Do you think your workplace might be toxic? Most people spend the majority of their lives at work, and studies repeatedly show happy employees are more productive. Companies that treat their employees well will earn huge dividends compared to those that dismiss and ignore their workforce. However, under siege to reduce expenses and stay afloat amid the rising cost of doing business, some working environments have turned into toxic cultures that make the workplace almost unbearable.
Do these comments sound familiar?
“If I don’t leave my job, I will lose my mind.”
“I feel like I am in prison.”
“I don’t have a life anymore; it’s all work.”
“My boss is making me crazy.”
“Everyone around me is negative.”
If so, there is a strong possibility you are hearing a description of a toxic work environment. To some, the word toxic may seem too extreme for their workplace, while others heave a sigh of relief to discover someone has put a label on the way they are feeling.
A toxic workplace is one that causes emotional and physical reactions over a period of time that diminishes productivity and happiness. Quite literally it resembles poison to your career and well-being. The good news is that a toxic work environment is not permanent one and recovery takes place once you identify the problem and develop a plan of action.
In order to have a healthy discussion about toxic workplaces, it helps to know the signs.
In her book, Toxic Work, Barbara Bailey Reinhold, Ed.D. describes ways an unhealthy environment affects your psychological and physical health. According to Reinhold, a toxic workplace is “when the demands of your job, and your response to them undercut the quality of your family life and friendships, you are robbed of the very things you need in order to be fully alive and most creative and productive on the job.”
Here are five ways to tell if your workplace is becoming toxic to your well-being:
Increased anxiety: You live in a constant state of worry that you are doing something wrong; that if you make a mistake, you may lose your jobs; that you can’t keep up with your workload; or impending doom. An anxious mindset often leads to mistakes.
Anger: This can include an increased level of irritability, being short-tempered with those around you, being less patient or participating in blaming others. Too many demands and less time to meet them can create hostility.
Lack of control: This can happen over time when you are overwhelmed with work pressures or change. There is a sense of powerlessness that comes from feeling ignored or being unable to say no to something. When work pressures increase and you have little input on how the work will be done, you can feel powerless and stuck.
Loss of confidence: When you start doubting your abilities to do your job, that’s a red flag you may be in a toxic work environment. Comparing yourself to other people and being reminded you are not meeting expectations can lead to a loss of confidence. When your work culture values the bottom line more than it does people, you can find yourself in a constant state of uncertainty, which often produces a feeling of low self-worth.
Diminished relationships: This evolves slowly, but you may find yourself gradually losing interest in going out, being too fatigued to socialize or being so consumed by work that you don’t have enough time for other people. In one incident, an employee described how he left work Friday night focused on being a recluse until Monday morning. He had no desire to go out or to develop relationships. He was too tired to do anything outside of work.
Overcoming a toxic workplace can be a challenge, but there is often a sense of freedom that comes from understanding the situation you are in. You have a choice how you react to an unhealthy situation. There is hope. You can take back your life and find happiness in your career.
Have you ever experienced a toxic workplace?
