Toxicity is often encountered in the workplace, becoming so common that people frequently don’t recognize when they are in it. According to research from Stanford and Harvard Universities, being in this type of environment can cause a lot of harm to your mental and physical health; high-stress levels can lead to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and depression. Here is a list of signs that you are in a toxic work environment:
- The lack of boundaries
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In a workplace it is usual to see employees prioritizing work over every other aspect of their lives, pushing themselves over the limit, leading to exhaustion. The normalization of working until late at night or being expected to respond to emails and texts even after work hours can potentially cause burnout. It is crucial to set boundaries to avoid having a decrease in your mental health and, consequently, promoting counterproductive behavior.
- No respect between coworkers
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Spreading rumors, constant competition, and talking bad about others is a red flag to keep an eye on in a workplace. All those things listed before can lead to no genuine relationship between the people you work with and mistrust around coworkers. This can cause paranoia and anxiety because of the constant overthinking and fear of sabotage.
- Poor or no communication
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Insufficient communication in the work environment can trigger many problems in organization and productivity. Positive feedback and clear instructions from your superior can help with the quality of the assignment that has been given. Little to no communication in the workplace often leads to hesitation, discouragement, and lack of purpose for employees.
- Abusive leadership
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An abusive leader leaves no room for mistakes from the employees, pressuring them into perfection. Not only that, but the abusive superior won’t let you disagree with them or complain, gaslighting the employee into feeling guilt for “not appreciating their job”. That can usually be a pattern of toxicity called the “Blame Game”, where the blame for bad behavior is put on someone else; the bad boss blames their bad boss, and so on.
- No support for growth
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Having no mentorship and help to grow in the career is a sign to look out for in the work environment. The employee often feels disconnected from the team and the superior, making it more difficult to look into the new steps for their career. This usually happens with entry-level employees who have unclear responsibilities and can be demotivated by the lack of support to grow.
- Symptoms of stress
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Mental stress can manifest physically and psychologically. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, and digestive issues are some of the symptoms experienced at high levels of stress. Long-term, this can lead to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, hormonal dysfunctions, and skin rashes.
Ultimately, it is really important to search for a healthy workplace. When you already are in a toxic place, there are some solutions to avoid being affected by it. The best option is to leave the company. But, other than that, you can seek help from people you trust or a professional to preserve your well-being and mental health.
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The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
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