5 Signs You Work in a Toxic Environment

When you are working you will have good days and bad days. This is very normal, but when you start to wake up every day and dread going to work then it’s a problem. When you feel depressed about working and sometimes feel ill while at work and it becomes a recurring thing then chances are your work environment has become toxic. A toxic work environment usually filters down from leadership, a boss who is a bully or has unrealistic expectations from his employees. The toxicity becomes a culture and you can end up bringing it home with you and it begins to affect your personal life.

This is how you can identify that you work in a toxic environment:

1. There is no team spirit anymore

When there is no longer the team spirit in the organization then you know the toxic culture has developed. When no one wants to work hand in hand with other people and they just want to stick to their job description and do their part and go home. The work relationships are eroded and there is very little motivation among the employees then you know the work environment is no longer good for you.

2. No Diversity

Every work environment needs diversity. This is how they grow and can cater to different markets because diversity brings with it fresh ideas and out-of-the-box thinking which is needed in the world we live in. when the bosses never high diverse people then that means their characters and values are skewed. This can breed an environment that is not healthy, is prejudiced, and very toxic.

3. No feedback

Feedback is something that can be taken for granted but very important and effective in every organization. As a human being, we grow from feedback because it makes us better even though it is not always easy to hear. When top management doesn’t allow their employees to give feedback or to vent their frustrations then they are running a dictatorship. Where there is no two-way communication between employees and management there is likely no growth of the company, there is low morale and high staff turnover because no one is happy. In the long run, it can kill the organization altogether.

4. When the success of the business is measured in numbers

There is more to a successful business than just making sales and big profit margins. When the people in the workplace are happy, working together, meeting goals and there is great work satisfaction then that organization will keep winning and growing. When leaders are not concerned with their employees and are always pushing numbers with threats then morale will drop, employees, will burnout, and even fail at their jobs.

5. Inconsistencies with policies and rules

Every organization has its way of doing things. How they treat a disciplinary issue should be the same always and bosses should never play favorites. The minute there are inconsistencies there will be a lot of unhappy employees. There must always be boundaries and ethical lines that should not be crossed. Toxic environments are created by leaders who do not know what they are doing and have no control over their work environment. Everyone must be treated the same way.

You as an individual have the power to change your toxic environment. If you can pinpoint the problem, try to raise it with management and see if they will enforce change. If that does not happen then you may have to leave the toxic workplace, it is not worth your mental or physical health. You can also speak to your workmates and see if you can band together to air your grievances. Always remember your well-being is important do not sacrifice it for a toxic job.