A toxic workplace is known as an organization’s significant conflict, where people’s own battles often harm the productivity of the workplace. It is always imposed negatively on the viability of the workplace. Toxic workplaces are usually caused by toxic employers or employees. It starts when toxic worker or employee starts focusing on their personal gains such as power, fame, and money. Sometimes employees and employers use unethical ways to achieve these goals and manipulate or annoy other employees or colleagues. They often wanted to divert others’ attention from the goal to increase the organization’s power and productivity; they try to hide their performance misdeeds by creating a toxic environment. Toxic employers emphasize toxic culture by doing favors to their favorite employees regardless of skills and merit.
TOXIC WORKPLACE CULTURE’S AFFECTING ORGANIZATION:
Toxic workplace culture is diversifying and it may affect individual mental health as well as physical health. Workers, working in a toxic environment can easily get into touch with health issues like heart diseases, muscular issues, poor mental health, and heartburn. They often get anxiety and panic attacks, thus it cause problems to the organization’s productivity and leads to employee turnover.
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKPLACE TOXICITY:
A single person in your workplace of any level can be responsible for creating a toxic environment. That might be employee or employer, CEO, middle line manager, top management, or lower-level employee. It mostly starts with basic little things such as passing comments to fellow colleagues and making them feel bad for their performance or on their appearance. Gossiping about each other can also cause a destructive and toxic environment in the workplace. Sometimes employers are failed to pass authentic, crystal clear information or feedbacks that puts the biggest question mark on the manager’s credibility and creates miscommunication and toxicity. Two of the main reason of toxic culture is bullying and mistrust.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF TOXIC WORKPLACE CULTURE:
Toxic workplace culture can be alarmed in so many ways. One can even sense them through gut feelings or they might be occurring in front of your eyes such as;
- Gossiping about each other
- Lack of motivation
- Little growth or zero productivity
- Poor communication
- Employees turnover
- Poor leadership
- Hot minded boss
- I, me and myself management, etc.
HOW TO GET RID OF WORKPLACE TOXICITY:
- NEVER TAKE OFFICE’S STRESS AT HOME:
One should be capable of leaving office tensions and stress at home. Do not let work activities interrupt in your family/me time.
- FIND HEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS:
Leaves the office on time and does something that relaxes or refreshes your mind and body.
- MAKE BOUNDARIES:
One should develop boundaries within the workplace so nothing could affect one’s health beyond limitations.
- BRING POSITIVITY:
One should always set a goal to constantly remind themselves that everything is okay. Keep surrounded by people with positive attitudes and broad perspectives.
WRITTEN BY: FATIMA SHUJAUDDIN
