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

Published: March 3, 2022
Published: 03/03/2022
Headshot of Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW
Written by:

Alisha Powell

PhD, LCSW
Headshot of Dr. Kristen Fuller, MD
Reviewed by:

Kristen Fuller

MD
  • What Is a Toxic Work Environment?Definition
  • Signs of a Toxic Work Environment10 Signs
  • Tips for How to Handle a Toxic Work Environment7 Tips
  • When a Toxic Workplace Becomes a Legal ProblemLegal Issues
  • When to Leave a Toxic WorkplaceWhen to Leave
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Toxic Work Environment InfographicsInfographics
Headshot of Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW
Written by:

Alisha Powell

PhD, LCSW
Headshot of Dr. Kristen Fuller, MD
Reviewed by:

Kristen Fuller

MD

New policies, rapid changes and a lack of job security can impact the dynamics of a workplace and create a toxic work environment.1 Reducing workplace stress creates a healthy work culture and reduces employee time off. In contrast, a toxic work environment can increase levels of stress and anxiety in addition to putting one at risk to experience health-related consequences.2

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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.

7 Tips for How to Handle a Toxic Work Environment

Surviving a toxic workplace is difficult, but it can be done. Self care can help you to reduce stress and burnout you feel from work and planning an exit strategy can help you to plan your future.

If you’re dealing with a toxic work environment, here are seven survival tips:

1. Create a Self-Care Regimen

Look for opportunities within your workday to take a few minutes for yourself, even (or maybe especially) if workaholism is celebrated in your workplace. Listen to an inspirational song or podcast or engage in some stretching exercises to take a short break from the stress you’re experiencing. Create a list of things that you’re grateful for and think about picking up an active hobby.10 Make a plan to spend at least an hour or two every weekend engaging in an activity that helps you to relax and decompress and set an intention to be consistent with it.

2. Start Planning Your Exit Strategy

Start looking into other job opportunities. Reach out to your network and update your professional social media profile. Create a timeline for when you’d like to leave your current position and begin to complete job applications.

When announcing your departure, keep it professional and try not to burn your bridges by talking negatively about your experience in your job.11 If you don’t feel comfortable using your manager or supervisor for a reference, reach out to a trusted coworker who can speak positively of you.

3. Stick to Your Boundaries

Set healthy boundaries around your work duties. Consider turning off your work phone after a certain time each day and responding to emails within business hours. Practice clear communication in both spoken and written forms.

Make sure to document any instances of disrespect or abuse from colleagues or superiors. This can include bullying and being unnecessarily aggressive and abrasive.12 Remain calm and professional at all times.

4. Connect With Social Supports

While it may not always be possible to be friends with your coworkers while working in a toxic work environment, being friendly with them and having a professional working relationship can be very beneficial for you. Having social support in your life can help you to cope better with stress and increase your self-esteem.13 Don’t be afraid to branch out a bit in order to find a work friend who can support you and vice versa because they understand your work environment as they work in it as well.

5. Implement Mindfulness-Based Techniques Into Your Workday

Mindfulness techniques can be a great way to manage work-related anxiety and stress. Start doing a short, guided meditation during your workday, engage in some grounding exercises, or try some visualization techniques. Mindfulness exercises can help you to focus on the present and be more intentional about how you engage with the world.14

6. Report & Keep Track of Workplace Issues

Reporting issues and creating a paper trail for yourself is important to do, especially in volatile work environments. It’s common for people to avoid paper trails and operate off the radar, but sending follow up emails to meetings and calls, or taking notes and sending out meeting minutes with items discussed removes the gray area that may be present that many toxic work environments rely on.

7. Consult a Labor Law Expert

Employees have a right to work in comfortable work environments, and when these rights are violated, employees can take action. Speaking to a third-party expert outside your company can give you some leverage and tips on how to move forward.

When a Toxic Workplace Becomes a Legal Problem

A toxic environment becomes a legal problem when you are experiencing depression, anxiety and stress that has impacted your ability to function on a daily basis. If you find yourself struggling to get out of bed, dreading going into work every single day, or frequently calling out from work in order to stay home, then you may have a legal case.

There are employment lawyers who specialize in litigation and many of them offer free consultations. If you are thinking of pursuing legal action it’s important to clearly document everything that has occurred. You need to be able to provide proof of what occurred and show how it has affected you.

