9 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment & How to Protect Your Mental Health

What Is a Toxic Work Environment?

A toxic work environment is a term coined to emphasize a workplace with a poor or toxic culture. This environment often leaves people feeling uneasy and as if there is always a threat. There is a general lack of trust, and typically a lot of manipulation and gossip. The competition is beyond healthy levels and there are often reports of workplace harassment. As a result, turnover is high in these environments and accountability is low.

9 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment

A toxic work environment is caused by elements like sexual harassment, a lack of respect for boundaries, and micromanagement. Each of these elements can create stressful conditions in the workplace for employees and cause negative health consequences.

Here are nine common signs of a toxic workplace:

1. Sexual Harassment

Making inappropriate jokes, talking in lewd innuendos and inappropriate touching can all be considered sexual harassment. It’s important not to downplay or ignore any instances of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can come from supervisors, customers, coworkers and managers and it is harassment if it is unwelcomed.³

It should be reported to your human resources department and/or the appropriate authorities. You may feel ashamed or guilty and experience complicated emotions, but remember that sexual harassment is never your fault and you have a right to be in a workplace that is free of harassment.

2. Your Boundaries Are Not Respected

Having your boundaries consistently ignored is an indication that you are in a toxic workplace. A healthy work/life balance is important, so if you have set healthy boundaries between your work and home life and find that your colleagues and supervisor do not respect them then it’s time to think about next steps. An example of this could be receiving calls after hours, being expected to work outside of your schedule without advance notice, or constantly being called on to accomplish tasks at the last minute.

3. Lack of Input From Employees

Any place of employment that does not solicit feedback and employee led changes in policy is at risk for becoming a toxic workplace. Having a high turnover rate, constant absenteeism and poor morale on the job can be an indication that the needs of employees are not being met.⁴

If there is a significant gap between the agendas of the administration and the work responsibilities of employees, the environment can quickly become toxic. Feeling that your suggestions and ideas are never acknowledged or implemented can be an indication that your workplace really isn’t interested in growth or change – and that you might even have a narcissistic or abusive boss. This can lead to stagnation and decreased morale among staff members.

4. Unrealistic Expectations

All jobs have responsibilities and expectations. However, if you are constantly being held to a metric that is unrealistic or if you aren’t given adequate time to meet certain deadlines you may be in a toxic work environment. If your job is not providing you with the resources and support you need to meet their performance expectations, it can be the cause of increased stress and decreased satisfaction.⁵

One way to determine if the standards of your job are unrealistic is to see if you have colleagues who are struggling in the same way, and have become workaholics to keep up. Feeling like you can never measure up and consistently not meeting performance metrics may not mean that you’re lazy or unmotivated, it could be that the standards set are unrealistic.

5. Micro-Management Mentality

Being micromanaged is rarely a pleasant experience. While taking accountability and completing tasks within a reasonable time period is part of the expectations of most jobs, having someone constantly checking on you and giving you feedback can be frustrating. Micromanagement in the workplace can lead to increased depression and anxiety as well as decreased performance.⁶

Individuals who micromanage others often do it out of anxiety or insecurity that the work produced will not be up to the required standards.⁷ Micromanaging demonstrates a lack of respect and confidence in your abilities to get the job done without being prompted or reminded and can feel incredibly demoralizing.

6. Lack of Acknowledgement & Appreciation

If your accomplishments are never acknowledged or appreciated, you may be in a toxic work environment. Cultivating a culture of appreciation is essential for maintaining a positive workspace and environment for employees. They are more likely to be productive during their time at work and stay with the company for a long period of time.⁸ When your hard work is not noted and you only receive feedback when it is negative, it may be time to think about other job opportunities.

7. Inability to Move Upward

While there are jobs where structurally there isn’t any mobility, one thing that should be a red flag is if there are individuals who spend a significant number of years in the same position and are never promoted. Feeling motivated to do well in your job comes from a sense of pride and knowing that there is an opportunity to gain more experience and opportunities in various roles. If you are not ever given the opportunity to move forward and upward in responsibility, you may be in a toxic workplace.

8. Individualistic Culture

In a workplace with an individualistic culture, it can feel like it’s every person for themselves. There isn’t a team approach to providing services and you may constantly feel unsupported or that you aren’t able to reach out to colleagues or your manager for assistance.⁹ This type of work culture can be detrimental to your emotional well-being as it can cause you to feel isolated and unheard.

9. Lack of Communication

Communication is non-existent. There are expectations that are not shared and work demands that are not delegated—oftentimes employees are left to manage themselves. When this happens, there is always a conflict between employees due to the lack of both oversight and accountability, and if work projects go poorly everyone is quick to blame someone else.