As we ease into 2026, there is no such thing as a scarcity of “cultural flashpoints”—political, social and cultural divisions that spill over into the office.
However right here’s a proposed New 12 months’s decision for employers: Don’t let flashpoints devour the 2026 office; use insurance policies and coaching to instill respect and civility.
It will possibly look like a serious problem.
The Society for Human Sources Administration (SHRM) simply launched its Civility Index, and the outcomes are sobering. SHRM experiences that “U.S. staff are experiencing extra every day acts of incivility of their on a regular basis lives for the reason that starting of 2024.” Seventy-five p.c of U.S. staff skilled or witnessed office incivility previously month. SHRM reported that the highest 5 contributors to office incivility are political variations, racial or ethnic variations, completely different opinions on social points, age or generational variations and issues about present immigration coverage.
And it’s no surprise, because the political discourse appears to develop ever coarser and extra illiberal.
The president of the US lately categorized immigrants of a specific nationwide origin as “rubbish.” In the meantime, an appointee of the New York Metropolis Mayor-Elect resigned after a single day, as soon as her antisemitic social media posts emerged with statements comparable to “cash hungry Jews.”
The media reported that the U.S. Coast Guard deliberate a office harassment coverage that characterised swastikas and nooses—among the many most overt, unambiguous symbols of hate—as merely “probably divisive.” After media scrutiny, the Coast Guard deleted the language, indicating that such symbols are strictly prohibited.
When such language and symbols are normalized in headlines and politics, it has a downstream impact. Individuals really feel larger license to make use of bluntly discriminatory language and to be uncivil to anybody with whom they disagree. And more and more, some workers will even accomplish that when they’re at work or on the job.
For employers, a brand new yr could be a time to reset. It may be a time to recommit to a civil office the place each worker feels revered, and the main target is on working collectively to attain the group’s mission or enterprise objectives.
Each employer ought to have an anti-discrimination and anti-harassment coverage. This foundational doc is a key to managing many flashpoints. Anti-discrimination insurance policies prohibit name-calling based mostly on race, nationwide origin, gender, faith or different protected classifications. In addition they prohibit damaging stereotyping or “jokes” about protected teams. Symbols of hate are barred by non-discrimination insurance policies, together with swastikas and nooses, which mirror an extended and lethal historical past of violence.
The employer’s handbook ought to clarify {that a} violation of the anti-discrimination and anti-harassment coverage is grounds for self-discipline, as much as and together with termination. And the employer ought to examine any complaints of violations and take immediate corrective motion to implement the coverage when violations are discovered. The handbook ought to clarify that expectations for civil discourse prolong to off-duty conduct, noting all applicable caveats for related state and federal legal guidelines.
Past making certain a fundamental basis whereby discrimination and harassment are usually not tolerated, the employer may also insist on a civil office tradition. Private insults haven’t any place in a well-functioning work atmosphere. Bullying will not be acceptable within the fashionable office. Mood tantrums needn’t be tolerated. Management can set an expert tone from the highest.
Fastidiously crafted insurance policies will help handle expectations as to what’s acceptable whereas additionally making certain that required protections for sure speech about office situations are honored. Constant enforcement of the principles can reinforce what’s—and isn’t—acceptable language and conduct within the office. The place there was a serious breakdown within the work local weather, a cultural evaluation will be efficient in figuring out the supply of the problems and doable treatments.
Lastly, coaching is a strong instrument to assist guarantee a civil and tolerant office. Excessive-quality coaching can cowl real-life eventualities as to what crosses the road right into a violation of the anti-discrimination and anti-harassment coverage. Efficient coaching can fastidiously and sensitively contact on what would possibly in any other case be divisive matters to offer workers with the language and instruments to remain throughout the guardrails. It will possibly additionally cowl matters for managers, comparable to ship constructive and respectful efficiency suggestions and handle communication and battle amongst work groups.
We encourage employers to make use of what we name the “Cultural Flashpoints Framework” to develop a custom-made strategy to flashpoints—together with insurance policies and coaching—that ensures authorized compliance but in addition honors the group’s insurance policies, enterprise atmosphere and mission. Whereas the world could also be persistently polarized, the brand new yr will be an opportune time to set (or reset) expectations. By doing so, the employer can be certain that the office stays high-performing, team-oriented and cohesive—maybe even offering a respite from the incivility and divisions of the surface world.
