What makes a workplace 'toxic'?

little miss sunshine1 · 12-04-2018 06:01PM #1

For those of you who have worked in what you would call a 'toxic' workplace, what makes them 'toxic'?

jim salter · 12-04-2018 06:14PM

little miss sunshine1 wrote: »

For those of you who have worked in what you would call a 'toxic' workplace, what makes them 'toxic'?

The mindset of the people

Del2005 · 12-04-2018 06:16PM

jim salter wrote: »

The mindset of the people

The mindset of management more than people.

Gorgeousgeorge · 12-04-2018 06:41PM

The politics. Especially the politics surrounding long serving members of staff

Dog walker 1234 · 12-04-2018 06:56PM

There is no right answer. Sometimes the politics, attitude of certain people, cliques etc. It all can be traced back to poor management.

The attitude at the top dictated whether problems are dealt with or allowed to fester.

franglan · 12-04-2018 07:03PM

Lack of mutual respect between different business units in large organisations. People going for jobs purely for financial gain rather than for the benefit of customer (in public bodies) /interest/passion for area of vacsncy/other factors outside of pay packet only.

Zeek12 · 12-04-2018 09:26PM

Begrudgery and jealousy.

There are certain people who will always moan and snipe about other folks success and career development.

The same people will rarely make any effort or initiative to improve their own lot - and can't stand anybody else who does.

mitresize5 · 13-04-2018 11:36AM

some people are just c u next tuesdays, not just in work, in life in general.

One of these can destroy a whole workplace

as my mother said a whole barrel of good apples wont make a bad apple good but one bad apple will destroy a barrel of good ones

Wanderer2010 · 13-04-2018 01:01PM

It definitely comes down to management. We are all adults and we need to take responsibility for our own actions for sure but people who bully, slack off, throw others under the bus or take credit for their work can only be dealt with by management.
And if management shrug their shoulders or look the other way, that's your strongest sign of a toxic workplace.

Shelflife · 14-04-2018 09:13AM

Not always management.

A long time ago we had one bad apple who turned against us, constant sniping and talking to other staff about us.

The lies and mistruths told we unreal, we only found out how bad it was after she left.

Made our life hell, my wife didnt want to go to work in her own business, turned other staff against us with her lies and it was only after she was gone that the staff members realised that it was a pack of lies she told them.

Very hard to get rid of someone like that without exposing yourself to a claim, horrible time for us.

One bad apple can easily rot the whole barrel if you dont get it out.

Wanderer78 · 14-04-2018 09:14AM

Human beings

AndrewJRenko · 14-04-2018 12:04PM

Crap technology and IT systems. Most office workers spend 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 hours a day in front of their computer, and yet often, the technology provided for them is not fit for purpose.

Lotus Notes was a major factor in leaving jobs for me in the past.

_Brian · 14-04-2018 03:12PM

People
Specifically those that seem to think that the world, work and every one else owes them something and they are somehow better than the job they are currently in. There are a few prize specimens in my office.

Poor management adds to the problem as in they let this develop and fester rather than cutting them off at the ankles and moving them on.

notharrypotter · 14-04-2018 04:05PM

_Brian wrote: »

People
Specifically those that seem to think that the world, work and every one else owes them something

not every "toxic environment" is toxic.

To quote the great philosopher

"You'll find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view"

Rarely on boards do we hear both sides.

Macker1 · 14-04-2018 11:40PM

Soft Management that allows poor performance and behaviors to permeate in the dept. Annoys the hell out of good employees to the point of giving up.

Ursus Horribilis · 15-04-2018 08:49AM

Bullying. A notoriously thorny issue to deal with.

Class of 82 · 15-04-2018 10:37AM

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

Bullying. A notoriously thorny issue to deal with.

Agree. There a lot of bullies who know how to do it in a way that it very hard to prove, pin point etc as well.

pauliebdub · 17-04-2018 10:31PM

I can deal with rudeness but one thing I hated at work was cliquey colleagues who freeze one or two members of the team out of everything. If I sat down beside any of them at lunchtime in the canteen they'd all go quiet. It was very toxic and I wouldn't like to experience it again.

