As far as possible, a person’s work should always be fun for them. The minute it turns into something they dread, you know it’s a bad sign. One of the reasons a lot of people fear returning to their workplace is because of a toxic environment. Want to know what the signs of a toxic workplace are? Get a look at it in this article.
There are stages that everyone goes through. It begins with the simple life at kindergarten, moves on to school, university, and finally you step out of the shell you’ve always lived in and you move on to a work environment. For some it may be new to step into that world, while for others it isn’t. A lot of people take up part-time jobs through their college years, making it easier to deal with that atmosphere when they’re deep into it.
For others however, the newness of a workplace can be a little unnerving. As if that nervous feeling isn’t enough, there are times when you could be an unfortunate victim of a toxic workplace. If ever you feel like you’re dealing with people who choose to act petty, do not hesitate to exhibit assertiveness at the workplace either. Here’s what you must know how to identify what a toxic workplace actually is, and what the signs of a toxic workplace are.
Identifying a Toxic Place
In the simplest of words, a toxic workplace is a negative or hostile work environment which is highly built on every principle that is in direct opposition to that of a successful workplace and good leadership. Toxic workplace personalities are found aplenty, and it is these personalities that most often ruin the peace of a place. A place that is made up of innumerable instances of anger, bullying, cold war, and the likes are some of the most prominent features of a toxic work environment. Very evidently though, those are not all. Take a look at other common signs of a toxic workplace.
Hostile Colleagues
This is one of the first and worst signs of a negative atmosphere. When you start working, some of the people you spend a majority of your time with are your colleagues, and it is at times like this that positive conditions matter the most. Lacking that comfort level and being surrounded by a bunch of hostile people is one of the many signs of venomous work conditions.
Constant Power Struggle
The next amongst the signs of a place like such is the constant need to fight for power. Every person wants to be at a higher place than the other. This in turn creates a lot of bad energy, thus leading to the place turning toxic.
Narcissistic Seniors
Seniors who only focus on themselves when they should focus on juniors or anyone else working under them is another sign of a toxic workplace. What also matters is seniors with inflated egos, which makes it tough for employees to survive in the place, especially since it is they, who make all the difference and are the ones that should contribute towards the smooth functioning of the place.
Constant Search for a Scapegoat
As incredulous as it may be, even a professional environment often looks for someone to blame for their mistakes. This may not hold valid for everyone or every place, but there are a lot of places that have at least one such person.
Excess Workload
A lot of companies try to cash in with making their employees unrealistic amounts of work at the regular salary that they are paid. This is just another way of bullying employees, thus contributing towards making it a toxic workplace.
Politics
Who isn’t aware of the concept of office politics! Possibly, the most evil of all ill effects that a person has to deal with at their workplace, frequent office politics is one of the worst ways to poison the environment. Unnecessary and frequent indulgence in the matters of colleagues is a sure way to be a confirmed victim of this unsettling situation.
Other signs of a toxic work environment are: immense control, incompetent staff that is held in high regard, nepotism, lack of team spirit and internal war amongst co-workers. As far as possible, it is best suggested that a person stay away from any unnecessary interference like such at a workplace. Knowing how to deal with difficult people at work and maintaining a neutral stand on certain issues is always the smartest way to go. Even so, if for some reason you feel like you cannot handle the level of negativity that the place is taken over by, use your discretion and do what you think is best for you.