8 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment
It’s been years since the pandemic and the conversation around work life balance and mental health awareness in the workplace intensifies now more than ever. One of the major dialogues surrounding this conversation is the concept of a toxic work environment. But, what exactly is a toxic work environment and how would you know if you’re in one? If you are, what do you do?
A toxic work environment is an environment that is extremely harmful to you and it can manifest itself in several ways. Here are some signs to look for to determine whether or not your work environment is “toxic.”
Too much stress - you are burnt out everyday and you have anxiety. You are having trouble sleeping at nights and you dread going to work the next day due to unrealistic guidelines and tasks that were given to you. What was once a dream job, has now become a nightmare.
Gaslighting - being gaslit by a manager or a colleague can cause you to doubt your own abilities. You question your skills and you feel as though your performance is unsatisfactory. The residual effects? This feeling can negatively affect your personal life and how you see yourself outside of the workplace.
High turnover - everyone’s jumping ship. They are quitting. A high turnover rate can be a result of numerous things and usually stems from a lack of employee job satisfaction and a lack of feeling valued.
Lack of trust - you don’t feel as though the company has your best interest at heart. Even worst, you don’t trust their motto/values and you feel misaligned with their “message.” This is where a huge disconnection happens and you begin to lose interest in your job.
Lack of recognition - you work hard but this always goes unnoticed: no “thank you’s,” raises, or promotions. An example of this could be that your company doesn’t have a recognition program and they don’t do anything to celebrate wins individually or as a team.
Gossiping - your company is made of little cliques and you find yourself back in high school all over again. Everyone’s talking about what the other person is doing. No work is getting done, just idle chatter and you find it difficult to focus.
Lack of communication - there is no transparency and you are not kept up to date with what is happening in the company. You are never included in meetings or important conversations. As a result, you feel left out and undervalued. Your productivity begins to wane and you begin to care less about your role. You feel feel disconnected.
Lack of boundaries - you’re unable to separate yourself from your work because you are busy checking work text and emails on the weekends. There is no respect for your personal time and your life outside of work.
Do any of the above signs resonate?
Remember, a toxic work environment can cause stress, anxiety, reduced productivity, and most importantly can put a significant strain your mental health. The simple answer of how to handle being in a toxic environment would be to just leave. However, sometimes things aren’t simple. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re not able to just “up and leave” due to financial or other reasons, try addressing the issues you have first with your leadership team or HR. If you find that this is getting you nowhere, then you have to make a decision where you put yourself first. Try and find a company that has a more positive and supporting environment, one where you can thrive and where you can feel “safe.”
