The Relationship between Workplace Incivility and Well-Being in Administrative Court Judges

Judicial stress is an important area of study, as judges’ decisions have life-altering consequences for the immediate parties and, sometimes, society in general. Although there are numerous studies of judicial stress, few have specifically investigated the relationship between judicial stress and workplace incivility (i.e., rude or condescending behavior with ambiguous intent). This survey investigated relationships between workplace incivility and judicial stress, health, and job outcomes in a group of administrative judges. Overall, judges reported moderate levels of stress and low exposure to incivility. They indicated that incivility is a moderate problem, with attorneys as the most common source of incivility. Supporting the Model of Judicial Stress, workplace incivility was positively associated with levels of stress and compassion fatigue and negatively associated with job satisfaction. The relationships between incivility and measures of mental health, physical health, and compassion fatigue were all mediated by stress. Implications for judicial stress interventions include the need for judicial training and interventions to curb incivility.