RECOGNISING AND DEALING WITH A TOXIC WORK SPACE
April is Stress Awareness Month and one of the issues we should address is toxic workspaces.
At some point in our work lives we all experience stress and even though we experience it differently, learning to cope and finding healthy ways to manage stressful situations can create a healthy and positive life. In some instances, though, what we experience is much more than ordinary work stress; if the thought of going to work gives you anxiety, fatigue, or physical illness, then you are probably in a toxic workplace. Sometimes organisational values contribute to toxic spaces by not creating a work-life balance, and sometimes it is the staff’s attitudes and behaviours,
but whatever the reason, toxic workplaces can affect your motivation to work, resulting in poor performance.
One of the most basic signs of a toxic workplace is poor communication. Let us say for example, you have been given a task to complete by your supervisor, but you do not really understand what is required of you, or maybe you initially understood and got stuck somewhere along the way, it should be easy to go back to that person and ask for clarity. If this is not the case and you continuously struggle to ask for help because of fear of the other person’s negative response (probably based on past experiences) then you may be in a toxic workplace. If a lot of the times you are left out of decisions that concern you or important organisational information, or maybe human resources personnel never resolves disputes or gives feedback to those involved then you should also be concerned.
Sometimes stress manifests into physical sickness, so if you find that people are constantly requesting for time off because they do not feel well, or that everyone seems to always be tired, feeling down or burnt out, then you are probably in a toxic work environment. When people are happy in their workstations, their good spirits are often visible from the way they show up smiling and motivated to work, but if they are not, they will appear to always be miserable and lack the motivation to complete tasks.
If you have been at your job for maybe a year, and in that time frame you have seen people come and go then that is another sign of a toxic environment. When people do not feel valued, are continuously undermined, do not enjoy any employee benefits for the work they put in then they are more likely to leave. Often the problem is those in management who either don’t see a toxic environment developing or see it and underestimate its severity and the toll it is taking on productivity, turnover and the health of workers, because they are in a position of power, managers may view some situations as minute, while those in lower positions may see and feel the situations as extremely stressful, therefore leaving the organisation if those are not resolved.
One of the ways to deal with a toxic workplace environment is to set in place peer review processes. This may include convening as a group to “call out” distasteful behaviour and set up new ways of working and communicating that everyone is on board with. This needs to be a continuous process because behaviour change does not happen overnight, but if you consciously try every day, then you can create a positive work culture.
If you are a person in a leadership position, you can make a difference by not micro-managing your juniors. Let people have room to take risks and if they fail do not dwell on that, rather discuss ways of making the idea work. If you stifle people’s creativity/ideas, they will stop contributing and will be miserable, it is also important to ensure that all employees from managers to junior staff engage with others respectfully so that no one feels oppressed. You should also consider setting aside some funds for staff welfare needs like debrief sessions or have a local mental health support provider whom employees can talk to when they feel overwhelmed.
Individually, you can manage toxic workplaces by setting up boundaries, so you balance your work with your life. Some boundaries include not taking work home unless absolutely necessary, always take your lunch break, have friends you do not work with and set some time aside to just relax. If you feel like you have tried everything in your power, but nothing changes, then by all means start planning your exit, at the end of the day your wellbeing comes first.