24 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment and What to Do About It 😩 [Right Now!]

I. Introduction

Even if you love your job, you’re bound to have tough days at the office. Everyone has hard days sometimes, but there’s a massive difference between having a bad day and a toxic work environment.

What makes a work environment toxic is terrible days back to back or weeks on end without it getting any better. Sometimes you might work with a single toxic colleague, a handful of toxic people, or the entire company reeks of toxic behavior.

Whether there’s one red flag or 100, learning what to look for in a toxic environment can help you avoid working for the company, find ways to improve it, or promptly make your exit before things get too stressful.

So, let’s dive in!

II. 24 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment

Whether you’re starting at a new company or have felt a shift at your current one, here are 24 warning signs of a toxic environment that you need to be on the lookout for.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the best ways to recognize a toxic work environment.

1. Poor and passive-aggressive communication
2. Unmotivated employees
3. Cliques and Gossip
4. Lack of growth
5. Leadership is poor
6. High turnover
7. No human resources department
8. No work-life balance
9. People have burnout
10. There’s harassment
11. There are microaggressions
12. Team members are reserved
13. People doubt their leaders
14. No trust between colleagues
15. Fear of speaking candidly
16. Unclear responsibilities and expectations
17. Deadlines take priority over your well-being
18. Unequal enforcement of company policies
19. Conflicts between company and personal values
20. High criticism without solutions
21. No boundaries exist
22. No margin for error
23. Gaslighting
24. Your gut is telling you something is off

Are you eager to learn more about identifying these potential toxic workplace warning signs? Let’s look at each sign in more detail.

1. Poor and Passive-Aggressive Communication

Good communication is vital in all aspects of life, but dealing with poor communication in the workplace could signify atoxic environment. Whether the communication is insufficient, rude, passive-aggressive, aggressive, or completely lacking, this isn’t good for anyone’s well-being.

Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, resentment, and a decrease in productivity because people aren’t sure what’s supposed to be done. Even if you’re getting a message from your boss, but your coworkers get a different one about the same thing, this can be a sign of toxicity.

2. Unmotivated Employees

It’s hard to see several unmotivated employees as a sign of toxicity. Everyone gets unmotivated occasionally, but several coworkers constantly feeling unmotivated could indicate a larger issue. Many people feel unmotivated due to other toxic behavior going on in the workplace, like gossip, criticism, and harassment.

If you’re a coworker dealing with unmotivated employees, you’ll probably feel upset being asked to take on tasks they’re not completing and covering their slack. As the manager, it could indicate a more significant issue within the company culture.

3. Cliques and Gossip

No one wishes their workplace would feel like middle or high school. Even if you have the best school experience, you remember the cliques and gossip that came along with them. If you walk into your workplace and realize that there are cliques of people and constant gossiping, you’re in a toxic work environment.

Having a close-knit group of people you work with is okay, but when these people exclude others, make them feel inferior, and speak poorly about others at work, it worsens. While you’re not a teenager anymore, no one likes feeling left out, and it can drain you mentally and make your self-esteem go down. Examples of cliquey behavior are:

• Not inviting anyone else to join for lunch or coffee.
• Organizing out-of-work events and only inviting certain people.
• Specific job projects are only offered to a particular group despite their talent or experience.
• Constant whispering between groups and chatting on messaging platforms about others.

4. Lack of Growth

Most people look for positions within a company that offers growth opportunities. If you’re working somewhere and it seems like there’s never any growth potential, it could mean the company culture is toxic.

It’s okay if people don’t want to move up the ladder or try something new within their company, but for those who want to eventually progress, not having an opportunity to do so is detrimental. When you feel stuck and like you can’t go anywhere, your motivation will drain, and you’ll feel unchallenged and burnt out, which are all toxic in a workplace.

5. The Leadership Is Poor

We’ve all had a boss that we weren’t crazy about, but that doesn’t immediately make them toxic people that contribute to a toxic work environment. A clear sign that you’re working in a toxic work environment is that the leadership is poor. This could be your direct boss, their boss, or even those further up the ladder.

There are several types of “bad” bosses, but regardless of the type, it can make working conditions unpleasant. Examples of poor leadership can include:

• Micromanaging
• Questioning everything you do 
• High turnover in leadership roles
• Power hungry people
• Placing blame on others when things go wrong
• Lack of respect for others (spelling names wrong, insulting others, and being degrading).

