5 signs your workplace is toxic

Mar 10

You spend Sunday dreading Monday.

You think, “Maybe I should work at Starbucks. I hear they have good benefits.”

Your friends and family keep telling you to quit.

But is it the workplace? Is it you? Are you the drama? Have you gotten everything you need from this job and it’s time to move on?

I’ve got you. We’re going to crack this code once and for all.

👋 Need to quit your job? Make sure you do these four things first!

What exactly is a toxic workplace?

I know you think your coworker chews too loudly and your work is boring and your colleagues are all slackers and you feel totally unfulfilled.

But just because you don't like your workplace doesn’t mean it’s toxic (That would be like calling your partner a narcissist because they leave toothpaste in the sink after you told them not to for the millionth time. Slow your roll, partner.)

A "toxic workplace" is a work environment that creates DISTRESS for the people who work there.

You won’t just be bored and frustrated.

You’ll feel:

Burnt out
Disrespected
De-valued
Anxious

And you might overthink every little interaction because if you say or do the wrong thing there could be consequences.

A toxic workplace has such bad mojo that it can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health.

And for an extra kick in the pants, that’s probably going to impact your happiness at home too. :(

If you’re spending your work week experiencing one or more of the following things, you might be in a toxic workplace (which means they’re the drama, not you):

Toxic workplace sign 1: Micromanagement

I once had a supervisor who made me write down where I was every moment of the day. If I went into Jacque’s office to eat my lunch, I had to write it on a sign. Eye roll. (Fun fact: My next boss was like, “Stop telling me where you are all the time! Just do your job!” He was the best boss I ever had. lol)

Micromanagement in the workplace is a double whammy.

Because a workplace that makes people constantly check-in about every little thing is basically saying, "I don't trust you to do a good job."

And you’re going to feel patronized and disrespected.

Toxic workplace sign 2: Sucky communication

We’ve got a few flavors of the sucky communication at work sign.

1. Your workplace expects you to do a good job but they don’t give you the information you need.

They’re like, “Go bake a fabulous cake but also, there’s no recipe and you have to find the ingredients yourself!”

Chances are, you’re going to feel stressed and anxious and your cake is going to taste like shit.

2. Your workplace communicates all the time - But it’s all negative.

You work your butt off but all you hear is criticism (and then they wonder why morale is so low).

Enough said.

3. Your workplace gives conflicting information

Boss Jane says to prioritize your TPS reports. But Boss Bob says you should prioritize OPP reports. And you feel like Marla Hooch in A League of Their Own - Do you listen to Tom Hanks or Geena Davis?

You get a glowing annual review followed up by a letter outlining how you’re not meeting expectations. Say what?

Color you confused.

Toxic workplace sign 3: No boundaries

Your boss works around the clock and does conference calls from Disney World while on family vacation and sends emails on Saturdays or at 9:30pm every night. Cool. Maybe your boss loves to work.

But if YOU are expected to be available around the clock, that’s a different story.

Unless you explicitly signed up to be at their beck and call, you may have a toxic workplace situation.

Toxic workplace sign 4: Everyone is miserable

Does your workplace look like Bergen Town in Trolls?

Are people are only happy when they’re going on vacation or quitting?

Does everyone gossip as the primary form of communication?

Do people call in “sick” all the time?

Is everyone looking for their next job?

….Call Britney Spears because your workplace is TOXIC.

Toxic workplace sign 5: Your concerns are dismissed

No workplace is perfect. Therefore, concerns are totally normal.

There’s always room for improvement.

But if you’ve ever pointed out an issue only to be told, "Be happy you even have a job," you're almost certainly in a toxic workplace.

You’re in a toxic workplace. Now what?

I’m going to do a whole other post about this, but here are a few option:

Run issues up the flagpole. If it’s just one or two people who are toxic and not the whole workplace, talking to HR or a boss’s boss could be a good option.
Address the issue head-on. If you explain you concerns and nothing changes, at least you’ll know that you tried. (side note: this may not be a good idea if there’s a history of workplace retaliation)
Document. “It didn’t happen if it’s not written down.” Try to communicate in writing as much as possible. If you need to record conversations, check the laws in your state.
GTFO. If you’ve done everything to try to make it work and it still doesn’t work. It may be time to move on.

Your work life is a big part of your life. Don’t settle.

I know what it’s like to look successful on the outside but feel frustrated on the inside. I know what it’s like to dread every Monday and fantasize about working at Starbucks.

I want to reassure you - You CAN completely transform your life and career, even if you don’t have a lot of time and energy.

But it isn’t as easy as scrolling the job boards, complaining to your friends, or jumping into the first job that comes along - only to end up repeating the same situation.

The #1 reason you might not have the life and career you truly want is because you don’t have the core strategies in place.

Here’s how to do that:

Get clear on what you really want
Create a simple plan that’s easy to follow
Make decisions and implement them quickly and powerfully
Build momentum for healthy habits and stop wasting time on things that suck your energy
Learn how to manage self-doubt and fear so they don’t hold you back

We go through each step together when I’m your coach.

If this sounds unfamiliar, don’t worry! I know it seems like a process, but when you take it one step at a time (with me by your side), it’s totally doable.

Each week, we’ll tackle a piece of the puzzle together -- so that, by the end of our 4 months together, you’ll have everything you need to create a life and career you love.

Can you imagine how GOOD it will feel when you wake up each day, filled with purpose?

When you go to bed every night, feeling accomplished?

When you know that you are the person who sets a goal and hits it every time (not because they’re easy, but because you are unstoppable)?

This is what happens when you stop spending all your energy trying to make it through the work week and have a job that doesn’t feel like a job - it feels like a calling

It’s time. Click the button below and let’s talk about the life that’s waiting for you.

Let's Talk

Are you ready to do the impossible?

Hi! I’m Erica

Licensed psychotherapist. Corporate dropout. Wife to Brendan. Mom to twins + one. ADHDer. Slow runner. Coffee drinker. Swear words enthusiast.

I know exactly what it’s like to have a life that looks successful on the outside but feel chronically exhausted, frustrated, and completely lost on the inside.

I help underachieving high-achievers create lives and careers they love, without burning out.

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