Explain why your workplace is or is not civil and describe a situation where you have experienced incivility in the workplace. How was this addressed?

I find my workplace civil with an open and supportive team. Sometimes, however, there has been incivility at work. This is usually when employees feel stressed or overwhelmed by deadlines and workloads. In these situations, it’s not uncommon for tempers to flare and for civility to break down in the heat of the moment.

When this happens in my workplace, it’s usually addressed immediately by our manager. They may ask the person to leave the office and give feedback about communication style or how they handle disputes, depending on their severity. It is important to quickly deescalate the situation and provide guidance as to how to maintain civility moving forward. Sometimes, the manager may also call a meeting of all parties to discuss and find solutions.

Overall, my experience has been that incivility at work isn’t tolerated but rather met with open dialogue and proactive problem solving. Our team values respect for each other above all else – something that is reinforced often through clear guidelines set forth by our managers as well as consistent follow-up if any issues arise.