6. High Turnover

By far, one of the most significant and apparent signs of a toxic work environment is that there’s a high turnover of employees. When you’re constantly seeing new people filter in every few weeks or months, that’s considered high over.

When you see high turnover in a company, it indicates that something’s off with the culture. It can be with associate-level employees, or if you’re constantly seeing your managers filtering in and out of a company, that’s a sign too.

People like staying where they feel comfortable and like they’re progressing. A high turnover rate suggests that that’s not the case with the job you’re currently at. Whether it’s because people are constantly leaving because they’re unhappy or your managers are constantly firing people, this is a sign you’ll want to look out for.

7. No Human Resources Department

Not all jobs require a human resources (HR) department, but if your company has at least 15 people, an HR department will make things run more smoothly. If you work for a smaller company (15 people or less), this isn’t an immediate cause for concern.

On the other hand, if you’re entering a company with more than 15 people and without a dedicated HR department, this is a huge red flag. HR is there to help you address concerns with anyone within the company, but if you have a large company, issues are more common, and if you don’t have an HR department to assist, this can get toxic quickly.

8. No Work-Life Balance

Even if you love your job, your whole life shouldn’t be about work. Having a clear work-life balance is a sign of a healthy environment, so if you don’t, I have news for you. If you cannot enjoy your nights, weekends, and time off without being bothered by a coworker or boss, then a work-life balance might not exist at your job.

You should be able to take your vacation days, evenings, and weekends without stressing about work problems. If your boss or coworkers are blowing up your phone during your designated time out of the office, that is a lack of boundaries and can be very toxic.

One of the best ways to combat this is not to answer your boss or coworkers on off hours unless it’s an emergency. When your guilt takes over, and you reply when you’re not during your work hours, it gives the impression that you’re always available, which can quickly become toxic.

9. People Have Burnout

Burnout is a buzzword lately, but it’s never been more true in a toxic workplace. It might be jargon to many people, but the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes burnout as a real health issue. There are three different types of burnout you need to be mindful of, all of which signify a toxic work environment:

• Frenetic Burnout: This type of burnout is when you or other employees put a lot of energy into the work with the desire for a reward. It doesn’t matter what the reward is, but they’re killing themselves for that reward. This isn’t sustainable.
  
• Worn-Out Burnout: This is the type of burnout that is most common. It can come from work stress over a period of time, negative coworkers, or a variety of reasons.
  
• Under Challenged Burnout: This type of burnout is when you feel unchallenged at work. You don’t might stop working as hard because it’s no longer a challenge, you have nothing to work for, etc.

10. There’s Harassment

Hopefully, you don’t experience harassment, but it’s a massive sign of a toxic work environment. It can be as simple as someone bullying you or as severe as someone touching you inappropriately.

No one should have to experience harassment in the workplace, but it’s way more common than people who haven’t experienced it think. Harassment isn’t okay anywhere, especially in the workplace where you spend eight or more hours of your day. The best thing you can do if you’re experiencing harassment in the workplace is to speak with HR.

11. There are Microaggressions

Microaggressions aren’t just toxic. They’re hostile but worth mentioning on the list of signs of toxic work environments. And at the end of the day, not everyone will experience this sign. This sign typically goes for those who are the minority in their workplace. Some examples of microaggressions are:

• Anything to do with your hair “growing” a certain way;
• Being called pronouns that you don’t identify by;
• Being called “queen” or “sis” solely because your skin is black.

There are many more examples of this, but as a person of color, if you believe you’re being discriminated against or treated differently, you need to speak to the higher-ups.

12. Team Members are Reserved

In most instances, being a little reserved is nothing wrong with having a coworker or two. More than half of the staff is reserved when this becomes a real issue. This could be prolonged periods of silence, or they don’t respond directly to questions and are afraid to speak up.

13. People Doubt Their Leaders

When people doubt their leader, companies can fall quickly. Even if there’s nothing else wrong with a company, when more than one person doesn’t trust their leaders, it signifies a toxic environment.

