Toxicity @ WorkPlace

"What is more important than this work in your life?"

" Your bandwidth looks underutilized to me?"

"Complete work on the weekend & be ready on Monday"

“But you will have to be available on WhatsApp 24x7!”

The work culture in Indian Companies isn’t going where it looks. It is becoming boring day after day & one main component is the toxicity at the workplace.

What does toxicity at the workplace look like?

?? Is big, glamorous buildings the only thing that will woo the employee or does the mindset of management & bosses play an essential role?

?? The bosses today leave no stone unturned when it comes to harassing the employees at work. From huge workloads, and high expectations, to creating an environment that sabotages the mental space – workplaces today might look like a piece of cassata but are recording the highest rate of physical and mental breakdown!

?? The same job that employees join with dreams of working towards the best – turns into a nightmare for them! Bad organizational culture can also lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction that?drive employees to look outside the box.

How to exactly spot the red flags?

• You don’t have a list of core values.
• There’s a lot of gossip in the office.
• Unfriendly employee competition.
• Employees are often tardy or absent.
• Employees often work late or don’t take lunch breaks.
• Still hiring for culture fit.
• No DEI policy.
• No workplace giving initiatives.
• Little or no hiring from within.
• Public criticism of employees.

?? If you browse through the #toxicworkculture on the internet you shall find complaints of people from all walks of life. While some were made to skip weekends four times in a row stretching their presence to 30 whole days 24x7, others talk about how office favouritism, workplace remarks, dejection, sexual harassment, etc are common in the workplace these days. Even the most talented professionals are quitting their dream jobs due to toxic work cultures.

The Fix to this problem.

I have bifurcated the fix to this problem into short-term & long-term actions.

A weak future outlook that spurs restructuring and layoffs may be difficult to reverse; it is too late to fix a poor response to the pandemic; and noting that a toxic corporate culture cannot be improved overnight.

Some short terms actions include:

1) Engage with Employees in Positive Ways

2) Create a safe space for healthy discussions

3) Lead by examples

4) Express gratitude towards team members.

5) Tap into the unique strength of each team member

6) Carry an attitude filled with kindness & empathy.

Some long terms actions include:

1) Establish & Maintain a Standard of Fairness

2) Facilitate Opportunities for Inclusive Team Bonding

3) Allow Team Members to Own Their Roles & Performance

4) Institute New Policies related to flexibility, diversity & work environment.

5) Take action based on employee feedback.

6) Help employees get a good night’s sleep

The Conclusion

?? No doubt companies run on tight deadlines, budgets & resources, but these things have disrupted too many careers in India. Toxic Work Culture is just an addition to the employee's mental and physical health, demotivation & unhappiness.

?? High rates of job switching provide powerful signals that corporate culture is not working for many employees. Professionals complained about 60-80 hour workweeks, lack of motivation & micromanagement as prime reasons for toxic corporate culture.

?? Employees who vote with their feet send a clear signal that they will no longer tolerate disrespect, exclusionary behaviour, abuse, and other toxic behaviours.

In such situations, organizational leaders face two choices. They can detox their corporate culture or lose the war for talent.

Where are we going will purely depend upon what option leaders chose.