in uncivil workplaces agree are in favor of civility training in the workplace are in favor of employers encouraging employees to report incivility in the workplace
- 12. 12 of Americans agree that highly controversial subjects can be discussed in a civil way of Americans with coworkers avoid discussing sensitive topics in the workplace for fear that the conversation will turn uncivil
- 13. Many Americans with coworkers (71%) report that at least one of the following topics is difficult to discuss civilly at their workplace. Politics leads. 13 71% 38% 30% 29% 28% 26% 24% 23% 22% 22% 19% 14% 12% 11% 11% 29% Any of the following (net) Politics Race relations Police shootings of black men/women Religion Immigration Abortion Gun laws Transgender bathroom laws Kneeling or not standing during the national anthem Workplace sexual harassment Climate change Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election Charlottesville protests Conflict with North Korea None of the above (among employed Americans with coworkers)
- 14. 14 How well people of these different categories are equally valued, respected, and supported by leaders, managers and other employees in the workplace. The place you work has representation of all kinds of people, across sex, race, class, age and other categories.
- 15. 83% of American employees describe their workplace as diversity and inclusive. Ratings are very consistent by employee racial group. 15
- 16. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) goes hand-in-hand with civility in the workplace, as respondents in uncivil workplaces are twice as likely to describe their employers as weak on diversity and inclusion (37% vs. 15% of civil workplaces). 16 *significant difference **small base size Employees in Civli Workplaces Employees in Uncivil Workplaces** Workplace is diverse and inclusive Workplace is not diverse and inclusive (among employed Americans with coworkers)
- 17. D&I experiences with coworkers and leadership vary somewhat by racial group. White employees are the most likely to say their coworkers are tolerant of people of different backgrounds and are also the most likely to say their leadership is diverse and inclusive. 17 (% of employed Americans with coworkers who agree with statements) My coworkers are generally tolerant of people of different backgrounds The leadership where I work is diverse and inclusive
- 18. 18 Most American employees (81%) have D&I training at work, with 65% finding it useful. Two-thirds (66%) believe that D&I training should be mandatory in the workplace. African Americans lead other races both in finding it useful (73%) and believing it should be mandatory (80%). Have D&I training at work Believe D&I training is very/somewhat useful in workplace Believe D&I training in workplace should be mandatory (among employed Americans with coworkers)
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- 20. (among employed Americans with coworkers) Civility training will be mandatory 33% Incivility will be considered a form of harassment 32% Employees will feel more empowered to report acts of incivility in the workplace 30% There will be fewer incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace than there are now 26% Men will be less likely to dine alone with women from work 25% Robots replacing human workers will be more commonplace 25% Coworkers will refrain from asking about the personal lives of others 25% Firings for incivility will be commonplace 23% People will be less likely to post about their jobs online 22% Any physical interaction will be strictly limited to handshaking 22% Job candidates will be screened for civility 22% There will be dress codes for men and women 19% Workplace social events will not be as much fun 19% Politics will be prohibited from workplace discussion 19% Employers will hire civility coaches for employees 19% Coworkers will be more collaborative 18% Coworkers will feel comfortable saying what they feel 17% Holiday work parties will be held during the day and families/partners/spouses will be invited 17% Employers will encourage employees to talk about their differences 17% Coworkers will not question others' ideas or recommendations 13% There will be more coworker social events 12% Employees characterize civility in the workplace in a variety of ways, leading with mandatory civility training (33%) and classifying incivility as a form of harassment (32%). Men will not want to mentor women or help advance their careers 21% In corporate settings, working from home will be encouraged 21% Coworkers will do their jobs with as little interaction as possible 20% In addition to business results, managers will be evaluated by their level of civility 20% There will be greater representation of minority groups in the workplace 19% 20
- 21. For the most part, the leading descriptors for the entire segment of Americans with coworkers are the same regardless of race, but the following are additional above average for each sub-group. It is not until respondent race is a factor that any kind of diversity or inclusion expectations arise. 21 People will be less likely to post about their jobs online Men will not want to mentor women or help advance their careers Any physical interaction will be strictly limited to handshaking In addition to business results, managers will be evaluated by their level of civility Coworkers will be more collaborative Employers will encourage employees to talk about their differences In corporate settings, working from home will be encouraged In addition to business results, managers will be evaluated by their level of civility Workplace social events will not be as much fun Coworkers will feel comfortable saying what they feel Holiday work parties will be held during the day and families/partners/spouses will be invited Job candidates will be screened for civility In corporate settings, working from home will be encouraged There will be greater representation of minority groups in the workplace Employers will hire civility coaches for employees Coworkers will be more collaborative Coworkers will feel comfortable saying what they feel Employers will encourage employees to talk about their differences
- 23. 23 Workplaces are highly civil and there is an expectation that they will become even more civil. Leaders need to lead workforces by example, provide a safe environment for reporting incivility, take corrective action when needed to curb incivility, and provide civility training. Commit to a culture of civility. Make civility a measurement of employee engagement and perhaps a job performance metric. There is a positive relationship between civility and diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Having a diverse and inclusive workforce is a business imperative for organizations today. D&I training at all levels is a must-do. Employers first need to recognize that how one segment of the organizational population perceives diversity and inclusion may not be the same as how others perceive it. Depending on the organization, activities may encompass… • raising awareness and understanding around the business case for diversity • mitigating risk, and navigating culture change and transformation • communicating around complex social issues • developing campaigns to effectively engage increasingly diverse audiences and stakeholders Civility in America 2018: Civility at Work and in Our Public Squares shows that incivility continues to be pervasive in American life. To realize the hope that most Americans hold for a more civil future, we suggest five calls to action, based on our findings from this year’s study:
- 24. For more information about Civility in America 2018: Civility at Work and in Our Public Squares or our other