8 Ultimate Signs That Your Office Has A Toxic Work Culture

What will you do if your office culture is toxic? Will you stay or resign immediately?

This is definitely a hard thing to decide. There are so many things that you might want to consider before making a choice. But it must definitely be admitted that not all offices have a healthy work culture.

Unfortunately, not many people can realize this when they are working in a toxic office culture. Sometimes they will think that it is normal because it is already becoming a long-time habit. To help you differentiate these toxic work cultures, check out the sign and explanation below!

Narcissistic Boss

A boss who has a narcissistic tendency is really hard to work with because they don’t like to be criticized, especially by their subordinates. They will think that whatever they decide and think is the ultimate rightness that should be followed. It will be hard for you to provide input or suggestions, because if you do so they will definitely squash your idea to pieces. Having this kind of person as your superior will make it hard for you to grow and develop yourself.

Unfair Competition

Competition between divisions or between employees that is not healthy can lead to a company's internal conflicts. Such conflict can be dangerous for the company.  If you feel trapped in the midst of unfair competition, don't hesitate to report it to your superior or human resource department. However, if your boss just lets it go or instead chooses a side, it can be concluded that they are not wise enough to help you navigate the conflict.

The Workplace Doesn't Have A Positive Vibe

A workplace that has a positive vibe will help to make you more productive. No matter how many tight deadlines you have, you will feel okay because you know you have a supportive team. 

On the other hand, this will be very different from an office that has a toxic work culture. You will definitely feel no warmth either from fellow coworkers or from superiors, thus communication or working with the team will be very inconvenient and hard to do.

Gossip is A Common Thing

The office is a place to work, not a place to gossip.  Unfortunately, in a workplace with a toxic work culture, gossiping about each other is a normal thing to do. Spreading untrue rumors is one of the most unprofessional actions someone can do in the workplace. People who gossip behind our backs are people who cannot be trusted, because it will be so easy for them to stab you in the back. Thus, it is better if you stay away from them rather than befriending this type of person.

Everyone Only Care About Themselves

When working, all employees must work and collaborate together to make the company grow even more successful. Unfortunately, there are many people who are selfish and only care about themselves. This self-serving attitude will hinder the ability to work together and thus make each employee just run around individually. This is not good, because the company can only grow if the employee is working hand in hand to establish a great strategy and help it grow.

Favoritism Among Employees

When someone is treated as superior or different from others, then it also means that the work environment is toxic. No employee wants to feel unappreciated and distinguished from one another. This can lead to more serious actions such as discrimination between coworkers!

Lacking Employee Motivation

When coworkers or even yourself show signs of demotivation, then you need to worry about the company environment. If nothing inspires or motivates employees to work better at the company, then it could be a sign that your work environment is slowly turning toxic.

Usually, this happens when employees notice that there is no room for growth, thus they choose to just finish their work as it is. No extra mile in mind when they work, because they don’t have any motivation to do so.

Being Taken Advantage Of

Once in a while, it is normal if superiors or co-workers ask you to cover for something when they are unavailable. After all, if you provide help when they need it –they can also do the same for you when you need it the most. But if you notice that this keeps happening over and over again, then it means that they take you for granted.

One of the most common things that might also happen is when the office opts to not hire office cleaners to clean up the office, and instead ask employees to take turns in doing so. Cleaning is not part of your job, thus employers should never be given that task to their employees. It does not mean that you can't help clean up, but if the employer purposely asks their employees to take turns in cleaning the whole office area –then this is the ultimate sign that there is an abuse of power in the office.

Surviving in an office with a toxic culture is definitely not easy.  When you get trapped in a toxic office culture, it will certainly make it difficult for you to grow. It makes you feel frustrated, and in the end, it can even leave a bad impact on your mental health. Thus, it is okay for you to consider leaving that very unhealthy work environment to protect yourself.