July 07, 2010
Leading psychologists have found that rudeness in the workplace causes increased employee mistakes regardless of the staff targeted.
According to Aberdeen University Professor Rhona Flin, heated arguments and continual rudeness amongst certain fractions of the workforce can drive productivity and the quality of work downwards.
Surveys reported by Prof. Flin in this month’s British Medical Journal show that one in ten workers witness office rudeness on a daily basis, with healthcare and clinical staff the guiltiest culprits.
"If incivility does occur in operating theatres and affects workers' ability to perform tasks, the risks for surgical patients – whose treatment depends on particularly high levels of mental concentration and flawless task execution – could increase," said Prof. Flin.
But the problem is not purely confined to the country’s medical workforce. Prof. Flin said studies had shown that being the victim of rudeness can impair cognitive skills, with students who were insulted by a professor performing worse on subsequent memory tasks.
Prof. Flin believes all staff “require high levels of attention”, meaning employers and their staff should consider their actions before launching a tirade at fellow colleagues.
Discrimination, bullying and harassment regularly occur across Britain’s workforce and unfair treatment should not go unpunished.
If you feel you’ve been targeted in the office, and your mental health or productivity has suffered as a result, employment law solicitors could help protect you from further incidents.
