How to identify a toxic work environment (& what to do about it)
by Ray Bass
Nowadays, it’s not uncommon for you to hear a workplace described as “toxic.” In fact, recent studies have shown that over 52% of employees consider their workplace toxic (not exactly a reassuring number).
Given how much time we spend at work, it’s not hard to believe that a toxic work environment can negatively impact our lives, even outside of work. The best way to prevent that from happening is to know the signs—when you know what a toxic workplace looks like, you can determine whether or not you’re in one, and if you are, work on changing your situation.
Here’s how to identify a toxic work environment, and what to do about it.
What is a toxic work environment? How do you know if you’re working in one?
Put simply, a toxic workplace is any job where the work, the people, the environment, and/or the culture cause other areas of your life to suffer, including your physical health, mental health, relationships, etc. Toxic conditions often exist at companies where the growth and financial success of the company matters more than the well-being and career trajectory of their employees.
Most of the time, toxic work environments are easy to identify—usually when you know, you know—but some companies are able to disguise the signs of a toxic workplace by dismissing inappropriate and unprofessional behaviors as “par for the course” and “just the way things are.” It’s an unfortunate and blatant abuse of power that usually results in employees staying at the company, despite the excessive tax the job puts on their life. For that reason, it’s important to know what behaviors to look out for in your workplace (and how to know if it’s truly toxic).
Here are a few of the most common signs of a toxic workplace.
1. Bad communication
People in the workplace can be snark, short, and tend to rattle off messages on Slack without thinking. While that’s certainly unprofessional behavior, bad communication in a toxic workplace has more to do with your ability to get your job done and be content doing so. Lack of clarity around projects and tasks, passive aggressive communication, failure to listen to your concerns, constant “off hours” communication (aka you’re expected to be online 24/7 and responding to messages outside of work hours without ever turning off), and receiving mixed messages from your manager are clear signs of a toxic workplace.
2. Exclusivity and gossip
It’s normal to have friends and specific people that you like to spend time with at work—that’s called socializing. But when multiple cliques exist at your company, and both exclusion and gossip seem to run amuck, that’s when it tips over into being toxic. No one wants to be a topic of co-worker conversation—it’s distracting and can make you feel insecure or self-conscious at work, which can hurt your performance and morale. Even worse, if leadership or higher ups at the company either are complicit in (or even participate in) workplace gossip, something is deeply wrong with the workplace dynamics.
3. Poor leadership
Speaking of leadership, have you ever had a boss who was a micromanager? Or had unrealistic expectations for you? Or expected you to go above and beyond in your job at the expense of your well-being and life outside of work? Yea, that’s toxic. Whether it’s your immediate manager, their boss, or the VPs and C-suite, working at a company where you aren’t valued as an employee or you aren’t treated with respect is an exhausting and demoralizing experience. Not to mention, if the leadership is making rash or unethical decisions or creating an environment where there’s no work-life balance, it’s worth considering if the cost is worth the benefit.
Other common signs of a toxic workplace include employee turnover (the higher and more rapid it is, the more toxic you can expect it to be), employee burnout (no one is motivated and everyone hates their job), and no upward mobility (your growth isn’t talked about, encouraged, or advocated for). Also, being stressed out all the time, losing sleep, or experiencing anxiety are all tell-tale signs that your job is overstepping its role in your life. As I said earlier, your gut will tell you if something is wrong—and when it does, you should listen.
What can you do about it?
It’d be easy for me to tell you to quit your job immediately, but we all know it’s much more complicated than that. Finding a new job takes extra time and effort on top of your full-time job, and even with the best employers, it’s rarely a smooth process. Ultimately, though, your best option to get out of a toxic situation is to physically leave it, so you should start looking for a new job as soon as possible.
As for dealing with the in-between period—when you’re still stuck at your current job but seeking another—there are several ways to manage your situation in the short-term. Try to befriend like-minded people who share your feelings and recognize the company’s problems. Find an activity outside of work—a passion, a hobby, a community, a cause you care about—that improves your mood and quality of life outside of work. And of course, try to extract whatever you can out of the situation. Learn a new skill, forge new relationships, or ask to work on a project you’re interested in. There’s something to be gained from every experience, and you may as well take what you can before you leave.
And when the time comes to look for a new job, do extensive research online, read reviews, and reach out to current and former employees on LinkedIn to talk (not just the people who are trying to hire you). Above all, make it a point to ask questions about work-life balance, workplace culture, and what the company is doing to serve its employees (ask for specifics!). This will help you identify any red flags before you commit, and in doing so, help you avoid another toxic workplace.