Do you find yourself dreading getting out of bed in the mornings because you know it is going to be another mind-blowing battle in the office?
Going into the office should not be depressing for any employee as it not only brings down the team morale but also causes a loss of confidence and focus on the team members. However, many find themselves caught up in toxic work environments more than once in their career.
Toxic work environments can be psychologically, mentally, and emotionally draining for anyone. They cause burnouts and can results in physical illness in some cases.
How do you define a toxic work environment?
Here are 12 common signs!
- People are selfish, judgemental, and manipulative.
- You feel like you are at a live drama set every.single.day.
- Rumors are flying around faster than the earth’s rotation.
- Constantly being criticized by superiors.
- Bosses who like to ‘remind’ you that you are “lucky to be here”.
- Superiors who likes to micromanage.
- Constantly being yelled at by managers or bosses.
- Everyone cheats and lies, stealing ideas to try to stay on top.
- Never-ending after-hours work emails that lead to burnouts.
- Biasness towards groups or individuals.
- Close to zero growth opportunities.
- Rigid management rules limit your career promotions.
- Regularly being excluded from lunches, meetings, or happy hours.
Having to go through these nightmares every day is something that you want to avoid – at all costs.
Before you put your signature on any contracts, there is one way (or two) to look out for signs that your potential workplace might be a toxic one.
Before The Interview
Observe your surroundings when you step into the office.
Are the employees having positive or upbeat conversations, or are their behavior cold and paying no attention whatsoever?
Do some research on the company before agreeing to go for the interview. You can run your research on LinkedIn or Glassdoor, reaching out to some who might be willing to share their opinions with you. What are the current and previous employees saying about the company?
If you do have friends working in the same company, do a little digging to find out their relationship with their colleagues, and what the employee turnover rate is like. If warning bells and red flags are flying high in your head, it might be a good idea to forgo this job.
During the Interview
Do not be shy to ask questions, especially open-ended ones.
These questions can include company culture, company promotions, and some may ask to speak to the staff about their experiences. Pay close attention to the non-verbal cues when they are answering your questions.
If you feel that they are hesitating too much, not giving eye contact, or avoiding answering your question entirely, that calls for a red flag.
After the Interview, And You Got the Job (congrats?)
Sometimes the interview process goes smoothly, and everything looks fine until you are part of the team. In the worst-case scenario, you missed out on the warning ques before and during the interview and you found yourself in this torment.
As the weeks pass, you start to see the signs of toxicity, and your journey down the road of depression, burnout, and insomnia begin.
Here are some of the things you can do to avoid the toxicity
- Refuse to engage in any forms of bully or gossiping of co-workers. Leave your conscience clear at night.
- Build a connection with people who feels the same way as you. It is good to watch each other’s back and share any news within the group. Another benefit of having a group of like-minded friends is to be able to turn negative situations into humor.
- Have small stress-reducing techniques such as meditation or positive short visualizations when you meet with bumpers in the office. If things get too intense for you to handle, find somewhere inspiring during your lunch hour to invigorate your mind.
- Learn to tune out to the negativity in the office. Walk away to the pantry or a place away from the drama. If you can use headphones during work, zone out of the negativity with your music.
- Make sure that all emails, text messages, phone conversations, and meetings are well-documented. This is to ensure you have evidence during unfair claims.
- This is quite challenging but avoid bringing your work issues home. The people who will be suffering will be your kids and spouse, and the last thing to do is to turn your home into a toxic place.
- Find ways to improve yourself and upgrade your skills. Do not let your horrible boss bring down your morale. Nobody knows you better other than yourself.
- Start finding a new ship to board concurrently. This can be the last resort after trying all sorts of breathing exercises and chanting positive mantras, but if it is for the best. Just do it.
There are many reasons why women stay in their jobs regardless of how toxic the work environment can be.
Women especially those in leadership positions, stayed through toxic work environments because their lifestyle revolves around their income. Some women stayed through their dreadful days due to others’ expectations.
Others believed that since they fought so fiercely for the well-deserved career, they must continue fighting for what they fought hard for no matter the toxic levels.
Lastly, a group of women endures through toxic work environments to put food on the table.
In any case, it is not healthy to be torturing yourself. Many women suffer silently amongst male-dominant leaderships and are too afraid to leave the ship. Never be afraid to be nice to yourself. You are a strong woman, with strong core values and beliefs. You do not need to justify anyone’s expectations nor prove to yourself that you are a warrior.
The bravest thing a warrior will do is to leave a toxic work environment and start anew. You never know what adventures await you in a new ship, with new power comes great responsibilities. Note that this is a modified quote that is unique and exclusive only in Modern Mom Life.
Despite what challenges may come your way, do what you know is right for yourself and your family, and seek out your happiness in your career.
What makes you decide to come out of your toxic work environment? Feel free to share your experience in the comment below!
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