Corporate culture is defined as the characteristics, behaviors, and values of an organization. Toxic corporate culture has significant negative impacts on a company, ranging from high employee turnover rates to workers with unhealthy work-life balance. There are so many clear examples of bad corporate cultures from which companies can learn. Understanding the warning signs of toxic corporate culture can help prevent its development or even deal with an existing hostile work environment.
Working in a toxic environment is not good for your mental health, and going to work will look more than a hassle; this is a telltale sign that you should look for another job. So, without further ado, let’s dive further into this blog and learn some of the signs that you are, in fact, working in a toxic work environment.
1. Statistics
Working in a toxic workplace is something that a lot of us go through in our lifetime, and now more than ever, people are speaking out about this and looking for new ob instead of staying in their old and toxic work. A Harvard Business School study found that toxic bosses lead to the following consequences:
- 25% of employees take out their frustrations on customers
- 48% intentionally decrease their efforts and spend less time at work
- 78% reported that their commitment to their organization has decreased
- 66% report that their performance has decreased
While many companies are being called out for their toxic workplaces and CEOs, even more, are suffering in silence. Not surprisingly, 57% of employees quit because of a bad boss.
2. Unrealistic expectations and impossible deadlines
Feeling constantly overworked and unsure of your boss’ expectations is a clear sign that your boss is toxic. Instead of respecting your time, he expects you to drop everything to complete a project with an impossible deadline. When you try to speak up, he refuses to listen or sees you as not understanding the urgency of the situation. However, it is not that the urgency is not understood; it is that the deadline is impossible, and the project is doomed to failure.
As a result, employees are forced to produce lower quality work and abandon certain processes to get the job done, resulting in subsequent reprimands. Similarly, toxic bosses do not commit to meeting expectations. Even when they do, they constantly change the details. Employees burn out quickly because they are always trying to anticipate what is new, what has changed, and what their boss expects.
3. High employee turnover
Top talent doesn’t want to work for a company that has a poor corporate culture. A toxic work environment can be a significant factor if a company has a high employee turnover rate. In order to combat turnover and a toxic work culture, companies must ensure those team members receive the appropriate training, tools, and development opportunities.
High employee turnover is costly for companies. Not only does HR have to recruit and screen new candidates, but the entire workplace is negatively impacted when top talent leaves. From managing the administration of professional boards to career paths designed by human resources professionals, there are many ways to reduce employee turnover and address toxic work environments.
4. You suffer from digestive and appetite problems
Do you frequently have digestive problems ranging from simple stomach aches to diarrhea? Perhaps you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, but it could also be a sign that you are under stress. No, having a regular stomachache before work is not normal! A little tension can be good for our productivity, but it means you’re under too much stress if it’s affecting your health.
You need to find a way to relieve the pressure. Sport can help you in the short term, but you also need to question your workload. Stress can also affect your appetite. Some people will see their appetite decrease drastically, and others will find that their chronic anxiety is the cause of their emotional hunger. Does it make you suffer? We will tell you here how to control it.
5. They use their authority to dictate but do not hold themselves accountable
Toxic bosses are known to use their authority to bend the rules and processes. They also believe that their role in the company makes them infallible when this is not always the case. Rather than admit to their mistake or take responsibility for something that has gone wrong, they ignore it, blame someone else or make excuses. When constructive feedback or evidence is provided, they take it as an attack and often seek revenge for being challenged. Retaliation can be denied employment, excluded from meetings, or denied parental leave, to name a few.
The most obvious personality trait of a toxic leader is definitely that they don’t practice what they preach. Toxic bosses don’t care about the well-being of their employees because they are too concerned about themselves. Because of this, those around a toxic boss or manager often turn into people who never say no to them for fear of what they might lose if they do.
Sound off in the comments section below and tell us what you want to read next and if you want to read more about working in a toxic workplace.
