While it’s common to have a difficult day at work now and again, there are certain tell-tale signals that your workplace is toxic. A toxic work environment may be defined as any workplace where the climate has a detrimental impact on employees and prevents them from progressing in their careers. Even if you work from home, a bad work atmosphere can reach beyond your physical boundaries. The intangible aspects that make a workplace healthy or unhealthy can have an impact on your personal life, health, and self-esteem. Being in a dysfunctional workspace increases stress, which can lead to job burnout. The obvious signs include explicit bullying, unwanted sexual attention, and emotional manipulation. But many additional red flags may be more subtle.
Lack of Support and Respect
If you feel unappreciated or unheard at work, this situation could be a toxic one. Your contribution should be valued, and management should want to see their employees strive for greatness. But in a toxic workplace, your boss may not want to see you advance and may even block you from earning a promotion. Your employer may claim credit for your work, undermine you, and allocate you menial jobs. Sometimes team members are pushed into unhealthy levels of competition.
If your office frequently resembles the gossip-filled hallways of high school rather than a professional one, toxic behaviours are present. The propagation of rumours and gossip reveals a leadership team that is unconcerned about their employees’ wellbeing and privacy.
Stress at work is unavoidable. But if you find yourself lashing out, retreating, experiencing health problems, or having difficulties sleeping, you may be ruminating on the negative impacts of your workplace culture. The GC Index are committed to encouraging wellbeing in the workplace by presenting data in an easy to understand manner for companies to assess the impact and efficiency of their systems.
Bad Moods and Bad Attitudes
Employees who do not feel professionally or financially appreciated, feel detached from their team, work under inadequate leadership, or are subjected to abuse or harassment at work are more likely to have low morale. If you walk into your office to witness a permanent sea of miserable faces, you may be caught in a toxic atmosphere. There is no enthusiasm in this type of office, no one comes in with a smile on their face, and no one ever seems to enjoy being at work. A high employee turnover rate often indicates dissatisfaction and low morale at work.
No Work-Life Balance
Working for a company that asks individuals to compromise their health for the sake of their employment is unethical. A toxic atmosphere is enforced when employees have no work-life balance. Achieving this balance is a challenge but it is critical to have a positive relationship with your job. Leaders who lack empathy or compassion do not prioritise their staff.
If you feel like your work-life balance is out of shape, examine your emotional and physical well-being, as well as your personal life. Your mental health must be in top gear if you are to perform at your best. If you’re always feeling guilty or concerned about your job or employer, it’s time to make some adjustments.
Poor Communication
Communication is essential in any relationship, more especially in the workplace to ensure that things run smoothly. Transparency has recently become a popular buzzword, and organisations must be honest and communicate openly to retain the mutual trust that is required for a productive workplace environment. If you feel like you’re being kept in the dark about critical information and receive little to no feedback on your performance, you could be in a toxic environment. Also, remember that no one has the right to talk down to their employees or colleagues.
Toxic workplaces have been linked to depression, substance addiction, and numerous health problems. If you’re starting to feel that employment issues are negatively impacting your life, it’s time to rethink your options.
