30 Signs Of A Toxic Workplace That Many People Are So Used To, They Don't Recognize Them

A toxic workplace environment is an amalgamation of lots of small things. There usually isn’t one single factor that drives all the negativity. Although, a sufficiently power-tripping and micromanaging boss might be able to do that all on their own.

According to Indeed, toxic workplaces tend to have high turnover rates. Companies that can’t keep hold of their workers and push away top talent clearly have deeper issues. Like being unable to properly motivate their workforce. Or pressuring them to embrace an unhealthy work-life balance. Or making them do ethically iffy things.

Toxic companies also mostly focus on what their employees provide for the company instead of the other way around. Good management practices dictate that the business ought to find ways to support the staff. On the flip side, bosses who aren’t interested in seeing their workers grow professionally and improve their skills are only pushing them away.

You might also be surrounded by workplace toxicity if you’re constantly feeling exhausted, falling ill, and have very little enthusiasm for your job. If you’re constantly surrounded by colleagues who feel the same, then there’s a problem. It’s only exacerbated if there are little to no opportunities for positive social encounters. A thriving culture of gossip and exclusion is a sure sign that the environment is toxic.

Social psychologist Tessa West, the author of ‘Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them,’ noted that toxicity at work isn’t all that rare.

“The hard truth is that most of us will experience toxicity at some point in our career, either from a boss or a coworker. Whether we realize it or not, we might also be part of the problem. My research found the dominant response by those witnessing toxic behavior at work is, ‘I’m not part of the problem; I don’t want to be part of the solution,’” she explained that many employees fear retribution or they feel burned out.