The workplace is a very significant part of everyday life. And as toxic workplaces are increasing, more and more people are going through burnout.
Therefore, if the employee isn’t able to perform to the best of their abilities, they should figure out whether they are the ones who are stuck in such an environment or not.
But before we take a deep dive into the signs, let’s discuss what exactly is a toxic workplace.
What Is Workplace Toxicity?
The word ’toxic’ itself means poisonous. Hence if the workplace is poisonous, the employee isn’t able to progress. You see, a toxic workplace is where an employee doesn’t get any substantial growth due to the negativity spread around in their workplace.
For example, if your boss is passing negative comments while taking credit for your work even though you worked on the entire presentation for the client. Or if any employee is left out of the communication loop.
Though these circumstances are based on our modern work environment, the history of this phrase goes back to the 1960s. This word described the literal workplace environment. The employees of the factories were exposed to toxic chemicals while working. Therefore, the phrase ‘toxic workplace’ was born.
So, to help you identify the signs, here are the top 10 signs of toxicity in the workplace:
05 Signs of Toxic Workplace
If you can sadly relate to or identify these signs, we recommend reconsidering your workplace if you have the option. And, if you can’t leave the job, we have another blog on how to manage work-related stress and anxiety, which you can check out.
Poor Communication
There are a lot of things when we talk about communication. From written to verbal to listening between managers and employees, it all comes under the broad term communication.
Communication is the key factor in making an organization good or bad. Suppose the organization lacks communication properly among the workforce or just leaves a group of people out, or doesn’t value the acknowledgment of every employee, my friend. In that case, the hole will just keep getting deeper.
Gossipy Behavior
If the office starts feeling like high school, it’s toxic. The workplace should NEVER feel like that. Such people are counterproductive and hinder growth. I mean, there must be one group of people who go to grab coffee together and laugh at their million inside jokes and don’t really let anyone come close to their tightly packed circle.
Stay away, my friend just stays away from them! This includes workplace bullying, exclusive grouping, gossip-hungry divas, and many more….
Bad Boss = Bad Leadership
They typically say, ‘they say you don’t leave a job; you leave a bad boss.’ A bad boss can come in many varieties – haha. Some like to micromanage, some like to play the blame game, and some want to email you work at any given hour with no respect for personal time. You see a bad boss with bad leadership or let’s just, no leadership skills will not take any responsibility for any failures.
Plus, to add in more fun – literally, they’re biased towards their favorite employees. They only recommend their favs for appraisals or promotions. Such a boss can’t let you grow; instead will only hinder it.
Stifled Growth
Are you facing stagnation in your job graph? You have the right skills for going to the next level, but your boss isn’t giving you a well-deserved promotion? If your boss is not giving you enough credit for the work you’ve done and is trying to take advantage of your naïve behaviour regarding growth, the workplace environment is toxic.
No-Work-Life Balance
Your gut will probably be able to detect this one. You see, you deserve a good life outside of work. Of course, you have your own routine, home chores, friends and family. And if your work life has started interfering with this, this is not ideal.
Now, I’m not saying that sitting late at work sometimes is wrong if the work requires you. Sometimes, it is acceptable. But ONLY if it’s sometimes.
Imagine you’re on vacay sitting at the sandy beach enjoying your pinna-colada when suddenly your boss starts calling you. You’re hesitant to pick up the call. But you pick it anyway, thinking maybe it’s urgent. This is utterly wrong.
See, if you’re fashioned to pick up the call on your personal time off and when it’s clear that you’re on vacation, your boss will always try to take advantage of it.
Our Two Cents
It’s okay if you have identified any of these or all of this. Such workplaces are increasing day by day. But if you think you can switch your job and leave such an environment, please do—your mental and physical health matters. And more on mental and physical health on another blog.