Newhomebuyer · 12-10-2020 10:03AM

Divide and rule concept. The management thinks the employees do not talk amongst themselves. Also racism. I am facing in my current job. Some people are favoured over others due to sling color. It's a fact.

Jim2007 · 12-10-2020 12:11PM

Newhomebuyer wrote: »

Divide and rule concept. The management thinks the employees do not talk amongst themselves. Also racism. I am facing in my current job. Some people are favoured over others due to sling color. It's a fact.

What about perception?

LilacNails · 12-10-2020 07:22PM

Too many middle aged women. Talking from experience.

Newhomebuyer · 12-10-2020 09:13PM

Jim2007 wrote: »

What about perception?

What about it?

Strumms · 12-10-2020 09:17PM

Management who do not manage but are only desk jockeys.

Management who do not lead by example.

Management who expect flexibility and staff going over and above routinely but show zero flexibility in dealing with and facilitating staff not routinely but not even the ODD time that they are requested to be a little flexible themselves.

Management who point the finger but are unwilling to accept blame when things don’t go to plan in the team / workgroup as a result of policies and decisions they implement.

Management who at the H&S meeting are talking the talk re: health and safety and pointing the finger about a fire door being left open but spit the dummy when asked why it’s almost 3 years since the last fire drill.. why fire exit number xx is still jammed shut 8 months after it was flagged. Why the lights in the car park are still out around the same time having been highlighted a year previously.

Managers whose greatest achievements are being able to simultaneously walk around with a hi-vis , pen hanging out of their gob and a clip board for 6 hours, and get away with it.

Newhomebuyer · 13-10-2020 10:27AM

pauliebdub wrote: »

I can deal with rudeness but one thing I hated at work was cliquey colleagues who freeze one or two members of the team out of everything. If I sat down beside any of them at lunchtime in the canteen they'd all go quiet. It was very toxic and I wouldn't like to experience it again.

True. Even rudeness and snide comments should not be tolerated at work.

tanit · 13-10-2020 12:39PM

Newhomebuyer wrote: »

Divide and rule concept. The management thinks the employees do not talk amongst themselves. Also racism. I am facing in my current job. Some people are favoured over others due to sling color. It's a fact.

Racism and xenophobia. There are well know companies priding themselves of the diversity of their workforce (and their tolerance to all races, statuses, etc) and a significant number of that workforce from other races and nationalities are leaving precisely because of that.

Their human resource department is know to use NDA in the worst cases and solicitors in the area will push you for one of them which makes you wonder what is going on them.

People leave without signing one but you have to leave quietly to avoid issues down the line.

Kaybaykwah · 13-10-2020 12:52PM

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Human beings

Yep. I've heard of these guys. They tend to make life miserable for the rest of the animal kingdom.

Jim Root · 13-10-2020 01:53PM

lots of bitter non-managers on this thread, lol

a_squirrelman · 13-10-2020 02:00PM

Jim Root wrote: »

lots of bitter non-managers on this thread, lol

Does anyone REALLY want to be an office manager?

A huge amount of them have no idea what their reports work actually is. Especially in tech roles, the manager can be replaced tomorrow while backfilling key tech roles takes ages.

Anyway, to answer the OP, bad management (especially "new" managers) can be toxic af.

Newhomebuyer · 13-10-2020 04:18PM

Jim Root wrote: »

lots of bitter non-managers on this thread, lol

What makes you think only non managers are bitter???
Brag much?

Cluedo Monopoly · 13-10-2020 10:23PM

Low performers affect the morale of everyone else. Low performers undermine the concept of teamwork.
The performance needs to improve or they need to go.

When I worked in the public service, I actually saw low performers or poor team players being promoted in order to move them on to a different section.
It's why so many managers in the public service are so poor. That and the absence of real performance appraisals. It's a tick-the-box exercise.

I Am The Law · 13-10-2020 10:26PM

Children, they look like adults but they're still children.

What makes a workplace 'toxic'?

Comments