Rudeness in workplaces can spread like a virus - particularly if the boss is in an irritable mood, a study suggests.
Being on the receiving end of even subtle forms of aggression at work, such as dirty looks, gruff words or simply ignoring colleagues, can spread "like a disease".
Inturn, uncivil behaviour from supervisors and colleagues can lead to bullying, and may cause sickness and ill health in those on the receiving end, scientists claim.
Researchers say that even low-level petty behaviour, such as leaving someone off an invitation to a communal event or spreading rumours, can start the cycle off. They found witnessing a supervisor being uncivil to another worker was often enough to cause people to be rude to those around them.
Dr Eva Torkelson, a psychologist at Lund University in Sweden, said the most common cause of people acting rudely at work was imitating the behaviour of others.
"It's really about behaviour that is not covered by legislation, but which can have considerable consequences and develop into outright bullying if it is allowed to continue," she added.
The researchers questioned 2,871 people on the social "climate" in their workplaces.
They found that 75 per cent of those who took part said they had been subjected to rudeness at least once in the past year. But the study also suggests that merely seeing other people being subjected to rudeness made it more likely that a person would treat their colleagues in the same way.
They tested to see whether there is an association between witnessing rudeness from colleagues and instigating it oneself - and found a significant trend. They were surprised to find that workplaces where people identified strongly with their firm and had strong bonds with colleagues often fostered an aggressive environment.
Dr Torkelson wrote: "Those who behave rudely in the workplace experience stronger social support, which probably makes them less afraid of negative reactions to their behaviour from managers and colleagues."
She says companies need to be more aware of the harm rudeness can do as it can often spiral and damage the way teams work together.
"When people become aware of the actual consequences of rudeness, it is often an eye-opener," said Dr Torkelson. "And, of course, most people do not want to be involved in making the workplace worse."
