Are you working in a toxic workplace? A complete checklist

Is work making you ill? If so, you’re not alone because a survey by the careers site Muse found that 64% of people have faced toxicity at work.

To find out whether or not your workplace is toxic, read our ultimate checklist that gives insight into all the red flags that could be a sign that your job is danger of damaging your health and well-being.

Once you have a clear picture of the flash points, you can make changes with your employer on board in order to create a safe and positive workplace for everyone.

Here’s our toxic workplace checklist –

1. Poor communication and lack of transparency 

It’s vital that staff feel they have a clear understanding of the company’s vision, news and any imminent changes. It’s respectful to keep workers in the picture – if not, it’s easy for them to feel disengaged, confused and develop a low morale.

Solution – make sure that you communicate clearly by doing the following.

• Create clear communication channels – hold regular staff meetings, send out a newsletter and encourage people to share any concerns.
• Encourage feedback – make it clear that feedback is encouraged and that all input is of value. You could encourage feedback using surveys, suggestion boxes or during staff appraisal meetings.
• Be transparent – don’t keep staff in the dark when it comes to major decisions. Involve them in discussions where possible and make sure that they can air concerns and feel heard. If confidentiality makes it difficult to be open about some things, let staff know the rationale behind the decisions. 

2. Micromanagement 

One of the most prevalent toxic workplace behaviours is overbearing leaders who don’t trust their team members. Excessive micromanagement breeds discontent. People feel patronised, undervalued and it can dent motivation. 

Solution – tackle micromanaging leaders head-on.

• Actively encourage staff members to take ownership of their work and let them know their abilities are valued.
• Ask for feedback – ask team members what they think of their line managers. It’s best to weed out damaging management styles from the get-go.
• Encourage delegation – let team leaders know that delegating tasks effectively will free up their time and allow them to utilise their expertise where needed.

3. High staff turnover

When an organisation suffers from a high staff turnover rate, you should never assume this is down to chance or market conditions. Happy staff generally prefer to stay put, so if they are leaving in their droves, there’s a problem. 

Common causes of high staff turnover are:

Ineffective or toxic leadership
Unequal or unfair pay
Few growth opportunities
Limited resources

Solution – make staff a priority

• Keep staff engaged and work on their satisfaction levels.
• Invest in your workers, and encourage learning and growth.
• Make resources available that foster well-being and personal growth.
• Ensure you have a diverse workforce,  that pay is equal across the board and not affected by gender/race, etc. 

4. Bullying and harassment

Most leaders would be horrified to learn that there were incidences of bullying and/or harassment in their workplace but the truth is, they can occur in many forms and may be difficult to spot. Bullying and harassment encompasses offensive jokes, verbal abuse or physical violence. These behaviours don’t just affect the individual concerned, they can poison the work environment for everyone. 

Solution – take steps to stamp out bullying and harassment in the workplace.

• Create clear anti-bullying policies and let staff know that any breaches will be taken seriously.
• Encourage people to speak up if they experience bullying or harassment.
• Look into complaints as soon as they are lodged.
• Make anyone guilty of breaching bullying guidelines accountable for their actions. They should also face the disciplinary measures outlined in your policy.

5. Work/life balance

There’s much talk about the work/life balance and that can only be a good thing. Staff members cannot perform at their full potential when they aren’t given the space, freedom and time to enjoy their lives outside of work. 

Solution – encourage workers to maintain a good work/life balance.

• Offer flexible working.
• Encourage break taking.
• Provide stress management tools.
• Encourage communication between leaders and employees, making it clear that a good work/life balance is paramount for staff at all levels.

6. Toxic leadership 

Toxic leaders can quickly pollute a work environment, damaging productivity, morale and well-being. Bullying, bad judgement, and poor decision-making are all signs of a toxic leader. 

Solution – pick good leaders and educate them.

• Educate leaders and team members about the signs of toxic leadership, the consequences and also demonstrate what good leadership looks like.
• Encourage feedback and allow staff to do so anonymously if they prefer.
• Offer leadership training to ensure that management is emotionally intelligent, empathic, and effective.

