Being pressured to stay at a job even when it makes you miserable takes a toll on your mental health. You find yourself stuck in a toxic work environment. When you love yourself enough, you stop allowing certain behaviors that are harmful and dangerous to be around you. You stand up for yourself. You trust your instincts and you don't compromise your beliefs.
Some "symptoms" of a toxic work enviornment would be: feeling panicky before work, can't stop thinking about work, always exhausted, crying on the job, can't sleep, anxiety at work, feeling shut down, uninspired, nightmares, lack of personal growth.
Luckily, I've worked for amazing employers and know how it feels like to be treated well at my job. Good pay, good benefits, adequate training, are just some small things. Feeling excited to go to work, smiling a lot at the job, getting excited to start tasks and imagine growing within a company, working around inspiring people, a job that aligns with who you are: this job exists. It looks different to everyone at different times in their life.
A good job will give you skills you can use in your personal life. Practicing assertiveness in social situations from experience you got at a call center or good communication when reaching out to a friend in the same empathetic way you had with a client - or a job that makes you want to become a better person because of the prestige that comes with the job, like working as a pharmacy tech or maintence tech or bank teller, these qualities improve your life whereas a toxic work enviornment changes you for the worse.
These are the reasons for leaving:
1. Horrible boss - I've had bosses that I loved working for. These bosses took the time to educate me on my job so I can feel confident and knowledgeable to do my best. They themselves performed the best at their job. They diffused difficult situations with grace and even humor. They would compliment you on your strength and what you were doing well. A good boss has excellent leadership and hires people with integrity.
A horrible boss blames you and publicly humiliates you in front of your coworkers when you don't know how to do something. This boss gossips about her own employees. Has zero empathy to her own employees and none for customers. Will punish you by cutting hours, giving your grunt work, or belittling your work. Compliments are far between and when they come you aren't sure if they are sincere or a joke. There is favoritism: if you're late by 2 minutes you're threatened with job loss, but her favorite can be late 35 minutes with her boyfriend that works the same shift.
No paycheck is worth not being treated well.
If you can't quit the job, ask to work part time or weekends and plan your exist strategy. Like a bad relationship, it can be hard to leave a bad job.
2. Malicious Gossip - biggest red flag is if the manager is gossiping about her employees. it starts a chain reaction - everyone she hires is big on gossip too. When everyone is talking badly about each other there is no trust. No one should be constantly tearing each other down - at work we should build each other up, help each other learn everything so we can become a strong team. It's best to detach
3. Illegal Activity - are the employees abusing drugs like meth and xanax? Is everyone stealing merchandise, providing sweetheart discounts, and stealing tobacco and alcohol even if they are underage? Is the workplace a high traffic area for drug dealers, the homeless, and drunks? If there is a high risk that you can face heavy fines, or termination, or jail time it's a good idea to leave. Trust your gut.
4.Sexual Harrasment - this goes without saying. Have you been introduced or been a victim of unwanted sexual advances? I've experienced a spectrum of attention I cared not for or had to get away from, ranging from men giving me their numbers or making eye contact to choking me and showing me pornography.
5. Favoritism/ Immunity - this is something you discover further down the road - this is when a manager favorites or likes one of their employees the most. This leads to that employee doing anything they want - to belitting other coworkers, to stealing, to higher pay raises and better schedules/tasks, favoritism creates an interesting power struggle where employees might try anything for this immunity, or getting on a manager's good side.
In a healthy work enviornment, managers treat every one equaly. No one is above any one. If one person is late, they are equally reprimanded as the next person who is late. If one person gets free things, then everyone should get something. Favoritism also creates hostility where it's not needed - it's easy to dislike the person that can get away with murder.
Listen to your heart - if something isn't right for you, trust that God will lead you in the right direction. He is working everything out for your own good and has a plan for you. Pray hard and remember that you're not alone.
Am I missing any other signs of a toxic work enviornment? Please let me know in the comments below and share you're experiences, we could all help each other recognize the signs you need to quit your job.
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