What Are Signs of a Toxic Workplace?

[Anonymous]

I think I'm in one now.

[Anonymous]

There’s a sing out front that says Superfund site.

[Anonymous]

Gossiping, passing the buck, blaming people for your work deficiencies, setting up people to fail, top down management style

[Anonymous]

Relevant malefactors are referred to only in pronouns. ie group of staff will be discussing a possible action and someone will say "She's not going to like this" or "We have to get her to approve this" or "Who is going to send it to her for approval?"--without any name being mentioned, everyone knows it is the toxic boss being discussed.

CYA maneuvers are prominent

Groups and processes that theoretically exist to discuss/perform/allocate certain tasks are token entities; real decisions about those tasks are made elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

If the majority of staff has been there no more than 1-2 years (sign of high turnover), or 15+ years (sign of lots of folks being stuck in their ways, "that's the way we've always done it.")

[Anonymous]

“We’re a family here”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the majority of staff has been there no more than 1-2 years (sign of high turnover), or 15+ years (sign of lots of folks being stuck in their ways, "that's the way we've always done it.")

I’m in a workplace with two camps: one high turnover, one long-timers. It’s rare (from what I’ve seen), for people to work 3-7 years and then move on. The younger/more ambitious people move on quickly and the people looking for stability hang on for dear life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“We’re a family here”

This. Whew. My own family drama is enough thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Relevant malefactors are referred to only in pronouns. ie group of staff will be discussing a possible action and someone will say "She's not going to like this" or "We have to get her to approve this" or "Who is going to send it to her for approval?"--without any name being mentioned, everyone knows it is the toxic boss being discussed.

CYA maneuvers are prominent

Groups and processes that theoretically exist to discuss/perform/allocate certain tasks are token entities; real decisions about those tasks are made elsewhere.

Yesss

[Anonymous]

Admin running the place - common in government agencies.

[Anonymous]

Located in Chernobyl

[Anonymous]

Rampant nepotism, like in the flag ranks of the military.

[Anonymous]

People hoard information like it's power

[Anonymous]

These are good.

Gaslighting, constant change of direction (and no, you were not informed of flavor of the hour), teams fighting for resources, bullying, nasty name calling in meetings, C-suite yelling at teams telling them they are (insert curse words here). Lying, job description doesn’t match responsibility, lots of shiny new objects that lose their luster in a few weeks, long hours with no reward…

[Anonymous]

When a boss feels threatened by those working for her and, consequently, puts them down, yells at them, bullies them.