Rethinking the Use of “Toxic Workplace”
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About 50% of my LinkedIn feed is filled with people complaining about their workplace. People like, repost, and comment on posts titled “Signs of a Toxic Workplace,” “Is Your Manager Toxic?”, or “Why You Should Leave a Toxic Company.”
According to a 2023 report by Oak Engage, 75% of UK employees reported experiencing a toxic workplace culture. If this is true, how did every company become toxic?
Unlike other posts, I’m going to offer a different perspective.
The term “toxic workplace” has become so overused that it’s starting to lose its meaning. What was once a serious label for genuinely harmful environments is now often used to describe minor annoyances or frustrations. People get into debates over small issues and suddenly, toxic workplace. Our boss asks us to complete an urgent task quickly, toxic workplace. The manager is angry because we didn’t meet expectations, toxic workplace. These are just common workplace dynamics that exist in most companies.
You might be wondering, “Am I siding with the employer?” Not at all. I’m just an employee, just like you. But here are four reasons why we, even as employees ourselves, should stop using the term “toxic workplace” so loosely:
- It creates a negative atmosphere at work.
- Complaining makes our job feel harder than it already is.
- It makes genuinely harmful environments not taken seriously.
- Complaining makes our job feel harder than it already is. (Repeated for emphasis.)
Don’t get me wrong, there are workplaces that are genuinely toxic, and we should fight against that. But before we label our workplace as “toxic,” ask ourselves these questions:
- Is this just me projecting my everyday annoyances?
- Can I solve this problem by sitting down with someone, directly raising the issue, and having a grown-up conversation about how we can make things better?
- Does this workplace meet at least one of these criteria of a real toxic workplace: disrespectful, non-inclusive, unethical, cutthroat, or abusive?
Some good articles talking about this: