The Lower Boundary of Workplace Mistreatment: Do Small Slights Matter? is such an interesting research paper (and it’s not behind a paywall)!

A big retailer has a tradition of giving every employee a small gift card and a card on their birthday.  Sometimes, though, people received that recognition a day-or-two late.

The researchers found, as you can see from the textbox above, that those who received this small “slight” subsequently chose to work less.

If this occurs with adults, it seems to me it’s a safe assumption that small slights could have an even greater impact with younger people.

It’s something for all teachers to keep in mind…..