Respect & Civility in the Workplace
Respect & Civility in the Workplace teaches employees how to use professional tone, manage frustration and avoid behaviors that damage trust. It focuses on how daily interactions—emails, chats, side comments and body language—shape the culture for everyone.
This course is a practical, behavior-focused workplace respect training that shows staff exactly what professional respect and civility look like at work.
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Building a respectful, civil workplace one interaction at a time.
The course breaks “respect” into small, repeatable behaviors that employees can practice. Instead of broad statements like “just be polite,” it shows specific actions that support a respectful workplace.
Respectful Tone & Language
- Using calm, neutral language even when upset
- Avoiding sarcasm, eye-rolling and dismissive remarks
- Choosing wording that de-escalates instead of inflames
- Checking tone in email and chat before sending
Civility in Everyday Situations
- How to disagree respectfully with coworkers
- Ending gossip and side conversations that harm trust
- Giving feedback without personal attack
- Showing appreciation and recognition in simple ways
Employees at any level who impact team dynamics.
Respect & Civility in the Workplace is appropriate for all employees. However, it is especially helpful when teams are experiencing tension, complaints or breakdowns in communication.
- Teams struggling with conflict or ongoing friction
- Employees who receive complaints about their tone
- Groups merging departments or working across locations
- Staff returning to onsite work after remote or hybrid periods
Respect & Civility in the Workplace — module overview.
Module 1: What Respect Means at Work
Clear definitions of respect and civility, with specific behavior examples employees can recognize.
Module 2: Tone, Words & Body Language
How voice, word choice, email style and non-verbal cues send messages to others.
Module 3: Handling Frustration & Disagreement
Techniques for staying calm and responding professionally when conflicts or misunderstandings appear.
Module 4: Gossip, Cliques & Exclusion
How gossip and exclusion affect trust and morale, and what to do instead to build civility.
Module 5: Everyday Acts of Respect
Simple, realistic actions employees can practice each day to support a respectful workplace culture.
Documentation for respectful workplace training.
After completion, employees receive a certificate showing that they completed this civility training course. HR can keep the certificate as documentation of behavior-focused training.
- Indicates completion of Respect & Civility in the Workplace
- Lists core topics related to workplace respect training
- Fits easily into HR performance or coaching files
Organizations that also promote respect and civility at work.
The following sites offer additional information and context on respectful workplaces, civility campaigns and behavioral expectations that align with this course.