How Minor Workplace Slights Cost Employers in Big Ways
A new study finds that small, often unintended snubs can significantly decrease engagement, boost absenteeism, and affect productivity.
Even “Small Slights” at Work Can Cost Big—Here’s What Managers Need to Know
Employers are already fighting an uphill battle against workplace toxicity. From harassment and exclusion to burnout, loneliness, and “revenge quitting,” the list of challenges threatening team morale and productivity keeps growing. Now, new research reveals yet another issue demanding attention: employees are increasingly sensitive to even minor, unintentional slights—and the fallout can be surprisingly costly.
A recent study from the **National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)** titled *“The Lower Boundary of Workplace Mistreatment: Do Small Slights Matter?”* found that seemingly trivial oversights—like forgetting an employee’s birthday card—can trigger a measurable decline in performance and engagement.
The numbers are striking:
- **Absenteeism increased by over 50%**
- **Employees worked more than two fewer hours per month**
- **Sick days rose by more than half a day monthly**
And this wasn’t about malicious behavior. The slights studied were **inadvertent**—born of oversight, not ill intent. Yet employees still felt **overlooked, undervalued, or disrespected**, leading to disengagement and reduced effort.
What Counts as a “Small Slight”?
It’s not just about birthday cards. HR experts say employees may interpret a range of everyday interactions as slights, including:
- Being interrupted in meetings
- A manager rolling their eyes at a suggestion
- Delayed or ignored emails
- Uneven attention among team members
- Broken promises—even small ones
As Korn Ferry’s Kendra Marion puts it: *“Employees don’t really distinguish between breaking big promises or breaking little promises.”*
One Korn Ferry executive, Marnix Boorsma, shared a personal example: a former manager once failed to repay a €50 loan for a taxi fare. “It’s absolutely not about the 50 euros,” he said. “Working life is intense, and much of it depends on trust and respect between humans.”
The Good News? It’s Fixable.
The NBER study found that the damage from these minor slights **isn’t permanent**. When managers followed up—even belatedly—with a card, gift, apology, or acknowledgment, **employee performance returned to baseline levels**.
This suggests that **repair is possible** when leaders act with awareness and care. The key isn’t perfection—it’s **responsiveness**. A simple “I’m sorry I missed your birthday—your contributions really matter” can go a long way.
What Can Managers Do?
1. **Prioritize consistent recognition**—not just promotions or bonuses, but small, human gestures like remembering birthdays or work anniversaries.
2. **Don’t ignore the “little things.”** A delayed acknowledgment is better than none.
3. **Check your nonverbal communication.** Eye rolls, distracted listening, or uneven attention can be interpreted as dismissive.
4. **Foster a culture of mutual respect.** When trust is strong, minor missteps are less likely to spiral.
In today’s high-stress, high-turnover work environment, **psychological safety isn’t optional—it’s operational**. As this research shows, even small moments of perceived disrespect can chip away at engagement, productivity, and retention.
The takeaway? **Kindness isn’t soft—it’s strategic.** And in the modern workplace, the smallest gestures might just yield the biggest returns.