7. Unfair pay

People are one of a company’s biggest investments and if they feel they aren’t being paid fairly, they’ll move on. Fostering a culture of growth and rewarding staff for their hard work will encourage top talent and help retain them.

Solution – make fair pay a priority.

• Offer equal pay.
• Give staff bonuses, raises and other incentives, such as their birthday off, etc.
• Conduct regular pay audits.
• Celebrate staff achievements.

8. Poor employee development strategies

Learning and development opportunities are vital for a healthy, thriving workplace culture. Demonstrating that a company is prepared to invest in staff, helps attract talent and decreases staff turnover.

Solution – offer good career development opportunities.

• Offer career opportunities to staff. Find out what their career goals are and give the opportunities that meet their goals.
• Allow people to work outside of their departments in order to help them learn and grow.
• Appreciate and reward hard work and talent. 
• Offer learning opportunities in various formats, i.e. in person, online, etc.

9. Overworking

When people are overwhelmed by their workload it doesn’t benefit anyone – the organisation suffers as do colleagues and relationships outside of work. 

Solution – set out steps to avoid burnout. 

• Set clear and reasonable workload targets and ensure employees are aware of them and happy with what they are expected to achieve within a given time frame.
• Prioritise tasks and make sure there is space to delegate if anyone is overwhelmed by their workload.
• Maintain open and clear communication with staff
• Offer flexible working and be sensitive to any outside pressures that your team is facing, such as sick relatives, child care issues, etc

10. Lack of diversity and/or inclusion

We live in a diverse society and ensuring a workforce reflects that, means an organisation is truly representing its customers. Recent studies have shown that diversity in the workplace leads to better financial performance. 

Solution – make diversity in the workforce a non-negotiable. 

• Draft clear and thorough policies that outline the organisation’s anti-discrimination policies.
• Ensure that all staff members undergo unconscious bias training.
• Make diversity and inclusion part of your business strategy.
• Examine hiring processes for hidden (or obvious) bias. For example, is the hiring team diverse? 

11. Lack of  input and feedback from staff

A positive and productive work culture is one where open discussion is encouraged, ideas are free-flowing and employee feedback plays a pivotal role in driving positive transformation.

When staff are encouraged to share their ideas and experiences, whether good or bad, an environment of trust and respect is fostered. Where this doesn’t happen, the workplace can feel oppressive, toxic and is likely to suffer from a high staff turnover.

Solution – encourage employee feedback.

• Offer staff opportunities to give feedback, this could be via meetings, anonymous feedback boxes or staff surveys
• Encourage leaders to actively seek input from team members.
• Promote transparency by sharing company news in meetings or regular newsletters.

12. An absence of goals and expectations

A lack of clear goals and expectations can breed toxicity because staff are unsure of their roles, responsibilities and expected outcomes. 

Solution – make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them.

• Define SMART objectives – ensure that goals on every project are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Realistic and have a Time frame.
• Share regular updates to let staff know about project progress, deadlines and any setbacks.
• Ask for feedback
• Offer support in the form of training, resources and guidance

13. Damaging office politics

Office politics and gossip are often at the root of workplace toxicity as they can damage      morale and productivity and lead to increased staff turnover.

Solution – actively address damaging office politics and gossip

• Define policies that give guidelines on what is and isn’t acceptable in the workplace.
• Foster open communication and ensure that staff feel confident about voicing any concerns.
• Promote transparency by being open about any company decisions.
• Lead by example – all leaders should be an example of best practice when it comes to office politics.

14. Not prioritising mental health and well-being

Ignoring staff well-being and mental health is one of the major signs of a toxic workplace and can result in higher levels of stress, burnout and days off due to sickness. 

Solution – prioritise mental health and wellbeing.

• Encourage an open dialogue about mental health.
• Offer flexible working arrangements such as hybrid or working from home, whenever needed.
• Offer access to mental health and wellness resources such as classes, workshops and on-site facilities.
• Take steps to destigmatise mental health issues.

Conclusion

This checklist will help you to identify any warning signs that could indicate that your workplace is toxic or in danger of becoming so. Ask your employer to follow the suggestions listed and work towards creating a supportive, positive and happy workplace. The rewards will be many, including increased productivity, a happier workforce and reduced recruitment costs.