6 Signs You Are in a Toxic Work Environment and What to Do

Every job comes with some degree of stress and frustration. But if working regularly makes you depressed, tired, or physically ill, and even the thought of simply going to work stresses you out, you could be working in a toxic environment.

Let us examine the signs of a toxic work environment in more detail and take a look at why, if your work environment is causing disruption to both your work and home life, you should get out.

1. Check Employer Reputation

Before looking at the signs of a toxic work environment, it is worth mentioning that you could avoid such an environment in the first place by choosing the right employer to work for.

It can be challenging to know exactly how toxic a workplace is before you are hired. However, it is much easier to find out such things these days by checking a potential employer’s reputation via an online platform.

When you review employer feedback from the recent past with a site like JobSage, you can better understand things like a workplace’s inclusion and flexibility to make a more informed decision about applying for a position with a certain employer.

2. Poor Communication

One common sign of toxicity in the workplace is a lack of good communication.

If you find you are working hard but not getting effective feedback to assess your performance or not receiving any recognition for your efforts, your job can soon make you feel stressed or confused; or you may feel like you have an insufficient understanding of certain procedures.

In turn, that will have an impact on your focus, job satisfaction, and productivity.

If poor communication is the driving force behind your unhappiness, it could be a sign that you need to leave your current job.

3. High Turnover

If you begin working for an employer and soon notice that there is an exceptionally high employee turnover rate, it is a red flag you should take note of.

When workers regularly leave a company soon after they have started working, you can be sure that a toxic work environment has something to do with it.

And when you notice there is a high level of sickness and poor morale at your place of work, in addition to high turnover, you can be even more certain of your company’s toxicity. In which case, you should consider leaving just like your co-workers.

4. Exclusionary Behavior

If you notice that your work involves people with clique-based behavior and unprofessional hierarchies that exclude others, it could be a telltale sign of a toxic work environment. And if you start to feel excluded at work, you could soon become unhappy, feel like you don’t belong, and be less productive.

Watch out for signs of exclusionary behavior, like persistent gossip, groups that form cliques, and feelings of alienation.

If exclusionary behavior at the workplace continues, you will only become more and more unhappy and stressed, in which case, it is time to get out and find a new job.

5. Miserable Colleagues

One of the simplest signs of a toxic work environment that is easy to notice is how happy the workers appear to be.

Look around your workplace. If nobody looks happy or engaged in their work, or worse, everyone looks downright miserable and stressed, you can be pretty sure you are in a toxic work environment.

It will not be long before you become miserable yourself if you are surrounded by such negativity each day. So, look for another job if it is clear your colleagues have no enthusiasm or satisfaction.

6. Poor or Damaging Leadership

Signs of poor or damaging leadership can include managers or supervisors who continually undermine you and your decisions, blame you unfairly, or fail to show you any respect.

If the leadership at your company is unproductive and causing you to feel stressed or depressed, and nothing is being done to change that toxicity, you should most definitely start looking for another company to work for.

Wrapping Up

At the end of the day, you deserve to work in an environment that is enthusiastic, positive, and productive.

If you notice signs like poor communication, high turnover, exclusionary behavior, miserable colleagues, and poor or damaging leadership, you are working in a toxic work environment.

In which case, simply leave your job and find a better place to work. Your happiness and health depend on it.