The air in your office has ever felt heavy, there is tension, are deadlines getting closer together, and people seem stressed out. In this article, we reveal signs of a toxic workplace, explore factors that lead to it, and offer advice on how to combat such an environment. But, if a person starts to fail at their job, and feels unhappy, how can they know if it’s them – or the workplace itself?
What is an unhealthy working environment? An unhealthy working environment is one that is characterized by ineffective or negative communication, unprofessional or dishonest behavior, punitive practices or policies and/or strained relationships between
and office leadership.
What is an unhealthy working environment?
An unhealthy workplace is one that is characterized by poor or negative communication, impolite or dishonest conduct, punitive practices or policies, and/or strained relationships between staff members and office management.
Employees who micromanage or disparage one another, take credit for one another’s work, gossip or speak poorly of one another, or retaliate against workers who face challenges at work are a few examples of this.
Low employee morale, high employee turnover, decreases in productivity and/or work quality, and even physical symptoms related to working in such an environment can result.
Tips for deciding what to do if you have an unhealthy working environment
The following nine suggestions will help you decide what to do if your workplace is unhealthy:
1. Find coworkers with similar values
Try to find people who share your values and your desire for a healthier work environment so that you can experience the workplace more favorably. Most likely, you are surrounded by at least a few peers who agree with your viewpoints and can provide solace from potentially toxic interpersonal dynamics or relationships. Working with these people on the project itself, even if you don’t plan to address the issues together, can improve your day-to-day experience.
2. Confront individually
Confronting someone about the toxic work environment and/or their part in it can be beneficial if you can do so without endangering your job. Plan that conversation beforehand by outlining the most important concerns, the harm caused to employees, and potential solutions to take into consideration in order to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.
Individual confrontations with individuals, especially with senior leaders, can produce better results than public confrontations because individuals are more likely to be open-minded and less defensive. Declaring your contribution to the solution can ensure that the conversation takes a cooperative turn.
Depending on the severity, some people decide to speak up to employers about an unhealthy work environment despite the possibility of retaliation or unfavorable outcomes. This could happen in situations involving allegations of harassment or discrimination at work, as an example.
For those who are deeply concerned about these issues, the need for a solution outweighs any risks involved in addressing them. Depending on the situation, they may decide to confront the offender privately, file a lawsuit, notify human resources, or confront the person in public.
3. Confront as a group
There are labor unions in some industries that set rules for how employees can collectively file formal complaints or grievances. It may be beneficial to coordinate with coworkers and prepare for a group confrontation or course of action rather than an individual one if you work in a unionized industry.
Employees frequently take their complaints to a human resources department for resolution. For instance, unionized factory workers may decide to file a collective grievance with the human resources division if they are required to work in hazardous or unsafe conditions that go against the terms of their contract.
Joining forces with one or more coworkers may help you strengthen your case and attract the attention of senior leaders even in organizations without unions. If you’re thinking about going this route, consider approaches that are cooperative and goal-oriented. Although addressing problems head-on has value, success will depend on how you plan for how that will be received.
4. Focus on your work
Focusing more on your work and less on interacting with coworkers can be a helpful strategy in circumstances where there isn’t an immediate fix for the toxic workplace. Limit contact with potentially upsetting coworkers, managers, or situations whenever you can. You could accomplish this by taking on additional projects to keep busy or by eating lunch at your desk rather than in the staff room.
You can stay motivated to work each day by concentrating more on the work and less on the environment. This will help you stay connected to why you chose this career.
5. Document everything
Lack of trust and communication problems are frequent characteristics of unhealthy workplaces. Document everything to safeguard yourself from dismissal or any other wrongdoing. This covers all leave requests, any discussion of project deadlines or particular commitments, the actions from a prior meeting, and more.
For any issues you want to escalate to senior leadership, clear and thorough documentation is crucial. It is crucial to express your concerns in writing, include all pertinent parties, and distribute any supporting materials. As a result, any attempts at retaliation can be avoided and the conflict resolution process can remain objective. Additionally, it guarantees that all parties are aware of the issues from your point of view.
6. Lead by example
If you find yourself in a toxic workplace, modeling the behavior you want to see in others can be a helpful solution. Ideally, as your coworkers watch you do it, they will imitate you, and together you can start changing the overall office culture. Examples of this include operating ethically, respecting one another’s differences and affirming them as unique people, setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries, and concentrating on the work at hand.
7. Be proactive
Adopting more proactive measures to foster a positive work environment can also be a successful solution, in addition to one’s own individual modeling of the desired behavior. You could, with the approval of office managers, take into account any of the following suggestions to proactively improve an unhealthy work environment:
8. Involve those in authoritative positions
If your office leaders are aware of the difficulties and are prepared to make significant structural changes to change the culture, they might support a more effective plan than the relationship-building techniques mentioned above. Establishing a steering committee that takes part in one or more of the following activities could be one such strategy.
9. Plan an exit strategy
Planning an exit strategy is your best option if your efforts to improve the working environment are failing or if the situation is too toxic to change. In order to do this, you’ll need to update your resume, look into available positions, and start a formal search. It will also need to take into account your departure date and whether you will depart before securing another job.
If you decide to leave, you might ask for an exit interview so you can give feedback on your experience and explain why you left. This can assist businesses in changing for the better of prospective employees.
How to start changing an unhealthy work environment | Glenn D. Rolfsen | TEDxOslo
FAQ
What causes an unhealthy work environment?
- Lack Of Enthusiasm. …
- Employees Feel Left Out Of Communication Loop. …
- Work Deadlines Take Priority Over Emotional Well-being. …
- Technology Gets In The Way Of Getting Things Done. …
- Leaders Are Invisible. …
- Confusion And/Or Dysfunction. …
- Unfair Policies & Unequal Enforcement of Policies.
