Have you ever heard of it? Or are you working in a very good environment with no signs of toxicity?

Join Ms. Uptalent to discover 5 signs of a toxic work environment to self-assess your workplace and respond appropriately through the following article!

CONTENTS:
1- What is toxic?
2- What is a toxic work environment?
3- The effects of a toxic work environment
4- Behaviors and signs of a toxic work environment
5- Tips

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1- What is toxic?

Toxic literally means poisonous, harmful or is used to refer to poisons in general. Figuratively speaking, toxic substances refer to things that cause harmful and negative effects on others.

As a result, the term toxic will have different meanings depending on the user’s content transmission needs. When using this word, you must carefully consider each case so that it is reasonable.

Additionally, it can also be combined with other words to create different meanings, such as:

– Toxic chemicals (chemical toxins).

– Toxic vapors (toxic fumes).

– Toxic environment (toxic environment).

– Toxic masculinity (a man with a negative, patriarchal, aggressive, violent personality).

2- What is a toxic work environment?

A toxic work environment, also known as a toxic workplace, means a workplace with many personal conflicts and negative behaviors such as opposition, bullying, and manipulation. ,…

Toxic workplace does not include toxic environments whose chemical or physical properties affect human health. Instead, it has negative effects on the morale and job performance of those who work there.

3- The effects of a toxic work environment

As mentioned, a toxic work environment will have negative effects on employee morale and performance. Specifically:

3.1- A toxic work environment reduces productivity and quality of work

In a toxic work environment, you will have to work with stress, toxic colleagues, an unwillingness to cooperate and everything tends to stagnate.

This negatively affects your productivity and the quality of your work. The reason is that the work process, to be successful and achieve good results, requires communication and positive support from everyone, but you cannot find these things in toxic workplaces.

3.2- Employees lose their motivation at work

If toxic environmental factors continually reduce the quality of your work, over time you will no longer feel interested in work. You will always feel depressed. Motivation to work also gradually disappears.

Additionally, a toxic work environment also has many other negative factors such as very extreme managing superiors, no opportunity for advancement, etc. These factors all make it impossible to maintain enthusiasm and work spirit.

3.3- The toxic environment causes physical and mental exhaustion among employees

One of the serious negative effects of a toxic work environment is that you easily lose balance between your life and work. From then on, you will always feel stressed and tired. If this happens for a long time, you will fall into a state of physical and mental exhaustion.

4- Behaviors and signs of a toxic work environment

To know if your workplace is a toxic environment or not, you can rely on the following signs:

4.1- Overwork

Frequent overwork is one of the typical signs of a toxic work environment.

Most companies believe that longer working hours will lead to greater work efficiency. However, the reality is exactly the opposite.

The situation of constantly working overtime and doing too much work is essentially the “invisible enemy” of productivity. This exhausts employees, reduces creativity and affects their ability to make good decisions.

The problem of work overload exists in many businesses and businesses. However, this is showing signs of change every day.

Specifically, many companies allow their employees to work flexible hours, want to create a comfortable workspace for their employees, have healthier work schedules, and even provide breaks or snacks.

4.2- High pressure

Normally, everyone will work better in a comfortable and pleasant space. However, businesses often create completely opposite environments.

A high-pressure working environment will indeed bring bad consequences. The reason is that employees in this environment are constantly under pressure to achieve goals and meet impossible and unrealistic deadlines.

High pressure at work always makes them stressed and anxious. If this condition persists, it will reduce physical and mental health. From there, labor productivity will decline.

4.3- Excessive competition

In the work environment, healthy competition can bring development and creativity. However, once the competition is pushed to too high a level, we will only see a great individual instead of a good team.

Indeed, excessive competition is a factor that hinders cooperation between a company’s employees. People will not actively share their ideas and knowledge in such a work environment and the company’s productivity and profits will also decrease.

4.4- Micromanagement

Micromanagement is where a leader interferes and exerts excessive control over an employee’s tasks.

It is the lack of autonomy and excessive control that will erode employees’ creativity and ability to develop holistically. Additionally, employees also feel undervalued and unwilling to commit, leading to lower productivity.

4.5- Culture of blame

Everyone wants to succeed, no one wants to fail. This is a common mindset for most people. This is why people often try to blame others instead of accepting that failure is due to themselves.

A work environment where a culture of blame develops will make employees fear their performance at work. They also become more hesitant about risks and innovations.

More importantly, a culture of blame can lead to a loss of employee motivation. This is a factor that can compromise the success of the business.

5- Tips

It is seen that a toxic work environment leads to many negative effects on the people who work there.

So, what should you do if you suddenly realize that you are working in such an environment?

If you work in a toxic environment, please refer to the following suggestions:

5.1- Stay away from negative factors and look for positive things

When you unfortunately have to work in a toxic environment, it’s best to find ways to avoid negative things. For example, you should not participate in grouping, manipulating, or bullying others.

At the same time, you should make an effort to find positive colleagues, as these people will likely have the same mindset as you.

5.2- Actively seek means of change

The next thing you can consider is finding ways to change the toxic work environment within your capabilities.

Some things you can do include trying to create a more positive and comfortable work atmosphere. You might also consider organizing activities to help people learn and better support each other.

5.3- Reconcile work and rest time

Constantly losing the balance between work and rest time will easily exhaust you. So, in a toxic work environment, you must clearly define your work and rest times with your boss and colleagues.

For example, you tell your boss and coworkers that you won’t check email or work overtime unless it’s an emergency.

This could cause you to offend many people. But as long as you do the job assigned to you well, you have the right to claim the benefits you should receive.

5.4- Looking for a better working environment

If you have tried to find ways to change but still are not getting any results. Or have you done everything in your power but still can’t minimize the negative effects of a toxic work environment. Then it’s time for you to leave to find a better working environment.

In short, a toxic work environment will make it difficult for you to develop and progress. On the other hand, a negative company culture will only seriously harm your mental and physical health. So don’t hesitate to change or find a more suitable workplace for yourself.

I hope Ms. Uptalent’s sharing above on the 5 symptoms of a toxic work environment is helpful to you. At the same time, you can also effectively use Uptalent’s advice to find a place for long-term development. Good luck!

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