9 Signs Your Workplace Is Toxic

Hopefully, you’ve never experienced a toxic workplace, but if you have you know all too well how discouraging, frustrating, and demoralizing it can be. Toxic work environments contain negativity, gossip, bullying, and blame in the foundation of their culture. The impacts of a toxic workplace reverberate not just through the employees, but through the work itself, meaning that though toxicity is harmful for employees, it can be the kiss of death for a company. If you’re wondering if you’re currently experiencing a toxic workplace, consider the following signs.

One of the most obvious signs of a toxic work environment is that employees don’t seem to stay with the company very long. If employees feel like there are pervasive issues that cannot be improved, they are very likely to leave.

If employees don’t feel like there are protocols in place to resolve issues in a healthy and effective way, they are likely to complain or vent to one another in an unhealthy way. Gossip is often the result of a workplace that doesn’t make employees feel seen or heard.

Employees should feel empowered to address issues and problem solve without fear of retribution. Leaders should spend time speaking with employees and encourage improvements in workplace culture, and if they don’t, the environment will slowly but surely become toxic.

When employees are not clear on their responsibilities or the responsibilities of their co-workers, a workplace can quickly turn sour. Measures must be put in place so that boundaries are clearly defined and leadership is responsible for setting the tone.

Whether it’s that employees don’t trust one another or they don’t trust leadership, a lack of trust is a good indicator that there are issues within workplace culture. The outcome of a lack of trust is often discord between co-workers or poor collaboration.

Open communication is essential for a healthy and welcoming workplace culture. When leaders exhibit ineffective or poor communication, it trickles down and spreads toxicity company wide.

Actions speak louder than words, and then eye rolls, silence, and shrugs are common responses to questions or issues raised, it’s definitely a red flag. If employees don’t bother to speak up to leadership, there may be poison in the water.

Employees should feel confident in leadership and trust in the skill and decision-making abilities of their leaders. If employees have little regard for their leaders and lack faith in their work, it’s a recipe for workplace toxicity.

If asking questions is frowned upon as opposed to encouraged, workplace culture will suffer. Asking questions is the best way to learn and to gain new information, and when questions stop being asked, communication shuts down and mistake are made.