How to recognize a toxic workplace?
During the growing crisis in the world, it became particularly important for employers to keep a proven employee in their ranks for a longer period of time. The atmosphere at work is becoming the most important issue. It is thanks to it that the employee will want to stay in one company for years and escape from another as soon as possible. Bosses have the most to do in terms of work culture.
The problem of a toxic workplace hits companies especially at the present time, when the demand for qualified employees is higher than the number of people looking for employment. Employers today care primarily about retaining their staff, which is why it is so important to guarantee appropriate conditions that will make employees not want to try again somewhere else.
American scientists decided to answer the question of what factors and behaviors make employees describe their workplace as „toxic”. To this end, they analyzed 1.4 million reviews of nearly 600 of the largest American companies from April-September 2021 on Glassdor, which allows employers to provide anonymous reviews. The results of their research were published in the journal „MIT Sloan Management Review”, and are quoted by CNBC. We will cite three factors listed by the business portal.
- Disrespect. If an employee feels from the moment of crossing the threshold of the workplace that the other employees are rude to him and do not take his opinion into account, then you can be sure that this will violate his sense of dignity. Previous analyzes of researchers show that respect or the lack of it was the strongest stimulus influencing the assessment of corporate culture by employees.
- Inducing ruthless competition. Although only one in ten employees noticed poor cooperation in their company, if unpleasant behavior associated with the rat race was added, it led to increased turnover in the company. If the company itself puts „delivering results” above all else, then employees working under constant stress will not hesitate to stab each other in the back to meet exorbitant demands and thus secure a bonus.
- Abusive management. It involves e.g. intimidation, harassment or overt hostility towards a subordinate. Nearly a third of Glassdoor reviews noted the quality of bosses’ management, though 0.8 percent said they did not. of employees described their manager as pushing the boundaries.
CNBC, following the authors of the study, emphasizes that in toxic work environments, a combination of the above factors most often occurs. This means that we can find, for example, both work colleagues focused primarily on the result, and a hateful boss who humiliates us and hits our personal dignity. Anyway, the way of management – according to the saying that the fish rots from the head – has a significant impact on the work culture in the company.
How to recognize a toxic boss? This question was answered by Bonnie Marcus, a trainer and specialist focusing on the situation of women in the labor market. She wrote two books on this issue, and included her thoughts in an article on the FairyGodBoss.com website, in which she listed several dozen vices of bad superiors in points. The editors of money.pl have selected seven of them that are worth paying attention to.
- They are always right. In principle, talking to such bosses makes no sense, because in the discussion they expect subordinates to confirm that they are right. They also tend to promote those employees who always applaud them.
- They only focus on their own advancement. Their time at work is limited to sucking up to people above them in the hierarchy. All to get a promotion. For you, however, they never have time, so they won’t tell you how to do something better, nor are they interested in your development prospects.
- They micromanage. The boss will assign you an important project, but then he will oversee your every decision and tell you what could be done better. This will deprive you of your independence. At the end, he will praise the completion of the task, but you will have the feeling that at this moment the superior is actually complimenting himself.
- They gossip. Bonnie Marcus notes that gossip is especially toxic to the workplace. And employees who hear gossip about others from their boss can be sure that he is also gossiping about them.
- They limit your interactions. This can manifest itself in different ways. Some people are not interested in your opinion at all and won’t even let you finish your statement. Others may organize meetings in such a way that you are unable to attend them, or even ask you outright.
- They deliberately cause conflicts in the team. If bosses pit employees against each other, it can improve company performance in the short term. In the long run, however, unhealthy competition will destroy all friendly relations and make the atmosphere at work disastrous.
- They question your opinion of your abilities and achievements. The boss will make you feel that your skills are too low to work in the position for which you are employed. In addition, he will do everything to minimize the importance of your achievements or distribute them to a larger group of people. In this way, it will lower your self-esteem and at the same time tickle your ego.
A toxic work environment contributes to increased levels of employee stress, as well as burnout, mental health problems, and even deterioration of physical health. CNBC cites estimates by the Society of Human Resources Management that one in five employees left work at some point in their careers because of a toxic culture, costing companies more than $44 billion a year.
Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.
