Can a work culture make and produce people to say/do things they wouldn't normally do?

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course. Humans are very social and part of that means fitting in and behaving like lemmings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely. I realized that in my current office, there's a lot of over sharing and when newer folks come in, they don't share as much and they're shunned a little. But at the same time, that's just too much information.
I do agree that you see this in an office where people are there for either long hours or certain shifts that requires spending an intense amount of time with each other. In my case, I think it was a lot of oversharing to explain why you are not around or can't do something and someone needs to pick up the slack. It's a very understaffed team and we all have outside obligations. So there's this feeling/need to justify having a life. That is definitely toxic disguised as comraderie.

This… my boss encourages over sharing about everything, calling on personal cell phones, etc. bc it goes hand in hand with working more than you’re supposed to.

Do they also pull the "we're like a family" or "we take care of each other here" card? I learned the hard way that this is the sign of a very dysfunctional workplace. Also what this means in practice is that you will be expected to work long hours for no additional pay and give up holidays and vacations, but if you ever need anything like time off for a family crisis, they get very "professional" very quickly and no they can't help you out.

[Anonymous]

Oh, yes! Not only are there toxic places with over sharing or “we are a family” but there are also toxic ones with angry, crazy demagogues who treat you like a cog. It all has an effect on one’s psyche.

Anyone who doesn’t want to be “too corporate” is making a big mistake. It will come back to bite them in the end. Also, there was a big emphasis on fun and food at work in the last decades. It blurs the lines between the personal and the professional. In 2020, working from home, I realized how much I did not miss staff parties and making polite small talk with the couple of people I loathed.

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

I'd also like to add that sometimes toxic work cultures can spill over to your regular home life. My office has a negative and critical tone to it. I use to be pretty positive and have a jovial tone to me. I noticed that for parts of my time in this office, my sarcasm and negativity really started being more prominent and I was definitely doing that at home. I noticed that when I changed jobs, I went back to my 'normal' self. It's crazy how it can really seep into you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely. I realized that in my current office, there's a lot of over sharing and when newer folks come in, they don't share as much and they're shunned a little. But at the same time, that's just too much information.
I do agree that you see this in an office where people are there for either long hours or certain shifts that requires spending an intense amount of time with each other. In my case, I think it was a lot of oversharing to explain why you are not around or can't do something and someone needs to pick up the slack. It's a very understaffed team and we all have outside obligations. So there's this feeling/need to justify having a life. That is definitely toxic disguised as comraderie.

This… my boss encourages over sharing about everything, calling on personal cell phones, etc. bc it goes hand in hand with working more than you’re supposed to.

Do they also pull the "we're like a family" or "we take care of each other here" card? I learned the hard way that this is the sign of a very dysfunctional workplace. Also what this means in practice is that you will be expected to work long hours for no additional pay and give up holidays and vacations, but if you ever need anything like time off for a family crisis, they get very "professional" very quickly and no they can't help you out.

OP here. Yes, that previous employer did say "we're like family." I thought to myself, and I wish I said this to my managers, that if we're like family, why am I not getting profit sharing from the company? I would've also have liked to add and ask them "are you going to put me in your will? After all, you did say we're like family/"

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is my job and team. I have no desire for work to be a frat/sorority of 40 year olds long past their prime calling each other on their personal phones, oversharing, and talking being a “competitive team player” and “only hiring ex athletes”… it’s pathetic.

I would quit if not for the fact I am well paid and tech is a terrible place to be looking right now.