It’s Not Your Imagination—Your Co-Workers Are Being Ruder Than Usual

A recent report says people are more uptight and the lingering effects of the pandemic may be to blame.

A new report analyzing findings from a workplace sentiment survey conducted by Korn Ferry survey revealed Rudeness at work has increased since the pandemic began, according to a recent survey from Korn Ferry. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said colleagues were more mean compared to pre-pandemic times. As a result, nearly 4 in 5 workers find it hard to focus on work following an experience with rudeness and that another 83% of workers shared they actively try to avoid rude colleagues. What’s more, 3 in 4 workers have thought about resigning because of a mean colleague or boss.

In a post on its findings, Korn Ferry referenced a recent meta-analysis of 70 studies by Larry Martinez, a Portland State University professor, which stated “that workplace incivility ripples through teams and organizations and causes more damage than previously thought.” Rudeness is “contagious,” James Bywater, associate client partner at Korn Ferry, said.

This rudeness can be qualified as “small snubs and rebuffs,” according to Bywater and often, it’s subtle for people to not be fully aware of how they come off. When confronted, they’re often “just appalled,” Debra Hermann, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, said in an interview with HR Dive in a phone call. “They have no idea how they came across.”

Direct feedback is a way to navigate rudeness, experts say. “Assuming they didn’t know how they made the recipient of the rudeness feel and responding with some coaching or a more specialized approach” is what HR Dive suggests.