Am I in a Toxic Work Environment? [+Signs & How to Deal]

Being employed in a typical 9:5 job means that more than half of your time in a week is spent at work. Workplace environments, therefore, play a pivotal role in shaping our professional experiences. It influences everything from career growth to mental well-being. 

You might be fortunate enough to get a job with a positive workplace culture that also pushes you to climb your career ladder. However, at the same time, many people out there are struggling with a toxic work environment. Some examples include, a manipulative boss, backstabbing coworkers, or a stagnant career path. Such an environment may directly or indirectly affect your mental and physical health, job happiness, and overall well-being. This makes life even tougher than ever. 

It is found that the number one motive people quit their job was due to a toxic work culture (62%), according to a 2022 survey from FlexJobs. At the same time, a report by MIT Sloan Management Review revealed that toxic corporate culture is 10.4 times more likely to influence employee turnover compared to compensation.

A toxic work environment is one with a negative atmosphere that makes employees feel punished, mistreated, and humiliated. Common toxic work environment characteristics could vary from limited communication, excessive workload, to bullying and harassment. It consequently leads to fear, stress, and discomfort, which can worsen your mental health in the long run. Taking that in mind, both employees and employers should take serious action when any form of toxicity in the workplace is recognized.

By doing so, it could stop the spread of red flags over red flags. So, it’s important to keep in mind that the quicker the company can identify the root cause of a toxic work environment, the greater the chance there is to prevent more problems that could happen in the future.

If you’re not so sure whether you’re just a sensitive person or in a toxic work environment, then it’s time to pay close attention to several negative aspects that might indicate that you’re in a toxic workplace. Here are 9 warning signs and several toxic work environment examples:

1. Excessive Micromanagement

Micromanagement can really be a pain in the neck. If your boss is constantly pinging you to check on your work progress, walking around your desk to see what you’re working on, or closely controlling every aspect of your work to be in their own way. Then, that is clearly a big red flag of a toxic work environment. Not only does it make you feel uncomfortable and stressed, the worst part is that it holds back your creativity and autonomy without your manager actually realizing it.

2. Lack of Communication

When you feel like communication in your workplace is limited, be aware that it definitely signals a toxic work environment. For example, a client requests to make changes about the project timelines, but your manager is too busy to update the team. This lack of transparency often leads to confusion and misunderstandings that could make the team members miss deadlines when it’s totally not their fault. Another common example is when important company matters are not well distributed throughout the organization. Employees could sense that they’re left in the dark, not knowing what’s going on. 

3. Unrealistic Expectations

Hard-to-achieve goals might be challenging, but if they are too far out of reach, it would be impossible for employees to achieve them. Companies that constantly set unrealistic high performance targets or unattainable deadlines can make employees feel pressured. Eventually, it’ll lead to burnout and inadequacy. In other words, employees would feel extremely exhausted, as if they’re always running without seeing the finish line. Plus, they might also feel like they’ll never be good enough. Therefore, companies should set attainable goals to avoid creating a toxic environment at work. 

4. Bullying or Harassment

Workplace harassment can vary from offensive jokes to violent threats and physical abuse. It’s common to see employees leave a toxic work environment because they could no longer endure being bullied. Creating a safe and inclusive workplace is essential as it gives employees a sense of security. So, any form of bullying, harassment, or discrimination in the workplace is definitely a clear sign of toxicity and should never be tolerated. If anyone ever crosses the line and abuses you at work, don’t be afraid to reach out to the human resources department for help.

5. Favoritism

A work atmosphere with preferential treatment can create a perception of favoritism. You might notice that certain employees receive special treatment, while others are neglected. An example can be seen when a boss’ favorite employee often receives better benefits and promotions despite the fact that other employees also work as hard as they do. This is considered a warning sign of a toxic work environment that can create resentment among colleagues and damage team morale.

6. High Turnover

If you begin to notice one employee resigning after another, that might indicate that there’s something fishy going on. Frequent employee turnover normally reflects that many people are not happy with the work environment. It eventually builds up a toxic work environment as it can disrupt productivity and increase workloads for existing employees. Plus, the workflow may be interrupted due to the additional time and resources needed for recruiting and training new employees. 

7. Excessive Workload

You know that there’s a toxic environment at work when you always have to handle a massive amount of workload. Especially, when there’s so much to do that you often have to bring your work back home and finish it late at night. In some cases, you may receive an overtime bonus, but you might come to think that having a good night's sleep is worth much more than money. In the end, this form of toxicity can lead to stress, burnout, and a lack of work-life balance.

