Friday, December 19, 2025

Cruel to Be Kind

Practicing real kindness takes courage, but it is essential for the well-being of any workplace

When you think of kindness at work, you might picture polite smiles, getting along, or staying agreeable when tensions rise. But real kindness is tougher than that. Sometimes, you need the courage to step into uncomfortable conversations, offer honest feedback, or call out unsafe behaviour instead of ignoring it.

According to an article in Harvard Business Review, kindness in the workplace isn’t just a nice thing to have. “Organizations that neglect kindness face significant consequences, including employee turnover, absenteeism, eroded trust, poor communication, and customer dissatisfaction. Conversely, workplaces that prioritize kindness see stronger relationships, collaboration, engagement, and retention.”

A recent study of more than 500 leading companies found that people were 10 times more likely to leave their jobs because of toxic culture than because of pay. In other words, when kindness is missing, workers notice, and they walk away.

According to the article, “kindness is not the same as niceness. Niceness is about avoiding discomfort, staying agreeable, sidestepping hard conversations, and letting things slide. Kindness means the opposite. Kindness must be treated as a hard skill that can be taught.”

Kindness means speaking directly to a coworker whose actions are unsafe. It means asking, “Are you okay?” when you notice someone is struggling.

It also means addressing issues respectfully, even when it feels awkward. On a construction site, it’s a foreperson who stops a young crew member who isn’t wearing all of the required personal protective equipment. The worker may feel embarrassed, but the correction may save them from suffering a serious injury. In long term care, it’s an experienced personal support worker reminding a stressed coworker to not rush patient care. The conversation isn’t easy, but it opens the door to a better team approach to care.

Tough kindness builds psychological safety—a work environment where you feel safe enough to ask questions, admit mistakes, and share ideas. It also fuels social capital—the trust and teamwork that keep jobs running smoothly.

Without kindness, workplaces drift toward silence, disrespect, and disengagement. According to the article, “even witnessing unkind behaviour takes a toll. One study found that when people saw rudeness among colleagues, their creativity and decision-making suffered.”

Kindness isn’t just for managers or leaders; it’s everyone’s responsibility. On your shift, you can model it through small but powerful acts: speaking respectfully, giving feedback constructively, and stepping in when a teammate needs support. You can also play a role in setting the tone—by not letting unkindness creep in and by reinforcing respect as the expectation.

Kindness fits naturally with CLAC’s core values of fairness, dignity, and respect. These values aren’t just written in contracts. They’re lived out in the way you and your managers and coworkers treat each other every day.

Kindness is not optional, and practicing it isn’t always easy. But it’s as essential as safety protocols and professional standards in creating safer, healthier, and more human workplaces.

6 ways to Practice Kindness at Work

Speak up—don’t stay silent. Raise concerns about unsafe or uncivil behaviour respectfully.
Choose honesty over ease. Give direct feedback that helps your coworkers improve.
Protect dignity. Tackle issues privately when possible, and focus on the behaviour—not the person.
Ask before assuming. Try: “I’ve noticed you haven’t been as engaged lately. Is something going on?”
Step in with support. Lend a hand when coworkers are overwhelmed—and follow up with them to ensure they’re okay.
Hold the line. Call out unkindness calmly and quickly before it spreads.

Cruel to Be Kind

You might be interested in