The average adult will spend approximately 90,000 hours of their time at work. This equates to almost a third of their entire lifetime. Considering how much time adults spend on the job, not many can say they enjoy the environment they work in. However, we’ve all heard the saying that when you work at what you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.
Although finding your dream career often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack, there are plenty of ideal work environments you can enjoy. Most importantly, you need to ensure your new job is free of any kind of toxicity, as this can bring you down both mentally and physically.
To help you in your endeavors, we’ve created a blog that provides five signs of a toxic work environment. Keep reading to find out what they are…
Discrimination
If you or a fellow employee is being discriminated against in the workplace, you could be entitled to compensation. Not only is this a sign of a toxic workplace, but it’s also a potential sign of a legal case, so we suggest you seek out help from lawyers such as HKM.
No Room for Mistakes
Unhealthy work environments make no allowances for potential mistakes. This is an unrealistic standard to be held to, as mistakes are bound to occur. Similarly, your team may play the “blame game” where everyone points fingers and nobody owns up to mistakes for fear of being reprimanded or fired.
Rapid Turnover
If your workplace is suffering from a rapid turnover, there’s probably a reason behind this. More specifically, it may have something to do with your employer. One of the tell-tale signs of a toxic workplace is an absurdly rapid turnover.
Stunted Employee Growth
When employees have been at the company for years and they’re still in the same place they started, this means they’ve not been granted the opportunity to grow and develop their skills. No matter what industry you find yourself in, you should look for new opportunities. If your employer can’t provide these, it’s probably a sign that you should move on.
Cliques and Gossip
Another sign of a toxic work environment is when employees form cliques and gossip about each other. Most offices have some kind of gossiping, however, when it’s overt and targeted, it’s probably a sign of a toxic workplace. Don’t contribute to these kinds of conversations and learn to disengage from bullying behavior.
Unless you win the lottery, the undeniable reality for many is that you will need to work for the majority of your lifetime. Therefore, it makes sense to spend time searching for a great work environment. Although this can mainly consist of trial and error, there are also countless laws in place designed to protect the rights of workers. So, if you find yourself in an adverse position and your employer is not supporting you in the way they should, you can always seek legal counsel.