Much of the doubt in leaders comes from gossiping. As chatter about doubts surrounding management spread, people are going to start believing it, whether it’s true or not. Whatever the reason that people donut their leaders, it can lead to people thinking they know better, lack of motivation, and general anxiety in the workplace.

14. No Trust Between Colleagues

You don’t need to be best friends with your colleagues, but you should have a basis of trust in them to get the job done well. When there’s a blatant absence of trust between coworkers, it’s a sign of toxicity in the workplace. It can cause dysfunction in the workplace in several ways.

It can cause issues when coworkers are working on the same project or task because they won’t trust that the other will do it correctly or at all. It can also lead to significant disrespect issues, and when disrespect is involved, it’s a breeding ground for toxicity.

When there’s a lack of trust, coworkers won’t feel comfortable discussing issues that need talking about and will feel more vulnerable, and not in a good way.

15. Fear of Speaking Candidly

People always say you need to watch what you say in the workplace, but if you or other people fear speaking candidly, something is wrong. If you’re unsure how to tell if this is an issue at your job, the best way to tell is if what people say in meetings with larger groups is different than in private.

It might not seem like a big deal, but this is a psychological safety problem. You shouldn’t fear speaking openly in the workplace, as long as it’s work-appropriate.

16. Unclear Responsibilities and Expectations

There are plenty of times when you’re unclear about your job responsibilities and your superiors’ expectations of you. This can not only be frustrating but can create a toxic workplace. When people don’t have clear responsibilities or aren’t clear about their expectations of one another, chaos can ensue.

People will get upset about what they think others are supposed to be doing, act negatively towards that person, and more. Ensuring clear responsibilities and expectations are in place for everyone and understanding them can prevent huge issues and toxicity in the workplace.

17. Deadlines Take Priority Over Your Well-Being

Deadlines are important in many jobs, but when deadlines that are as emergent are coming before your well-being, you’re most likely working in a toxic environment. If you’ve seen an increase in situations where seemingly meaningless deadlines are coming before your needs, you need to try and discourage that behavior.

A great example of this is something that doesn’t need to be finished until Monday is being pushed on you by your boss, but you have doctor’s appointments. If they’re trying to guilt you into staying at work for a deadline that doesn’t matter right now over your health, it’s a clear toxic work environment.

18. Unequal Enforcement of Company Policies

Everyone should be treated equally at a company. If you see that rules you’re supposed to follow are not being enforced for your coworker, it can lead to a toxic environment. This could be as simple as getting in trouble for coming in a few minutes late, but your coworker isn’t.

19. Conflicts Between Company and Personal Values

This sign isn’t seen often because most people don’t work for companies with values that obviously conflict with theirs, but it still happens. If you have conflicting values with your company, it can cause you to be less productive, unhappy, and anxious in the workplace.

20. High Criticism Without Solutions

You’ll never find a workplace without criticism, but there’s constructive and non-constructive criticism. When you’re constantly being criticized by your management or coworkers but aren’t receiving solutions to ideas on how to improve, it can affect your mood and productivity.

21. No Boundaries Exist

Boundaries exist for a reason; they can help you be more productive and put you in a better mood. If you don’t have coworkers and bosses who respect your personal and professional boundaries, it’s a sign of a toxic work environment. Examples of no boundaries include:

• Bosses/colleagues asking you too many personal questions;
• Not respecting that you’re off the clock and asking you work-related questions.

22. No Margin for Error

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s only normal. While mistakes can be upsetting and frustrating, you can expect them occasionally. You should be allowed to make mistakes when working in an office or other environment.

Of course, you don’t want to, and if you do, your boss will probably speak to you, but it’s normal. When bosses and others make you feel bad for making mistakes or like you can’t make them, you’ll be much more anxious working and might question your ability to do your job.

23. Gaslighting

Gaslighting is when someone purposely makes you question your sanity or if you were right about a situation. This happens more often in the workplace than people care to admit. Sometimes, people do it without even realizing they’re doing it, but others purposely do it to manipulate people. A few examples of gaslighting in the workplace are:

• Someone making you feel “hypersensitive” for reporting inappropriate behavior to HR.
• A boss makes you question your recollection of events regarding a work project or situation.
• Hearing negative and untrue gossip about yourself and the gossiper makes you feel “crazy” for listening and pretending it didn’t happen.

