WASHINGTON (TNND) — New data reveals that a significant number of American workers are experiencing or witnessing escalating tensions, threats, and even violence due to political disagreements.

According to Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Civility Index:

• 70% of American workers report having faced and/or witnessed mutual threats in their daily lives due to differences in political opinions.
• 69% of American workers have faced and/or witnessed violence against each other in their daily lives due to differences in political opinions.
• 78% of American workers surveyed said they had experienced or witnessed mistreatment because of their political views in their daily lives.

Jim Link, SHRM’s human resources director, said there are several reasons for these numbers.

“Some of the reasons driving this phenomenon are certainly the prolific use of social media and digital technology to share knowledge and information,” he noted. “There’s a lot at stake no matter which side of the fence you’re on, and people tend to be somewhat polarized in their opinions right now on these issues.”

Link added that workers must speak out and report uncivil behavior, harassment, discrimination and violence.

With next week’s election, the responsibility to call out this behavior is more urgent than ever.

On average, about half of our workforce will feel like they have lost or won, but this gives every employer a unique opportunity to somehow reestablish the boundaries of empathetic listening and dialogue and truly engage with each other in a respectful, kind and civil manner,” Link explained.

“Leaders need to make it clear that civility is a requirement in the workplace. They need to make it very clear that it is acceptable again to be kind to each other in our dialogue, in the way we approach each other each other, with the expectations and mutual respect that we should ask of each other,” he encouraged. “When dialogue is involved, there must be both an active speaker and an active listener, and we seem to have forgotten this lost art of active communication. And finally, managers and leaders absolutely must address the uncivil behavior whenever it occurs.

According to SHRM, reduced productivity and absenteeism due to incivility costs U.S. businesses approximately $2.17 billion per day.