8. Lack of Growth Opportunities 

No one wants a stagnant career. Companies that don’t provide career advancement opportunities or skill development for employees are one of the toxic work environment signs. The lack of support in helping you grow in your career journey can eventually demotivate  and hinder your professional growth. So, if you feel like you’re stuck in the same position for far too long, then it’s probably time to move on from this toxic workplace.

9. Dysfunctional Leadership

Ineffective leadership can also signal a toxic work environment. Unfortunately, it can cause instability, mistrust, and a lack of clear direction as it spreads throughout the organization. You know that you might be working under a dysfunctional leader when they frequently and unreasonably change their minds or strategies without clear explanations. This inconsistency makes employees find it difficult to understand what is expected of them.

Toxic work environment signs don’t just appear out of nowhere. The factors contributing to such a toxicity can vary in different organizations. Here are 4 main factors of what makes a toxic work environment:

1. Poor Leadership

One of the most common reasons employees leave a toxic work environment is because of their managers. Putting effort in doing your job is exhausting enough, let alone having to deal with toxic leaders on a daily basis. Bosses who lack empathy, communication skills, or the ability to handle conflicts effectively can contribute to a hostile work environment. This is because employees feel left behind, when their managers should be the one who understands them the most.

2. Inadequate Policies and Procedures

It's possible that out-of-date policies don't give clear guidance on what behavior is considered unacceptable in the current context. Especially for organizations with loose enforcement of their policies, there’s a high chance that unacceptable behavior may go unchecked. And it could get even worse if employees start to perceive that there are no consequences for such bad behavior. Over time, it gradually fosters a toxic work environment where unwanted behavior becomes normalized within the workplace culture. The next thing you know, employees may come to accept or tolerate behavior they initially found offensive.

3. Negative Workplace Culture

You can sense a toxic work atmosphere when you always hear people gossiping about one another as if it’s a normal activity during lunch break. Such a norm is one of the causes of a toxic work environment because it encourages employees to backstab each other. Instead of nurturing a collaborative work environment, this negative work culture can make them feel competitive and pitted against their own team members.

4. Inadequate Employee Support

Every employee needs good support, be it resources for their well-being, mental health support, or opportunities for skills development. Companies that can’t provide the help employees need, when they need it, can make them feel forgotten. For example, a new employee just joined a company, but no one in the team cares to invite them for lunch. Or, another employee has never received proper training to improve their skills. Whichever the case, the lack of employee support is a potential factor that contributes to a toxic work environment.

Once you notice that you’re in a company with a toxic work culture, it’s really important to know how to handle it before it drains your energy outside work. So, we’ve come up with 3 useful tips on how to deal with a toxic work environment.

Tip 1: Self-Care and Well-being

Health comes before anything, even work. First things first, make sure to prioritize your physical and mental health if you know that you’re in a toxic work environment. A negative work atmosphere would make you constantly feel stressed or very drained from work. Those warning signs are definitely trying to tell you to get help. So, it’s important to seek support from the people you are close to. They could be your friends, family, or even a therapist outside of work.

Tip 2: Seek Support from Colleagues

Remember that you’re never alone. Toxic work environment signs can come in various forms. Once you begin to sense them, don’t be afraid to share what’s on your mind with the coworkers you trust. Surprisingly, they may be experiencing the exact same thing you’re facing. That’s why talking to someone at work about your issues could be a way out to potentially collaborate on solutions.

Tip 3: Know When to Walk Away

Once you’ve reached the point where the toxic work environment you’re going through is beyond your tolerable limit, we recommend you to just leave your job. Enduring negative vibes can impact your physical and mental health, and well-being in the long term. So, deciding to leave a toxic work environment might be the best decision you’ve ever made. In fact, there are a lot of organizations with a positive work culture out there waiting to welcome you in.

We’ve covered all the important aspects about a toxic work environment. Now that you know what it is, what its signs are, what causes a toxic workplace, and the tips on how to stay positive in a toxic work environment, make sure to always keep in mind that it should never be tolerable. 

Also, seeking useful career advancement tips from online platforms could be another way out of the toxicity you’re going through. Remember that you can always rely on Cake for its abundant resources for career development and guidance!

--- Originally written by Ainee Setthamalinee ---