You probably thought bullies only existed in the schoolyard. Well, unfortunately, bullies can also be adults and even work in an office with you. Something many people deal with is a toxic workplace as a result of certain behaviors similar to bullies at work. This is clearly not what you look for in a company.
Sometimes you may not see it right away, but your workplace is hostile and the problems caused by it weigh you down and make everything harder.
Dealing with unfair hostile treatment in the office leads to burnout and a diminished quality of life. In this article, we will help you spot the signs that your workplace is toxic so you can do something about it.
1. High Employee Turnover Rate
When a lot of people leave a job quickly, it’s often a sign of trouble. Happy workers don’t abruptly leave a job they like that is fulfilling and allows them a dignified life. If the turnover rate is high at your workplace this is a big red flag that should alert you that you need to look deeper at the situation.
Especially if new employees leave after only a short time, it shows that the work environment might not be good. Sometimes, jobs can be tough, and some people may leave for personal reasons. But if this is happening again and again, there is surely something happening that you will also notice.
Try to find out from others what they are experiencing and see if it matches your experience. If you hear them making the same complaints then it isn’t just you having a hard time there and the workplace is indeed toxic.
2. Lack Of Work-Life Balance
Having a balance between work and personal life is important no matter what your job is. In some workplaces, this balance gets tipped too much towards work. If you find that you’re regularly working long hours, or if you’re often taking work home, it might be a sign that things aren’t right.
It isn’t a sure sign that things aren’t right if it happens only occasionally, especially if there are deadlines that need to be met. However, when it seems you are always behind and can’t catch up without working extra hours or foregoing your vacation then this is not normal.
3. Fear-Based Management Style
While you don’t need to be friends with your superiors, the relationship doesn’t need to be based on fear of reprisals either. Being afraid at work is never a good thing.
If you’re always worried about making mistakes because of how your boss will react, that’s a problem. Leaders should support and teach, not scare. If you often hear threats about losing jobs or severe punishments for small errors, it’s not a healthy environment.
Everybody makes mistakes and sometimes things can get tense when it happens. However, when this is the norm, you are working in a toxic workplace. That style of management doesn’t help anyone and only creates more stress and problems.
