What Are Signs of a Toxic Workplace?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DOE Office of the Chief Information Officer. All things mentioned here and then some
Back channel meetings during the meetings for the "WTF" conversations. High turnover. Backstabbing and undermining by leadership. Contractors wagging the tail of the fed dog. In office, doors closed most of the time when on premises. Ethics nightmares abound. Leadership cares more about airliine and hotel status/points than the actual mission. Literally killing good workers while promoting incompetence.

What do you mean about contractors wagging the tail of fed dog and can you give an example?

Sure, several examples. (1) the DOE CIO has a BFF in private sector who "needs work" according to her. To that end, she directs staff to hire him. He doesn't actually do anything and will tell you that straight up. When staff refuse to increase his hours or add new tasks, staff get removed from managing those contracts. Most of the tasks he's being paid for now do not even support DOE - just made up pet projects to give him income. This information was given to the OIG over 6 months ago. They've done nothing. (2) DOE OCIO has contracted out numerous items that are inherently govt functions and contractors making decisions without proper federal oversight. The organization is a total shit show. Then they hire the same contractors to do "strategic planning" for them to try to figure out why they are so messed up. This becomes a self licking ice cream cone of how they need even MORE services from the contractor. What they really need is competent keadership that is not going on unnecessary boondoggles every week to actually LEAD the organization and require proper performance management. As a tax payer, yiou should be appalled by the waste, fraud, abuse. And also the seriousness of the hot mess is that should be protecting some of nation's nuclear technology. Just sayin'.........

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

When the boss is ugly and wants to get back at the world for it. Writing people up, punishing employees, threatening employees, accusing them of things they did not do, telling people how horrible their work is when it is not, ripping work away from employees so they can do it themselves, just a real piece of human shit with giant twin age spots.

OMG you nailed my current skip level supervisor who tries her best to make my life hell.

[Anonymous]

When the boss is well-known to be crazy and weird but everyone tip-toes around him and placates him because “he knows where the bodies are buried.”

A culture of backbiting and reporting people under the guise of “values” - the ADEO who used to report people to HR when he thought they were rude in meetings

People getting promoted due to brown-nosing instead of completence

Stories about extreme retaliation that keep people in line. At my federal agency the GC actually got an exec he didn’t like arrested and criminally charged (hi to my former coworkers if you recognize this)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When the boss is well-known to be crazy and weird but everyone tip-toes around him and placates him because “he knows where the bodies are buried.”

A culture of backbiting and reporting people under the guise of “values” - the ADEO who used to report people to HR when he thought they were rude in meetings

People getting promoted due to brown-nosing instead of completence

Stories about extreme retaliation that keep people in line. At my federal agency the GC actually got an exec he didn’t like arrested and criminally charged (hi to my former coworkers if you recognize this)

Wow. Pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

When the boss is ugly and wants to get back at the world for it. Writing people up, punishing employees, threatening employees, accusing them of things they did not do, telling people how horrible their work is when it is not, ripping work away from employees so they can do it themselves, just a real piece of human shit with giant twin age spots.

OMG you nailed my current skip level supervisor who tries her best to make my life hell.

Oh wow. Me too. Well at least formerly. She wasn’t ugly except on the inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When the boss is well-known to be crazy and weird but everyone tip-toes around him and placates him because “he knows where the bodies are buried.”

A culture of backbiting and reporting people under the guise of “values” - the ADEO who used to report people to HR when he thought they were rude in meetings

People getting promoted due to brown-nosing instead of completence

Stories about extreme retaliation that keep people in line. At my federal agency the GC actually got an exec he didn’t like arrested and criminally charged (hi to my former coworkers if you recognize this)

Wow. Pathetic.

Totally pathetic. When the GC was finally pushed out, a LOT of other really distasteful stuff came out about him.

[Anonymous]

A culture of fear of reprisal. If you haven’t experienced this, it’s hard to explain. I only really recognized it when an outside consultant commented to me “I’ve worked at dozens of agencies but people are more scared here than anywhere else I’ve been.”

[Anonymous]

High turnover.

Burnout.

Lots of gossip not necessarily for malicious or entertainment reasons, but because there is distrust, inconsistency, dysfunction, and confusion.

