21 Toxic Workplace Behaviors We All Need To Stop Normalizing
I don't think I'm alone when I say working is kind of the worst.
BBC America / Via giphy.com
Even people who like their jobs probably wouldn't work if they didn't have to.
A big part of this is all the toxic behaviors that have become normalized in the workplace.
Amazon Prime / Via giphy.com
But just because something's been normalized doesn't mean it's OK!
Whether you're looking for a job or already have one you're not sure about, here are some other red flags to watch out for, courtesy of Reddit:
1.Management plays the "family" card
NBC
"If I see 'we're a family' on job ads, I immediately move on. Don't care what the salary is, what benefits they offer. It's such a huge red flag." —u/patriziostar
"That's a precursor to an abusive work schedule." —u/sporkmurderer135
2.They try to substitute actual benefits with pointless "perks"
20th Century Fox
"Lots of fluffy 'perks' like team-building exercises, wellness initiatives, and playing games with your Myers-Briggs results instead of good pay, career progression, solid benefits, and job security." —u/What-The-Helvetica
"I used to work at a health insurance call center that 'valued their culture,' but it just meant we had free coffee and a ping pong table in the break room." —u/albino_oompa_loompa
3.The people in charge only have their best interests at heart
@theoffice / NBC / Via giphy.com
"When he tells you your goal is to have him driving a Range Rover by the end of the year." —u/umbo27
4.The higher-ups run hot and cold
@boomerangtoons / Warner Bros. / Via giphy.com
"Higher-ups who are moody and make you feel like you have to walk on eggshells." —u/pdperson
5.Management doesn't take sexual harassment seriously
Netflix
"When the assistant manager tells you that a dude touches all the female employees so don’t feel special when it happens to you." —u/No_Lunch_2270
6.They try to avoid leaving a trail
@fallontonight / NBC / Via giphy.com
"When you ask something important in email, they come talk to you in person or do it over the phone. They can deny saying things if it’s not on the books." —u/Avocado_Tomato
7.There's a super-high turnover rate (both voluntary and involuntary)
AMC
"When the majority of employees quit in a year or less, there’s a reason why. Usually it is terrible management." —u/stygian_shores
"Lots of new hires. Asked employee about all the new hires. He said, 'Management likes that! They get rid of more experienced employees or coerce them into retirement. New employees are paid less!'" —u/DesertLoner1
8.There's a super-low turnover rate
NBC
"On the flip side of 'high turnover'... I worked at a place where everyone except me and a few others had been working together in some form or fashion for 15+ years. Soooo much office politics and it was impossible to fit into the culture or gain respect." —u/sommersprossn
9.You don't feel comfortable asking questions
@cbc / Via giphy.com
"Either you don't feel safe or comfortable enough or if you do your questions are dismissed or you are belittled in response (at any level)." —u/verifiedalmosthuman
10.You feel like you can't make mistakes
@friends / NBC / Via giphy.com
"Being afraid to make a mistake because if you do you'll be berated far beyond what's appropriate even if the mistake is minor and easy to fix. They also won't tell you why what you did was wrong; they'd rather scream at you." —u/yeetgodmcnechass
11.Promotions and raises aren't merit-based
@snl / NBC / Via giphy.com
"[They're] dependent on who gets along with whom, who sucks up to whom and who is in the 'inner clique' with the higher-ups, not who's actually good at their job, diligent, innovative with solutions, trying to better the company, etc." —u/amazingstillitseems
12.It's one of those "fun" workplaces
@theoffice / NBC / Via giphy.com
"Honestly everyone having too much fun. Fun turns unprofessional quickly, and unprofessional turns toxic even faster." —u/barmitzvahmoney
"I was in a workplace that I enjoyed at first because everyone would joke around. There would always be people that took it too far, and if you didn't like it, you 'couldn't take a joke.' Ended up leaving when my contract ended and didn't realize just how bad it had been until I was in a new place." —u/Raise-The-Gates
13.People go overboard with the camaraderie
@YtheLastMan / FX / Hulu / Via giphy.com
"Coworkers tend to be too friendly with each other outside of work. Promotes cliques and toxicity like middle school." —u/Kla1996
14.Your favorite part of the job is your coworkers
@cbs / Via giphy.com
"You ask multiple current employees what they like about working there, and the first and foremost answer is always 'the people.' I've found that this is usually indicative of places where you basically live at work. Like, I want to work somewhere where I like my coworkers (it makes the day go by faster), but I really don't want to be around them for more than 40 hours a week." —u/JMS1991
15.Your coworkers exhaust you
@abcnetwork / Via giphy.com
"You’re more drained by the people you work with than the work itself." —u/AmberMarie0830
16.You're never really off the clock
MTV
"Constantly contacting you through call/text/email when you're not working. Ninety-nine percent of the time any sort of contact with your boss can wait until you're on the clock." —u/saint-aryll
17.People are wearing too many hats
@foxhomeent / 20th Century Fox / Via giphy.com
"One or two people doing the job of four or five." —u/huskofthewolf
"Being expected to work beyond what your actual role requires, especially for free." —u/heptagonallyactually
18.They micromanage your time to a ridiculous extent
@americangods / Starz / Via giphy.com
"When your bathroom breaks are timed." —u/1mb1mys31f
19.There's constant gossip
@tiff / CJ Entertainment / Via giphy.com
"When you keep hearing a lot of gossip about the people there from the people there. Whether you like it or not, you're going to be part of that gossip soon enough." —u/mvillanelle
20.You're literally losing sleep worrying about your job
@euphoria / HBO / Via giphy.com
"Can't sleep at night because you can't stop thinking about your workplace." —u/ mbluebyrne
21.The tears start coming, and they won't stop coming
HBO / Via giphy.com
"You cry a lot in the bathroom." —u/oasis948151
