What are the Signs of a Toxic Work Environment?

As professionals in different industries pointed out, a major red flag of a toxic work environment is a culture of workaholism with no work-life balance. 

Steve May, Owner of Number Plates 4 You, observes that a sign of a toxic work environment is consistent employee overtime.   

He explains, “While occasionally burning the midnight oil is normal, if it becomes a regular occurrence and employees feel pressured to stay late, it can show an unhealthy workplace culture.”  

May has implemented flexible working hours and open communication in his own business to ensure a healthy work-life balance. 

Similarly, Isaac Badaraco, Director of Development at ECS, also identifies unrealistic expectations as a sign of a toxic environment.  

He shares an experience where a team was given a massive project with an impractical deadline. Badaraco notes, “This unrealistic timeline led to undue stress and affected the quality of work.”  

He points out that such situations reflect a disregard for realistic boundaries and employee wellbeing, characterizing a toxic workplace.

Perhaps the most common misconception is that employees can “fix” a toxic environment simply by maintaining a positive attitude or changing their behavior. 

However, working in a toxic environment full of gossiping, backstabbing, and gaslighting coworkers is more than just an uncomfortable experience; it is detrimental to employees’ mental health.   

Research has consistently shown that toxicity at work is a major source of psychological strain, leading to high stress and burnout levels.  

Even the World Health Organization and the US Surgeon General have acknowledged the harm toxic work cultures cause to an individual’s mental and physical wellbeing. 

Given the amount of time we spend at work, employees who endure daily negativity often struggle with feelings of self-doubt, depression, and imposter syndrome. 

What’s more, toxic environments don’t just affect the mind; they’re linked to physical health problems, adding as much as $16 billion annually to employee healthcare costs. 

Adding to these costs, toxic organizations also suffer from diminished productivity, as studies show that as stress increases in such environments, productivity decreases. 

Employees are increasingly unwilling to compromise their health and wellbeing for workplaces that don’t support them – the tradeoff is simply not worth it.  

An MIT Sloan Management Review report highlights that a toxic workplace culture is over ten times more likely to drive an employee away than low pay. 

Additionally, toxic workplaces are not just pushing people out but also making it challenging to attract new talent. Bad experiences often lead to negative reviews on platforms like Glassdoor, where over three-quarters of job seekers will research a company’s culture before applying.   

In fact, more than a third would decline their dream job if the culture seemed misaligned with their values.