24. Your Gut Is Telling You Something Is Off

Last but not least, if you’re getting a gut feeling that something’s off in the workplace, there’s a good chance you’re working in a toxic environment. Intuition is one of our bodies’ best signs that something is wrong.

The connection between the gut and the brain can cause emotional distress to manifest in the stomach. If you’re feeling anxious and nauseous at work but can’t quite figure out why it may be your gut telling you something isn’t right about someone at work or the environment is toxic.

III. Why It’s Important To Recognize a Toxic Work Environment

You probably know working in a toxic environment isn’t good for you. But do you know why? There are several reasons why it’s essential to recognize a toxic work environment, many of which have to do with your personal health and not your work.

Here are the six main reasons why it’s important to recognize a toxic work environment sooner rather than later. Remember that you might not experience all of these necessarily, but many are intertwined.

1. It’s Harmful To Your Mental Health

One of the main reasons you need to recognize a toxic work environment is that it can harm your mental health. Effects on your mental health include feelings of anxiety and depression, and you can even get post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a toxic work environment.

When you’re constantly worrying about if you’re doing something right, gossiping, exclusion, and negative words from your managers and coworkers, it can cause you to feel anxious. Constantly thinking about your every move at work can cause severe feelings of anxiety and even progress into depression.

Feeling inadequate and not being comfortable in your workplace will cause you to overthink and experience these mental health issues. Sometimes, if your workplace is so toxic, you might get PTSD from the work environment. That’s much less common than anxiety and depression in those who have worked in a toxic environment. Even still, the potential is still there.

2. It Increases Substance Use

An increase in substance use is also typical in people who work in toxic work environments. While it doesn’t happen to everyone, it’s still something many people experience.

Sometimes an increase in substance use can be having an extra glass of wine every night to help you relax or cope with a stressful day. Other times it can be as simple as enjoying alcohol or another substance more than you usually would. You might not recognize these signs immediately, but your loved ones probably will.

Studies have shown a considerable link between substance abuse and a stressful job. Now, just because you have a stressful job doesn’t mean you work in a toxic environment, but a toxic environment can cause immense feelings of stress, which leads to an increase in substance use.

3. It Decreases Productivity

Being productive is hard when you’re unhappy, stressed, anxious, or feeling similar emotions. When you’re working in an environment that causes you these feelings, you’ll find it much harder to finish your work, which can lead to more issues in the workplace.

Some people have also experienced unproductiveness in their personal lives. It’s hard to stay motivated to get what you need finished at home after a challenging and stressful day at work in a toxic environment. You might find yourself putting off chores or other tasks that you need to do because you’re feeling very unproductive.

4. It Lowers Morale

When you’re working in a toxic workplace, morale can be low. Most people in these situations have lower confidenceand enthusiasm for their jobs, making it that much harder to do the task. As your morale decreases, so does your productivity, so these factors tend to go hand in hand.

5. It Increases Irritability and Exhaustion

Many things can increase your irritability, many of which are on our list of reasons you need to recognize a toxic work environment early. Stress is a huge factor in increased irritability, and when a toxic environment surrounds you for eight hours a day, you’ll most likely be more irritable than usual.

Along with irritation comes the inability to sleep. When your brain constantly runs with irritation and stress, you’ll find it more difficult to sleep. Then, you’ll be irritated when you can’t sleep, thanks to exhaustion. It’s a vicious cycle.

6. It Can Lower Your Self Esteem

Many people’s self-esteem decreases when in a toxic workplace. Even if you’re fantastic at your job, when you’re constantly criticized, distracted from your job, and then in trouble for not finishing, it can cause you not to think you’re cut out for the position. When your self-esteem is lower, it’s much more challenging to focus on your job and get it done.

IV. What To Do About a Toxic Work Environment

It can be stressful, nerve-wracking, and scary when you realize you’re working in a toxic work environment. Once you realize this, there are several things you can choose to do about the situation. Yes, even one of them is choosing to leave. Besides, you have options if you want to do something about the toxic work environment.

1. Think About Your Options

First things first, you need to think about your options. Yes, you have options for dealing with a toxic work environment. You can either choose to leave or find a way to work through it and even make a change to the company culture.

