Many stay in toxic jobs because they feel they're being paid well. They feel their salary compensates for the poor treatment they get. But, a toxic workplace also gives a heavy taxing on your mental and physical health, any day. It also makes it difficult to enjoy your work.
According to a recent report from MIT Sloan Management Review, a toxic workplace culture is over ten times more likely to contribute to an employee quitting their job than low pay.
I can personally speak on this. I left employment with an agency in my first place of employment in my chosen field immediately following graduate school. The director of the program loudly yelled at, and berated, counselors if they were behind on paperwork. When this happened to me, I immediately went to Human Resources to report the matter, and transferred within the company, only to find comparable treatment. I knew I needed to make a change for my own benefit.
If you’ve seen The Devil Wears Prada, the harsh reality is that poor Andi’s struggles in this movie are all too relatable for some. She faces constant abuse for looking and being different, is overworked and underpaid, and made to feel she has no choice but to do things for the sake of her career progression due to Miranda’s whip cracking. She feels she must change both her look and outlook, in order to be recognized and rewarded.
How is your work effected? Toxic employees or employers can be identified by their seemingly overconfidence, self-centered attitudes, and lack of cooperation. They often disrespect co-workers and prioritize their own personal interests over the team's interests. They can also often gossip about their employees to other employees – – in my experience. Their behavior disrupts team dynamics, lowers morale, and hinders your performance and productivity, or your desire to try.
If a toxic coworker is making you uncomfortable, it's important to speak up and tell them their behavior is unacceptable. If that’s been exhausted, or you don’t feel they’ll be receptive, (as mentioned above) you may have to go over their head to save your own.
How is your physical and mental health effected? Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for employees to experience trauma due to dealing with terrible bosses, co-workers, or overall toxic work environments. When researching for this article, just a quick Google search listed these symptoms:
Depression
Fatigue
Reduced employee engagement
S t r e s s
Diarrhea
Hypertension
Lack of communication
Joyce Marter, licensed psychotherapist and author of The Financial Mindset Fix: A Mental Fitness Program for an Abundant Life, said workplace PTSD is characterized by the “different emotional, cognitive, and physical challenges people experience when they have difficulty coping with negative, abusive, or traumatic aspects of their jobs.”
“Some common misconceptions about PTSD relate to the belief that only experiences such as war combat, rape, or a severe accident lead to the development of PTSD” said Carla Marie Manly, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of Joy from Fear: Create the Life of Your Dreams by Making Fear Your Friend. “ Given recent natural disasters and the pandemic, first responders and healthcare workers are discussing their own trauma/PTSD.
Workplace trauma can manifest as chronic anxiety, hyper-reactivity, exhaustion, depression, emotional numbing, self-isolation, sleep difficulties, lack of focus, irritability, negativity, avoidance of work, intrusive thoughts, self-blame, and blaming of others, Manly said.
Not to mention, our basic needs of safety and security are most likely not being met in this type of environment. We can feel our livelihood could be threatened at any moment, if we don’t comply with what we feel to be an unhealthy office culture. One message I took away from my graduate school program was, if we did not agree with the policies and practices of the workplace, we shouldn’t be there. Yet, it doesn’t mean that choice to stay or go is easy.
Similar to an actual toxin in the air, a toxic work environment is detrimental to your mental and physical health. If you stay too long, it can lead to high stress levels, poor self-esteem, and depression. It most likely will not lend to a healthy work/life balance, because of the mental exhaustion you’re encountering. If the toxicity comes from leadership or company mindset that’s most likely not going to change, you have a choice to find ways to cope, or walk away. This past blog may be helpful to you if you’re trying to make this choice.
How are our relationships affected? Experiencing trauma at work may cause you to be hyper-reactive. This can make you more prone to anger and irritability—with the chance of reacting to others in your life when your trauma is triggered. This, in turn, can make you want to start avoiding your loved ones—now not getting the support you may be in need of to cope with everything you’ve been dealing with.
Oftentimes, people walk through my office door, saying that they would rather come to see me about what they deal with on a daily basis in their workplace, than complain to the people in their lives. They’re concerned about the people they care about also being affected. Is your work getting in the way of your life?
If you’ve been struggling with this, please don’t hesitate to reach out here. If this article was helpful to you, please also don’t hesitate to share this with someone else you feel cold benefit.
Amy
1. How is your work effected?
2. How is your physical and mental health effected?
3. How are your relationships affected?