What is a toxic working environment?

Are your employees constantly making snarky comments, gossiping about one another and pushing the boundaries of banter?

These are all telltale signs of a toxic working environment.

To us HR consultants, this is a HUGE red flag.

Why should you care about workplace toxicity?

A toxic working environment isn’t just bad for employees – it’s really bad for your business.

Your employees are the backbone of your business.

When working in a toxic environment, they feel demotivated, are more likely to take sick days and ultimately leave for better work environments.

If you have a toxic work culture, you risk losing top performers and damaging your reputation as an employer. This can make it more difficult to attract new skilled employees.

On the other hand, a positive work culture encourages more employee engagement, well-being and ensures that your employees stay longer.

As HR professionals, we’re always on the lookout for early signs of workplace toxicity and we help business owners to address them before it’s too late.

What are the telltale signs of a toxic work environment?

• High turnover rates
  Employees, especially top performers, are constantly leaving your business.
• Poor communication
  Lack of transparency and withheld information leaves employees in the dark.
• Excessive gossip
  Employees gossip and talk behind each other’s backs instead of discussing concerns.
• Micromanagement
  When managers don’t trust their employees, it leads to resentment and a reluctance to share ideas.
• Blame culture
  Finger-pointing and blaming others instead of taking accountability for actions.
• Frequent conflict
  Disagreements and conflicts remain unresolved, leading to tension.
• Lack of work-life balance
  Employees expected to work long hours burn out and become resentful.
• Favouritism
  Certain employees get the best work or promotions, regardless of how hard others work, creating unfairness.
• Fear of speaking up
  When employees are afraid to voice concerns or share ideas, they don’t feel safe.
• Negative feedback
  Feedback is harsh and aimed at putting people down rather than helping them to learn and grow.
• Unethical behaviour
  Cutting corners or bending rules to meet demands due to pressure.
• Low employee morale
  People dread coming into work or are disengaged, affecting productivity and happiness.
• Lack of growth opportunities
  Employees feel stuck with no chance for advancement, leading to disengagement and turnover.

What should you do if you spot these toxic signs?

Recognising the problem is the first step…

Once you’ve done this, you need to redesign what your workplace culture should look like and roll this out.

We can help you with your culture change management program.

If you’re worried about workplace toxicity, let’s have a confidential conversation about transforming your culture.

Get in touch today.

Book a call with Tara

Need more help with managing your people? Visit our services page to see how we can support you.