Stay and Navigate Through the Toxicity

Staying and navigating through the toxicity isn’t everyone’s favorite option, but it’s one you might want to consider. Let’s say the company only has one major red flag compared to ten. You might find it easier to deal with than return to the job hunt and switch companies.

Navigating through the toxicity could mean you’re helping change the toxic behaviors, or it could be as simple as finding ways to cope with the toxicity and not letting it bother you as much. Staying isn’t an option for the faint of heart because it can be incredibly challenging.

Find a Non-Toxic Company To Work For

The other option is to cut your losses and look for another position at another company. If the toxic environment is so bad that you cannot find a way to deal with it or help improve it, finding a new position might be the best option for your mental health and well-being.

Even if only one red flag bothers you, you can still choose to switch to another company. It’s important to take some time to decide before you make an emotional decision that you might regret later.

2. Help the Company Shift Away From Toxicity

Maybe you’ve been with a company for years, and it’s been a healthy environment before, but you’re starting to see a shift. If you believe you can help turn things around, there are ways you can help move everyone away from a toxic work environment. The best part about this is that you don’t need to be in leadership to make changes within a company culture.

Establish Clear Boundaries

Boundaries are almost non-existent in toxic work environments. Whether it’s coworkers and leadership not respecting your out-of-office hours, asking you to do things outside her job description, or asking personal questions that have no business being asked in a professional setting, establishing clear boundaries is key to moving away from a toxic environment.

You can do this by letting your boss know about any boundaries others are respecting and contacting your HR department to help facilitate a conversation if you need. A great way to set limits is to be confident and polite simultaneously.

Many people have been in situations where their boss tells them to stay late to work on something, but it’s not in their job description. While it’s okay to do this if you want to, the more you do, the more they’ll come to expect you whenever they ask. Here’s a great way to handle a manager not respecting boundaries when it comes to work hours:

“Unless this is something that requires immediate attention, I’ll be happy to handle that when I come back in the morning. I won’t be taking assignments after my work hours because that’s my personal time.”

Break Through Cliques

Cliques can cause exclusion in a workplace, just like they did in high school. Even though you’re not in high school anymore and should be in a professional environment, cliques are typical in toxic work environments.

Breaking up cliques or preventing them from forming is a great way to steer your company away from toxicity. You can do this by branching out and talking to people you might not typically work with within the office. Maybe try sitting with someone else at lunch or encouraging others to do the same as you.

Don’t Participate In Gossiping

When gossiping is a problem in your office or workplace, you want to minimize or completely stop gossiping. Even if you’re not someone who starts the gossip, if you hear it and don’t put a stop to the behavior, it’s going to continue to happen.

You can ignore it and not give the gossipers the satisfaction of gossiping, but at some point, you’ll want to clarify that gossiping isn’t nice. Most people who gossip do so to get reactions from others, and your response that you won’t tolerate it might be enough to at least stop it for the time being.

Give Feedback Without Making Someone Feel Bad

One of the signs of a toxic work environment is when people at a company give feedback or criticism but purposely make sure the person they’re talking to feels bad about it. It’s a terrible thing to do, so a way to turn things around is always giving feedback without making someone feel bad about what happened.

You can start by speaking to someone professionally and calmly about whatever happened or project they’re working on. Be sure to give suggestions, always be polite, and give credit where credit is due.

Try To Remain Positive

This can be much easier said than done, but staying positive is something you need to try to do if you’re trying to shift the company away from toxic behaviors. You can do this by playing music you enjoy, speaking to a therapist, and having something to look forward to that will keep you in good spirits throughout the day.

Plus, it’s contagious when you’re in a good mood and staying positive. It will rub off on people at some point, decreasing how toxic some people are in the workplace.

3. Focus On the Job, Not the Toxicity

Sometimes the toxicity isn’t too terrible, or it’s only one person you might not have to interact with all day. If that’s the case, you can try different methods to focus on the job, not the drama or red flags circulating throughout the office or work field.

The biggest thing you can do for yourself to help you stay focused on your work is to get in the right mindset. Whatever you need to do, make lists, listen to your favorite music, podcast, or something else before work can help.

Many people find setting clear daily goals based on lists can help them block out the negativity that might be occurring in the workspace.

