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Affordability stress fuels workplace incivility as benefit costs rise
A 27% worker share cited cost concerns behind incivility in Q2 2026, and SHRM estimates uncivil behavior costs US organizations about $1.0 billion a day in lost productivity.
Financial pressure is increasingly emerging as a workplace risk for US employers as they weigh employee benefits to contain rising healthcare costs, according to Insurance Business. In SHRM’s latest Civility Index, 27% of US workers said cost and affordability concerns contributed to workplace incivility they experienced or witnessed in the second quarter of 2026, with affordability among the five most commonly cited drivers of rude or discourteous behavior.
SHRM reported its workplace Civility Index rose to 41.9 in the quarter, the highest level since the tracking began. The publication ties the findings to shifting employer priorities, noting that Lockton’s 2026 National Benefits Survey showed 54% of employers ranked reducing costs as their top priority, up from 38% in 2025.
The article says this cost-control push is changing plan decisions and may raise financial burdens on workers. Mercer found that 48% of large US employers expect medical plan changes for 2027 that will increase employees’ out-of-pocket costs, such as higher deductibles or copays, while nearly a third already offer or plan to offer alternative medical plans intended to be more affordable.
SHRM also linked the affordability pressures to measurable workplace impact, reporting that workers who experienced or witnessed incivility lost an average of 33.8 minutes of productivity per incident. SHRM estimates reduced productivity tied to uncivil behavior costs US organizations roughly $1.02 billion a day, and quotes Joy Awe, an Insperity well-being manager, describing how affordability crises and lower workplace civility can intersect.