I work at one. Everyone is underpaid and overworked and lots of people are unhappy and doing poor jobs because their jobs are impossible for a variety of reasons. One thing I was just discussing today with my spouse is that there are a handful of people who are superstars. Those people are all partnered with high earners, and therefore have the time and chill to do what it takes to shine while outsourcing or with less stress. It's sick. And I am one of them.

I wouldn't say I am quiet quitting (I do a lot) but I am slowly backing away from things and saying no more to things I don't want to or can't do well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High turnover.

Burnout.

Lots of gossip not necessarily for malicious or entertainment reasons, but because there is distrust, inconsistency, dysfunction, and confusion.

I work at one. Everyone is underpaid and overworked and lots of people are unhappy and doing poor jobs because their jobs are impossible for a variety of reasons. One thing I was just discussing today with my spouse is that there are a handful of people who are superstars. Those people are all partnered with high earners, and therefore have the time and chill to do what it takes to shine while outsourcing or with less stress. It's sick. And I am one of them.

I wouldn't say I am quiet quitting (I do a lot) but I am slowly backing away from things and saying no more to things I don't want to or can't do well.

A nonprofit?

[Anonymous]

-Gossip
-Only promoting favorites or friends/family regardless of whether they are qualified and then protecting those favorites when they f*ck up
-High turnover and very little true room for promotions
-Bosses/managers that everyone walks on egg shells around
-If they say company is like a "family" that's a bad sign

[Anonymous]

Admin runs the office - which shows poor leadership

[Anonymous]

I’m not even sure where to begin about my place. This thread was healing though. I’ve been here 15 years and have created change. I work in a wonderful bubble with a wonderful team. That being said- it’s the wild Wild West out there outside my bubble. I don’t let my team deal with anyone on the outside and they know why and are glad for it.

New people come on. I immediately introduce myself and offer help. About a week later they come to me asking wtf is wrong with some of these managers. And I have to explain it to them. Rinse and repeat over and over.

You ask for help from these other managers (on the policy side whose job it is to help program managers) and they immediately say you’re dumb and act like you’re shit. I’m used to it by now. I’m very intelligent, so this is a them problem. They refuse to put anything in writing. Any changes you offer, they absolutely do the opposite. I honestly think if our “policy” people didn’t exist then all of us program people could get our jobs done easier, quicker and with less nastiness. We could all agree on policy amongst ourselves.

They laugh about people behind their backs and blackball people that I know are qualified and are great employees. They’re vicious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not even sure where to begin about my place. This thread was healing though. I’ve been here 15 years and have created change. I work in a wonderful bubble with a wonderful team. That being said- it’s the wild Wild West out there outside my bubble. I don’t let my team deal with anyone on the outside and they know why and are glad for it.

New people come on. I immediately introduce myself and offer help. About a week later they come to me asking wtf is wrong with some of these managers. And I have to explain it to them. Rinse and repeat over and over.

You ask for help from these other managers (on the policy side whose job it is to help program managers) and they immediately say you’re dumb and act like you’re shit. I’m used to it by now. I’m very intelligent, so this is a them problem. They refuse to put anything in writing. Any changes you offer, they absolutely do the opposite. I honestly think if our “policy” people didn’t exist then all of us program people could get our jobs done easier, quicker and with less nastiness. We could all agree on policy amongst ourselves.

They laugh about people behind their backs and blackball people that I know are qualified and are great employees. They’re vicious.

Sounds like where I work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not even sure where to begin about my place. This thread was healing though. I’ve been here 15 years and have created change. I work in a wonderful bubble with a wonderful team. That being said- it’s the wild Wild West out there outside my bubble. I don’t let my team deal with anyone on the outside and they know why and are glad for it.

New people come on. I immediately introduce myself and offer help. About a week later they come to me asking wtf is wrong with some of these managers. And I have to explain it to them. Rinse and repeat over and over.

You ask for help from these other managers (on the policy side whose job it is to help program managers) and they immediately say you’re dumb and act like you’re shit. I’m used to it by now. I’m very intelligent, so this is a them problem. They refuse to put anything in writing. Any changes you offer, they absolutely do the opposite. I honestly think if our “policy” people didn’t exist then all of us program people could get our jobs done easier, quicker and with less nastiness. We could all agree on policy amongst ourselves.

They laugh about people behind their backs and blackball people that I know are qualified and are great employees. They’re vicious.

Sounds like where I work.

Mine too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“We’re a family here”

Oh…those “families”. Some of them don’t want you taking summer vacations with your true family.