4. Find The Source of the Toxicity

Sometimes it’s not the whole company that’s toxic. It’s one or several people. A great tactic to combat toxicity in the workplace is to identify the toxic person or persons and then work on either avoiding situations with them or breaking unhealthy workplace habits.

If you’re set on trying to fix the problem, having a sit-down conversation with the person where you can clear the air is wise. Always use “I feel” statements to ensure you’re not placing blame and to speak calmly and as nicely as possible.

The best thing you can do with this is to have an HR representative sit down with you to ensure nothing gets out of hand. If your company doesn’t have an HR department, you might need to utilize a manager or coworker who can be unbiased.

This isn’t the end all be all with toxic workplaces. If the entire company’s culture is toxic, this might be a short-term fix, if it works at all. But, it’s a step in the right direction, and change doesn’t happen overnight.

5. Find Someone You Can Trust

Having someone you can trust is vital to all parts of your life, but when dealing with a toxic work environment, you need someone more than ever. When we say this, we’re not saying to find someone at work you can trust. Even if you think you can trust them, you need to be careful if they work at the same place as you.

The best thing you can do is choose someone you can confide in to help you navigate the situation. It can be a friend, family member, former coworker, and therapist.

6. Document Everything Associated With Toxicity

Whether you’re planning on staying as long as possible or have to stay until you can secure other employment, you’ll want to document any toxicity you experience or witness in the workplace.

You can keep a list on your phone, save emails that showcase toxicity, or however else you want to document it. Keeping property documentation can help you in case the toxic behaviors and actions get too bad. If your office has an HR department and you plan on reporting, having documentation to back up your statements will be very helpful.

Without documentation, it can end up being your word against others in these situations, making things ten times worse for you and others in the workplace.

7. Grant Yourself Compassion

One of the biggest things you need to do when dealing with a toxic work environment is to give yourself some compassion. Whether you stay and work through it or leave for a new job, compassion for yourself is necessary.

People who deal with a toxic workplace often beat themselves up for things they should or shouldn’t have done. You might have been with a company for years and feel guilty about leaving when you shouldn’t.

The best thing you can do to help give yourself compassion is to ask a simple question: “how would I feel if my best friend or another loved one were in my situation?” This can give you some clarity and then make the best decision for you with compassion.

8. Visit a Therapist

Seeing a therapist is a great thing to do no matter what you’re going through in your life. They’re unbiased, give you a safe space to express your feelings, and can help you with coping tools to help you get through life. Therapists can be invaluable when dealing with a toxic work environment.

If you’re already seeing a therapist for another reason, you can speak to them candidly about what you’re experiencing at work, and they might be able to ease your mind. Whether it’s a helpful tool to keep your focus at work or someone to talk to until you can make your exit, this is something you’ll want to consider doing.

As mentioned earlier, toxic work environments can substantially negatively impact your mental health. Therapists can help with this and even offer medication if they believe it will help with your anxiety and depression.

9. Start Planning Your Exit

If you know that you can’t handle the toxic work environment and would rather cut your losses, you need to start planning your exit. It doesn’t have to be right away, but having a plan for when you’re ready to leave can help ease your stress and get you through your workday.

You can start job hunting in your spare time and use PTO days to interview and find a better career for yourself. Even if it doesn’t happen right away, it can give you a sense of control in your life that you don’t have at your current job.

Now, if you’re mentally drained and don’t have it in you to begin searching for a new job, that doesn’t mean you still can’t start planning your exit. If you have PTO saved up, you can cash in on that and then take that time to recuperate and look for new positions.

Be mindful that certain options may not be right for everyone and their financial situation. If you try to do this without enough money saved up, it can cause more stress than the toxic work environment did in the first place. You might even be able to get approved for mental health leave if necessary.

Regardless of how you plan your exit, doing so will help you stay in a better headspace and give you hope until you can actually leave.

VI. Final Thoughts

Now you should be a pro at recognizing a toxic work environment. Whether you’re interviewing for a new job, have been with a company for a while, or want to be prepared, these 24 signs will allow you to spot a toxic workplace a mile away. Spotting it is only the first step. You then must decide what to do about it, but these tips should guide you.

Have you ever worked in a toxic work environment? If you have, I’d love to hear the signs you experienced and what you chose to do about it.