When to Leave a Toxic Workplace

It’s important to remember that a toxic work environment exists because of the people in the workplace. Making the decision to leave indicates your understanding of the fact that you can’t change other people—you can only control how you react and the actions that you decide to take. Prioritizing your needs and emotional health is more beneficial than staying in a toxic work environment and hoping that it will change.

While the decision to leave is rarely an easy one, having a strategy of what you want to do moving forward and starting the job search before you leave your current position can make it less stressful. At the end of the day, it’s imperative that you make the best choice for your professional future and for your mental health.

Additional Resources

Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy may be compensated for marketing by the companies mentioned below.

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For Further Reading

  • Mental Health America
  • National Alliance on Mental Health
  • MentalHealth.gov

Toxic Work Environment Infographics

Signs of a Toxic Work Environment Tips for How to Handle a Toxic Work Environment When to Leave a Toxic Workplace

14 sources

Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.

  • The American Institute for Stress. (2020).Workplace Stress. Retrieved from The American Institute for Stress: https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress

  • Wellness Council of America. (2020). The Benefits of Stress Management for Employees. Retrieved from Wellness Council of America: https://www.welcoa.org/blog/benefits-stress-management-employees/

  • Murad, K. (2020, February 17).Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Retrieved from National Conference of State Legislatures: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace.aspx

  • Standards in Human Resource Management. (2021). Managing Employee Surveys. Retrieved from Standards in Human Resource Management: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingemployeesurveys.aspx

  • Smith, J. (2013, July 10). 10 Tips for Dealing with an Overly Demanding Boss. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/07/10/10-tips-for-dealing-with-an-overly-demanding-boss/

  • Noguchi, Y. (2017, July 17). Is Your Boss Too Controlling? Many Employees Clash with Micromanagers. Retrieved from National Public Radio: https://www.npr.org/2017/07/17/537750774/is-your-boss-too-controlling-many-employees-clash-with-micromanagers

  • Gallo, A. (2011, September 22). Stop Being Micromanaged. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2011/09/stop-being-micromanaged

  • Mann, A., & Dvorak, N. (2016, June 28). Employee Recognition: Low Cost, High Impact. Retrieved from Gallup: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236441/employee-recognition-low-cost-high-impact.aspx

  • Wroblewski, M. (2020, November 19). Individualism in the Workplace. Retrieved from Chron: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/individualism-workplace-13486.html

  • Rooney, J. (2020, October 23). The Importance of Self Care. Retrieved from Tri-State Memorial Hospital and Medical Campus: https://tristatehospital.org/the-importance-of-self-care/

  • Burnison, G. (2019, August 9). How to Quit Your Job without Embarrassing Yourself. Retrieved from CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/09/how-to-quit-your-job-without-embarrassing-yourself-according-to-hr-expert.html

  • Business News Daily. (2020, February 20).Disrespectful Employees? How to Fix a Toxic Workplace. Retrieved from Business News Daily: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9145-employee-disrespect-effect.html

  • American Psychological Association. (2019, October 8). Manage Stress: Strengthen Your Support Network. Retrieved from American Psychological Association.

  • Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021). Mindfulness Exercises. Retrieved from The Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

update history

We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.

  • Originally Published: March 24, 2021
    Original Author: Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW
    Original Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, MD

  • Updated: March 3, 2022
    Author: No Change
    Reviewer: No Change
    Primary Changes: Updated for readability and clarity; Added extra signs and tips. Reviewed and added relevant resources. New material written by Silvi Saxena, MBA, MSW, LSW, CCTP, OSW-C and reviewed by Dena Westphalen, PharmD.

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Headshot of Alisha Powell, PhD, LCSW
Written by:

Alisha Powell

PhD, LCSW
Headshot of Dr. Kristen Fuller, MD
Reviewed by:

Kristen Fuller

MD
  • What Is a Toxic Work Environment?Definition
  • Signs of a Toxic Work Environment10 Signs
  • Tips for How to Handle a Toxic Work Environment7 Tips
  • When a Toxic Workplace Becomes a Legal ProblemLegal Issues
  • When to Leave a Toxic WorkplaceWhen to Leave
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Toxic Work Environment InfographicsInfographics
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