We have all been there. A restless night or a stressful commute leaves us irritable, and an innocent colleague bears the brunt of our frustration. What can be done to amend such missteps?

A recent study from the University of Florida suggests that acknowledging our feelings of guilt can drive us to compensate for our poor behavior by promoting more courteous conduct and greater diligence the following day.

“Anyone can be rude at work because anyone can have a bad day,” the researchers note. “When you feel guilty, you tend to work harder and take extra care to avoid rudeness in the future. This self-correction over time could explain why some people are courteous on some days and not on others.”

Contagion

Extensive research has documented how rudeness permeates organizations, spreading like an infectious disease. However, few studies have delved into the repercussions for the perpetrators of incivility and their subsequent actions.

To explore this dynamic, the researchers conducted three studies, tracking participants’ daily workplace behaviors and prompting them to recall instances of their own rudeness towards colleagues.

The findings revealed that workers who had been unkind felt guilty and were more inclined to express their remorse to their partners at home. The following day, they tended to be more industrious and displayed less rudeness, seemingly in an effort to mend their professional relationships and restore their reputations.

Negative repercussions

“Being uncivil has repercussions for the perpetrator as well,” the researchers assert. “Guilt is a complex emotion—it is burdensome but can also foster recovery by decreasing incivility and enhancing workplace engagement.”

Ideally, avoiding unkindness from the outset is paramount, as it damages others and can contaminate the workplace environment.

“But we can take solace in knowing that individuals have the chance to rectify their behavior through increased effort, apologies, and greater politeness,” the authors conclude.