Toxic Work Environments: How to Identify and Respond
Learn how to identify and respond to a toxic work environment.
With 40 hours of your week spent with the same coworkers in the same workplace, the last thing you want to do is find yourself stuck in a toxic work environment. Working in a toxic work environment can add additional stress, anxiety, and discomfort to the work week and eventually lead to burn out.
It’s important to understand what defines a toxic workplace in order to handle the situation effectively (and in a healthy manner). Here, we’ll discuss signs of toxicity within a workplace, a boss, and coworkers, and how to respond when enough is enough.
Signs of a Poisoned Work Environment
Whether it’s your first day or you’ve been at the company for nearly a decade, it’s always important to keep an eye on the atmosphere of your workplace. Initially, it may be hard to determine the overall work culture; however, there are certain red flags to watch out for that can be signs of a toxic workplace:
- There are no boundaries. A toxic work environment may encourage you to push the limits of a healthy work life balance. It may be encouraged to consistently work late, be responsive to calls and emails after hours, or otherwise put work first in your priority list.
- There’s no room for mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. However, in a toxic workplace this may not be tolerated. This can lead to employees fearing they’ll be punished or humiliated for anything less than perfection.
- The job has a high turnover rate. While it’s normal for people to switch jobs, toxic workplaces tend to lose employees quickly and frequently. People tend to exit in droves and typically don’t last longer than a year.
- There’s low morale. If everyone in your workplace is fatigued or disengaged from the work and each other, it can be a sign that the work environment isn’t what it should be.
- Work is a stressor. While work can be stressful, it shouldn’t fill you with constant stress and emotional strain every day of every week. This can negatively impact your physical and mental health.
Toxic Coworkers
Oftentimes, the people you work with can make or break the workplace experience. If you have an efficient, friendly team, you’re bound to get work done while still having fun; on the other hand, if you aren’t as lucky, toxic relationships at work can bring the whole office down. Here, we discuss some of the red flags that may be warning signs of a toxic coworker.
- They constantly complain. Complaining is human nature, but it can also quickly become annoying. Some coworkers may complain about everything which puts the whole team down and makes it hard to get quality work done.
- They won’t collaborate with the team. Teamwork is essential to a healthy workplace environment. However, sometimes toxic coworkers will refuse to share the workload. If your coworker won’t be a team player or expects help without ever returning the favor, it can be a sign of toxicity.
- They refuse feedback. One sign of a toxic coworker is when they refuse to take constructive criticism and change for the better.
Everyone has room to grow professionally, but coworkers like these will deny feedback even when it is given respectfully and with good intent.
- They’re passive aggressive. Passive aggressive behavior can quickly turn a workplace on its head. Snide comments will only create distrust, contempt, and awkwardness in a work environment.
- They gossip excessively. While camaraderie between employees is a green flag in the office, talking bad about other coworkers or bosses is certainly not. Excessive office gossip can hurt feelings, foster a negative work environment, and lead to bullying.
Remember, this isn’t an exhaustive list, so there may be other signs of toxic coworkers in your workplace. Keep an eye out for behaviors like these so that you can respond in an appropriate manner.
Toxic Boss
Bosses usually set the tone for the entire workplace, so when a boss is displaying toxic tendencies it can snowball and affect the entire company. If you think your boss may be toxic, look for these common red flags:
- They create conflict. Toxic bosses create unnecessary competition and pit coworkers against each other. This can destroy feelings of camaraderie and create unease within the team.
- They don’t respect your personal time. Your boss may message you at all hours of the night, try to call you on your day off, or expect you to work overtime constantly. This shows they don’t respect your life outside of work.
- They make inappropriate comments. Inappropriate comments can include rude, sexual, or otherwise negative remarks about your gender, race, appearance, or lifestyle. Comments like these have no place in a professional work environment.
- Their feelings are unpredictable. Sometimes, your boss wishes you a ‘good morning’ and asks what you have planned for the weekend. An hour later, they’re screaming at you for leaving a coffee mug in the break room sink. This can cause fear and anxiety in the workplace.
- They won’t take blame. Toxic bosses are never in the wrong. And, if someone tries to correct them, they’ll quickly find a coworker to push the blame onto.
