Practicing civility and kindness on Labor Day.

September 2, 2023

          No politics today. Just a plea to practice civility and kindness toward workers over Labor Day Weekend—and all year round.

          I wrote yesterday about Joe Biden’s kindness in phoning his friend Mitch McConnell after the Senate Minority Leader suffered a second “freezing episode.” That story generated many comments and emails, including one from reader Bronwyn F., who linked to a Harvard Business Review Study on increasing incivility toward “frontline workers.” See Christine Porath in Harvard Business Review, Frontline Work When Everyone Is Angry |  Incivility on the Front Lines of Business.

          The article describes the author’s studies showing that incivility is on the rise everywhere, but especially toward frontline workers. The reasons are obvious. Stress. Partisan politics. Covid. Technology. Social Media. Weakened family and societal ties. Increasing wealth gap. Lack of self-awareness.

          The article addresses the challenges faced by employers and employees in an environment where customers are increasingly uncivil and rude. The article will raise your self-awareness and I recommend it. The author concludes on this hopeful note:

Incivility is contagious. Fortunately, civility’s power to spread is just as great.

          As we enter the Labor Day Weekend, it is an appropriate moment for self-reflection about where we are as a nation in our treatment of workers. The pandemic recession was hard on everyone, but especially on frontline workers who deal with frustrated, unhappy, stressed customers who have exhausted their emotional reserves. Joe Biden’s kindness and civility in phoning a political opponent to express concern and empathy is a good model for us all.

           If we can muster the ability to be civil to frontline workers, that would be a vast improvement in the daily life of our nation. But we can go one step further. We can be kind—not only to workers, but to friends, family, and complete strangers.

          Here are two of my favorite examples, both from my wife (a.k.a. Managing Editor). Whenever we are driving on city streets and she sees workers laboring in the hot sun to repair roads, pick up trash, reconnect utilities, etc., she tells me to slow down and then rolls down her window. She waves to the workers and says something like, “Thanks for your service! The streets look great! Thanks for working on such a hot day.” The workers always wave back and smile, surprised that someone noticed and appreciated their work.

          A second example: When we walk into a restaurant and my wife sees an elderly woman sitting by herself, my wife approaches the woman and compliments her on something she is wearing. “Love that necklace! What a pretty top! Great shoes.” It is a small gesture that is not about clothes or jewelry. It is about paying attention to someone who is sitting alone in a restaurant. You can imagine the boost to the spirit of the person who thought she was invisible but suddenly feels noticed.

          When we approach frontline workers at retail establishments, medical facilities, and government offices, we frequently look through them as if they are not there. We are like heat-seeking missiles, locked on our targets: Acquire food, buy goods, obtain services, and leave. But those workers are just like the people they serve—struggling to make it through the day in a world that is becoming increasingly mean-spirited. They, too, are exhausted, frustrated, and stressed. They work at minimum wage jobs to pay for school, provide for their families, or scrape by in a world that dealt them an unfair hand.

          So, on this Labor Day weekend, let’s make an extra effort to be civil and kind to those workers who won’t get a vacation day on Labor Day. They showed up to work to serve you so that your life could be safe, healthy, convenient, and happy. Thank them for showing up to work on a national holiday!

          This Labor Day, go out of your way to be civil and kind to the workers in your life. And while you are at it, consider doing the same for family, friends, and complete strangers—just like Joe Biden would. Our nation will be a better place for it.

          The Comments section is open to all this weekend. Be civil and kind to one another!

          Talk to you on Monday!