Everything about the signs of toxic workplace culture: Definition, examples, and solution

You may have worked, or are presently working, somewhere where you enjoy the work but dislike the organization. 

You can't wait to get out of the workplace, and the bad mood that has lingered with you all day follows you home.

Maybe the boss is a dictator, everyone is terrified of making a mistake, and when something excellent is accomplished, no one notices. Perhaps it's just plain obnoxious, and workplace bullying is tolerated. In either case, it is the work environment, not the job itself, which makes it a tough and stressful place to work, and this has an influence on your performance, motivation, and perhaps even your health.

Toxic work environment definition

A toxic work environment is described as any workplace where the climate has a detrimental influence on employees and prevents them from progressing in their careers. If you work in a toxic environment, it's critical to recognize it as soon as possible so you may take action to reduce any potential harm to your mental health or workplace growth.

Signs of toxic workplace culture

A toxic workplace can have quantifiable consequences on an organization's productivity. Over half of employees who witnessed workplace incivility lowered their effort and consciously chose to spend less time at work. Maybe it's even worse? 

The study shows that about 38% of people lowered the quality of their work on purpose.

Input is being ignored ​ 

When you speak out, management and coworkers do not listen. This is the first clue that your workplace is poisonous. Employees that deal with difficulties on a daily basis are a trustworthy source for finding answers, so if your contribution isn't valued, it's usually a hint that management doesn't value its workers. Companies spend as much on people as they do on any other asset, and ignoring team members' feedback is a waste of valuable knowledge. A poisonous atmosphere will thrive in an organization that does not value its people.

The one who likes to gossip

  If your office frequently resembles the gossip-filled hallways of high school rather than a professional one, toxic behaviours are present. The propagation of rumours and gossip reveals a leadership team that is unconcerned about its employees' well-being and privacy. These are immature and inappropriate acts.

Presence of bullies

​ Bullying in the workplace may take many different forms that aren't always obvious. Bullying may take many forms, including overt verbal or physical assault, as well as hidden ones like nonverbal or psychological abuse. Employees' health and well-being might be jeopardized by these abuses, which should never be accepted in any workplace. Toxic surroundings foster an environment that allows bullies to thrive by allowing bullying conduct to go unchecked.

Egoistic leaders

However rare they may be, leaders with narcissistic tendencies are not uncommon. They can present themselves as self-interestedness or lack of empathy, or any other behaviour on this list. A narcissist might be difficult to understand or work with, resulting in a high rate of attrition among personnel.

Favouritism

Favouritism or preferential treatment is extremely damaging to an organization's work culture and may have a substantial influence on an employee's sense of belonging. It develops toxicity when employees get preoccupied with specific job titles, descriptions, and levels in the workplace structure. Power and visibility frequently take precedence over the company's beliefs, goals, and vision. Success is assessed by a person's position rather than their performance in this type of workplace.

Toxic work environment examples

 Employees are frequently overburdened with job tasks in a hostile environment. Overworking can, unfortunately, lead to burnout and resentment: According to a poll conducted by the Families and Work Institute, 43 percent of employees who are overworked frequently or very frequently express anger at their bosses.

Any amount of effort put in by employees will not be adequate if they are not given the time or resources to complete their tasks, and they will be set up to fail. A supervisor who sets practically unachievable expectations for his staff and fails to provide them with the tools they require plainly does not want them to succeed and is creating a poisonous atmosphere.

A production manager may instruct his staff to generate twice as many orders as previously but only provide them with the same quantity of material, believing that this will force them to be more "productive."

When employees are afraid of making errors because they might lose a lot of money if they fail, the workplace becomes a lot more toxic. Humans make errors, and most firms accept and enable them to regard them as learning opportunities as long as they do not occur frequently.

Toxic workplace personalities

You can find a lot of toxic personalities in the workplace. You can find more details about typical toxic workplace personalities here:

The person who enjoys drama ​ 

Some folks appear to thrive in the spotlight. If there isn't any drama to be had, they will invent it. If you cannot deal with a drama queen in the office, they may be a draining presence. Refusing to join in the drama is the key to dealing with a drama queen. It is true that you have no control over your own actions. A genuine drama queen needs an audience, and many of them prefer to have a catalyst, so they spend their time persuading others to do things they wouldn't otherwise do.

The one who takes the role of the victim ​

The victim is yet another challenging personality type that may be seen in many offices and is easy to detect. This is the individual who is always whining and attempting to bring attention to their troubles (or imagined problems) on a daily basis. They may, for example, moan about their job responsibilities and try to persuade everyone that they are not treated properly and have more work than everyone else. When anything goes wrong on a collaborative project, they may play the victim and say they were left out of critical discussions.

The person who enjoys gossip

Every office has one individual who seems to know everything about everyone's personal and professional lives. Not only that, but this individual can't stop himself from telling everyone he knows about it. This individual feeds on the attention they get as the keeper of secrets, so every new piece of knowledge is like red meat to them. Taking two critical measures is the key to putting an end to office gossip. To begin, never provide the individual in question with any of your personal information. You don't have to feed a troll if you work with one. Second, refrain from engaging in any office gossip.

The person who makes excuses

These people constantly have an excuse for not being able to complete a project, no matter what they're meant to perform. Anyone who has ever played sports or been a part of a competitive team activity knows that an excuse maker can make or break a team. In the office, it's the same. Employees that are toxic never accept responsibility for their actions or decisions. And their lack of passion for finishing tasks or working as part of a team causes a great deal of harm.

When dealing with an excuse maker, you need to create a psychologically secure environment in which this employee feels comfortable telling you the truth about work tasks. Ascertain that every employee understands that the end result is what is important and that assistance is available upon request. However, it is the employee's responsibility to seek assistance. If you don't, there will be repercussions.

Those who refuse to help 

Employees that are disengaged want to be alone. When the opportunity to assist arises, they frequently decline. It's not that they don't like the folks in their immediate vicinity. They don't want to help because they believe they are better off doing their own thing. To get unhelpful employees to participate, provide team-building events that inspire them to engage with coworkers on special initiatives. Recognize unhelpful workers who go out of their way to assist others. If you catch them doing something good and acknowledging it, they will likely be more ready to help others.

Conclusion ​

We all have to deal with toxic personalities at work at some time in our lives. Understanding what motivates their conduct is essential for dealing, as is doing what you can to alter your own behaviour in order to reduce the toxicity and keep things in check. Your ability to regulate your own responses is more vital than avoiding toxic characters, and that is the most crucial battle to win.