You joined an office with all high aims and objectives of achieving desired success by putting your skills to the best of their use. However, shortly after you start finding your workplace environment unwelcoming. Owing to some reason, you feel unappreciated and undervalued in your office. This adversely affects your confidence and happiness. If more and more people around you are feeling the same way, then it is surely not your problem. Something is wrong with your workplace.
Following are ten signs of a toxic work environment. If your workplace satisfies all or most of them, then start looking for some other suitable job, as right now you are a victim of negative workplace culture.
10 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment
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Lack of excitement
When you had just joined the office, you used to love getting up in the morning and getting dressed for the office. Now, you simply don’t feel like getting up, getting dressed and going to that same office. This could be due to numerous reasons ranging from the unmanageable workload, a horrible boss to bad colleagues. No matter the reason is, all these are unmistakable signs of a toxic work environment. So, you should discover what is the reason behind your lack of excitement for work.
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Unmotivated workers
If you and your colleagues belong to the category of unmotivated workers, this surely is a sign of a toxic work environment. Employees aren’t given freedom to come up with ideas and suggestions, rather are forced to work as per pre-set work plan that is not interesting. Creativity and motivation are two indispensable part of work productivity. If you can’t find either in your office, maybe it is the time to ditch your negative workplace culture for something better.
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Different rules for everyone
In some offices, technically gifted, experienced employees and the high performers are given certain exclusive privileges. Such employees do not abide by the rules that are followed by the other employees who aren’t as good performers as they are. Boss often ignores the misbehavior, misconduct, and mistakes of the high performers. This is one of the prominent signs of a toxic work environment. If you think that this is the case at your office, you must discuss it with your boss.
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Communication gap
Major communication problem at the workplace is one of the most significant signs of a toxic work environment. It can be a communication problem between management and departments, across different departments or with the suppliers and customers. In any of these cases, it would create unnecessary anxiety in the office and would promote negative workplace culture.
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Favoritism
Unfair preferential treatment, which we call as favoritism is yet another practice that prevails in a dysfunctional workplace. If the manager in your company spends more face time with a few of his favorites, offers perk to only them and if you see a colleague advancing faster regardless of merit, then it is favoritism. To some extent, it is bearable, but if it is quite significant, bring it to the notice of higher authorities.
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Your boss is a hurdle to your growth
Some bosses start getting jealous of an employee’s performance and do their level best to block their growth opportunities. Even worse are the bosses who start taking credit for their employee’s work. Such bosses can only develop a dysfunctional workplace, so better be aware of them.
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Negativity
Negativity of any kind can make you find your office environment unwelcoming. Right from the moment you step into your office to the moment you step out, a wide assortment of things there in your office fills you up with unpleasant feelings. This certainly indicates that you are working in a toxic environment and you soon need to do something about it.
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No leadership
If your leader lacks leadership qualities and exhibits all mean and useless qualities, working in such an environment is undoubtedly difficult. It brings a lot of stress and uncertainty in the life of employees. They lose the sense of direction at work and might start disliking it because of that.
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Effect on personal life
Spending the entire day in the toxic environment of office affects an employee’s personal life. It leaves a negative impact on a person’s quality of life and habits outside the office. If this is the case, try to get rid of a disturbed work-life balance at the earliest. Personal life should be most important for you, and at no cost, you should sacrifice it for the sake of your work.
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You fall sick more often
Not every time you can blame flu or any other health condition for your illness. If you have started falling sick more often, a stressful or unhealthy work environment could be a possible reason responsible. Both physical and emotional hygiene are necessary for the workplace. Make sure your workplace is clean in both these respects.
