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Survey says passive-aggressive behavior at work is worse than ever before

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This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

SEVEN IN 10 AMERICANS SAY PASSIVE AGGRESSION IN THE WORKPLACE IS “WORSE NOW THAN EVER BEFORE,” ACCORDING TO A NEW SURVEY.

THE POLL OF 2,000 EMPLOYED ADULTS WHO HAVE WITNESSED PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS FOUND ROUGHLY THREE IN FOUR (69%) BELIEVE IT’S BECOME A PROBLEM IN THEIR WORKPLACE. 

INTERESTINGLY, THE SAME NUMBER (68%) OF RESPONDENTS ADMITTED TO BEING PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE THEMSELVES.

CONDUCTED BY ONEPOLL AND GO1, THE SURVEY FOUND THE MOST COMMON BEHAVIORS INCLUDE TALKING BEHIND COWORKERS’ BACKS (54%), COMPLAINTS AND RESENTMENT (50%), SILENT TREATMENTS (49%) AND SARCASM (42%).

NEARLY HALF (48%) SAY THOSE BEHAVIORS HAVE INCREASED SINCE THE PANDEMIC.

ONE IN FIVE (19%) WOMEN SEE THEM EVERY DAY, WHEREAS 12% OF MEN SAY THE SAME.

TOP 8 CAUSES FOR PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS

Poor time management - 51%

A lack of problem-solving skills - 49%

Poor stress management - 48%

A lack of adaptability - 46%

Poor communication skills - 43%

A lack of leadership - 42%

Inability to take feedback - 33%

A lack of empathy - 18%     

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 employed Americans who have witnessed passive-aggressive behaviors was commissioned by Go1 between October 13 and October 21, 2022. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

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