Working for a toxic boss can be exhausting. It’s important to be aware of behaviors like these to identify the toxic traits and respond accordingly.
How to Respond to Toxic Relationships in the Workplace
After recognizing that you’ve found yourself in a toxic work environment, you’re left with two main options: try to work around the negativity or leave the job. While the choice may seem obvious, quitting isn’t always an option, usually for financial reasons. Here, we’ll walk through both options and detail how to respond to toxic relationships at work in healthy ways.
Responding to Toxic Coworkers
It can be awkward to confront a coworker who is displaying toxic tendencies, but it is often necessary if you plan to stay at your job long-term. To best respond to coworkers like these in a healthy manner, here are different steps you can take to address to situation:
- Have an honest conversation. If you feel comfortable, confront your coworker about their behavior. Schedule a time to meet with them one on one to respectfully address their behavior and how it makes you feel. You can also communicate clear boundaries with them. Sometimes, coworkers are unaware of their actions and respectfully bringing up the problem can help them notice the issue.
- Try to avoid them. While this doesn’t fix the root of the problem, it can be helpful in many situations. If your coworker is known to be a toxic gossip, avoid taking lunch at the same time as them, or quickly excuse yourself if you end up in the break room at the same time. This is an easy way to limit your exposure to a toxic coworker.
- Speak with your boss. If you’ve already spoken with the colleague and things haven’t changed (or there’s harassment present), it may be time to consult your boss. This isn’t a time to attack your coworker, but rather to present your concerns and ask for help coming to a resolution. Try to remain respectful and focus on the issue itself, not the person. Come with solutions in mind that may benefit the workplace as a whole.
Responding to a Toxic Boss
Because your boss is in a position of authority, it may seem hard to approach them about their behavior; however, it may be necessary to deal with their toxic behavior and improve the work environment. Use the options below to calmly work towards a solution with your supervisor:
- Have an honest conversation. Just like with coworkers, sometimes honesty is the best policy. Approach your boss one on one and respectfully offer them constructive criticism about some of their behaviors. A good boss will be open to feedback and not afraid to make changes that will better the work environment.
- Set healthy boundaries. It’s important to not let your boss walk all over you. Instead, set boundaries with your boss and stand your ground. You may tell them that you will not check your email after work hours or that you need advance notice before work-related travel. Whatever they may be, remember to enforce your boundaries even if you experience pushback.
- Consult HR if necessary. Particularly in the case of any harassment or inappropriate behavior, it may be wise to consult the human resources department of your company. If you choose to do this, consider documenting anytime an inappropriate situation occurs (or take screenshots of emails or texts). This will build your credibility and ensure HR responds appropriately.
Exiting a Toxic Job
At the end of the day, it may not be worth it to stay in a toxic workplace, especially if you’ve tried to make changes but your boss or coworkers have refused to correct their behavior. If this is the case, it may be time to exit the toxic work environment.
1. Acknowledge the toxic work environment. Use all of the toxic traits we discussed above to determine the health of your workplace. If you notice many toxic signs, acknowledge that this may not be the job for you and commit yourself to moving on.
2. Make your exit plan. It’s best not to rush into a decision like this. Instead, sit down and calmly plan your departure. Determine when you will hand in your resignation, what day will be your last, and what projects you need to finish before leaving or pass onto someone else. This will ensure your exit moves smoothly.
3. Turn in your resignation letter. Even though it’s a toxic environment, try to maintain your professionalism while leaving. Calmly thank your job for the opportunities it gave you, but inform your company that you will be moving on in your career. If possible, try to give a two weeks’ notice; however, in instances where harassment is found, it may be necessary to leave earlier.
4. Focus on the future. Getting out of a toxic workplace can be hard work, but once you’re out, it’s time to focus on the future. Before getting another job, remember the toxic traits you noticed at your previous position. Look for these signs as you begin to interview at other companies. It may be helpful to create a list of green flags that you’re looking for in a new position as well as red flags that will make you not want to accept an offer.
Toxic work environments can be tricky, but they’re not impossible to navigate or leave. Remember to keep yourself aware of negative behaviors, set and enforce clear boundaries, and focus on your mental and physical well-being throughout the entire process.
