Too many of us live out our lives working in environments that are toxic in some way.
Perhaps your boss is unsupportive? Maybe you don’t even have the chance to get a vacation day without being made to feel guilty? Perhaps you’re on the receiving end of the office gossip? However, your workplace is toxic, the first step is to identify that it is toxic, then you can feel empowered and ready to move on to a better place, where your skills and value are truly acknowledged.
If you suspect that your workplace could be off but you’re not sure, take a look at these 8 signs that suggest you really could be working in a toxic working environment:
Communication that seems strained, absent, scattered, or inefficient is a sign that a workplace is toxic. There are many examples of this such as passive aggression from your line manager, never feeling like your boss is listening to you, feeling like management never communicates expectations effectively, or even a lack of communication impacting your ability to do your job.
As it stands, poor communication costs you wasted time, complicated emotions, and it may even hold you back in your career or cause you to feel ineffective or depressed at work. That’s the cost you need to acknowledge and use as fuel to drive straight into a new career elsewhere.
A bad boss can be as bad as the kind you see in the movies, who do all kinds of awful things that would make any HR rep shudder. A bad boss can also be somebody who seems to have taken a dislike to you, or even somebody who doesn’t like their own job and so, they don’t put effort into being a good boss, or maybe they take out their frustrations on you. For whatever reason, if your boss is not somebody who supports you, inspires you or even does the basics of their job, you’re in a toxic work environment overseen or caused by a toxic boss.
Do you feel as though your workplace has cliques? Gossip? Exclusion? If you do, this could be a sign of a toxic workplace. If you’re around that kind of behavior it’s one thing, but if you are on the receiving end of nasty behavior and exclusion, no doubt you have strongly felt the negative impact of this kind of awful environment.
If you have noticed your employees on the whole seem overworked, distrustful, angry or any other feeling that doesn’t suggest they are passionate about the company they work for, that’s a sign there are issues within the company suggestive of a toxic workplace. It could be bad management, bad company morals, inappropriate workplace communication - there are endless reasons things are the way they are. What you can recognize is that if everybody seems to be generally unhappy and the opposite of thriving, the chances are that you won’t be thriving in your own career working there.
Do you feel like you’ll never be able to learn new things at your job? Do you feel as though there is no real chance of getting a promotion? Do you feel like your own work goals are unsupported? If you feel as though there is no room for self-improvement at work, even when you ask or suggest ways for that to happen, the workplace may not be toxic itself, but it’s toxic for your future career.
Some workplaces have a very high staff turnover, they might offer minimal training and it may feel like those working in that environment are more of a number, than a person. This ‘battery hen’ feel of one in one out and production being the priority is incredibly toxic. You can never feel valued, and you will always feel like you’re only one step away from getting fired yourself. Whilst the work you do is important, if it’s more about quantity than quality and there’s no real appreciation for you as a human, you need to move on before moving on.
Do you feel as though every minute of your time is seen as ‘fair game’ to your employers? Do they send you emails late at night and expect you to respond? Are you consistently expected to work late, and if you say no you are made to feel like you’re not working hard enough? Do you feel guilty about taking vacation days? All of these kinds of actions and feelings suggest a toxic work environment. There’s no work/ life balance because you’re not supported to have one. This can lead to burnout, which can be detrimental and take years to recover from. Working too many hours can even contribute to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, which is really scary!
A great workplace encourages a work/life balance out of respect for employees and the knowledge that a healthy and happy employee is one who is empowered and able to do great work.
Sometimes, a workplace feels toxic for a reason you cannot put your finger on. There are lots of things that can influence true intuition so it’s important to examine a gut feeling before making a rash decision. However, if you have tried to consider everything logically and you just can’t shake this feeling that this workplace just isn’t right, or at least right for you, then it could be time to listen to your gut. It’s a toxic environment either because it is or because it isn’t right for you - either way, it’s not somewhere you should stay.
Should I just quit, then?
If you do resonate with any of the 8 points above, don’t just quit! There are multiple things you need to do first to make sure you don’t have any regrets if and when you move on.
Consider all your options, try to speak to HR, a colleague you trust, or a line manager you trust. Ask questions, make inquiries or adjust your own attitude, approach or lifestyle. Do everything you can to ensure you feel in yourself that you have done all you can for this job. If after this you still feel things just aren’t right, be empowered and start looking for work elsewhere. You deserve to feel happy, confident, and supported in your career, and there will be a work environment or career choice out there which offers you everything you want and more.
A toxic workplace is a really awful place to be, especially considering we spend a third of our lives at work. It’s just not worth it. Life really is too short. The good news is that you are talented, skilled, and worthy of a thriving, supportive workplace. Now is the time to find it, and genuinely love the career and employer you choose.
Start by looking at the 48,000+ jobs we have available for you on Bayt.com and pick your ideal opportunity!
