Part I of II: 7 signs you're in a toxic workplace

Employee health, safety and well-being is high on everyone’s agenda. Mandatory OHS courses, lunch time stretching sessions, fruit bowls and low-emission equipment are just some of the ways we try to take care of our workers. However, difficult personalities will ignite the workplace and do more damage than a non-compliant office toaster.

There is a wealth of research and anecdotal evidence on the health repercussions of absorbing toxic people's venom: These range from insomnia, high blood pressure, panic attacks, heart palpitations and cold sores, to name a few. Those experiencing psychological stress at work double their risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Does each company have at least one toxic worker who poisons the air for everyone? I suggest 9/10 people would say yes. I recall a particularly toxic person. When she was away, it was like being blasted with fresh air when you’re mid-hike in the Amazon jungle —we all walked around with a spring in our step and smiles on our faces. When that person resigned, the sighs of relief could be heard the next city over.

But seriously... how can you discern if your office is truly toxic, a below average place to work or just a really stressful work environment?

Soliciting the feedback of peers and colleagues, combined with perusing various articles on the topic, here's my take on some traits of a toxic workplace. The first 4 are below.

1. Inequality is rife. Special or preferential treatment fosters toxic behaviours. I’ve seen technically brilliant or gifted employees get away with murder (not literally, but you get my drift) as they’re a high performer. They don’t have to consider how their work habits impact others. There’s a set of rules for them and another for everyone else. Often the toxicity stems from one individual who treats everyone with contempt, intimidating and humiliating almost everyone on the payroll. 
2. Nest of negativity. Mean and vindictive, this group of employees feed on each other’s negativity and covertly bad mouth most change initiatives. Grumbling and complaining by employees is common. But when sarcasm and cynicism become the status quo, the ballooning distrust causes employees to withdraw, avoid interactions with others and eventually.. they leave the organisation.
3. Sabotage over service. I toured the DMZ (demilitarised zone) in Seoul, South Korea recently. It was cold, overcast and gloomy – yet the US soldiers escorting us wore dark sunglasses. I asked why. They recounted a tale where one North Korean soldier felt a South Korean soldier looked at him with malevolence. It ended in shots firing. Looks can kill. You can often glean hostility in a co-workers’ eyes. They probably won’t shoot you, but they will go out of their way to sabotage anything you are trying to accomplish. Roadblocks and barriers go up. I wonder how much time we all waste in “ass covering activities” such as detailed engagement records, email confirmations, cc’ing all and sundry in, and keeping multiple hard copies. Just in case.
   

   "When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion."
   Dale Carnegie

4. The prodigal son.Or daughter. Some managers have clear favourites who receive additional benefits. It could be financial bonuses, special trips, training or more time off. Often these favourites work their way up the corporate ladder faster, irrespective of merit. They get more face time with     key decision makers and are regularly praised in public. The envy which emanates from this destroys trust and damages morale.

Stay tuned for the next article in my toxic workplace series, where I delve into another three traits.

Got a few minutes? More of my musings below...

• 8 reasons why being a change manager makes you mentally tough
• Servant leadership's role in imparting change
• 10 leadership lessons from the front line of policing
• 5 infuriating stakeholders and how to deal with them
• Leveraging the ambivert advantage
• 5 ways change management increases organisational 'health'