Work is work, and most adults understand that they need not be best friends with their co-workers and managers. We go to work to utilize specific skills, do a good job, and receive compensation. We are not there to sing kumbaya and give each other warm fuzzies. However, there is such as thing as a toxic workplace. If your workplace shows a majority of these five signs of toxicity, you may be working in a psychologically unhealthy environment.
(Photo Credit: Bernard Goldbach/Flickr)
1. You Never Receive Recognition Nor Feedback
No news is not good news for psychological health. In healthy and productive worksites, managers take notice of employee performance and give workers feedback. It may be constructive criticism and sometimes a compliment. Workers who receive recognition and feedback are more secure that they are doing a good job.
2. You Don’t Always Know What Is Expected of You
Employees need direction. If you find yourself not sure what to do on a given day, it makes sense to ask. If you often feel you are not sure what to do or what is expected of you, there may be a problem with the workplace itself.
3. You Don’t Have The Tools You Need
It sounds so simple, yet there are plenty of examples of employees not having everything they need to do their jobs. It is not limited to small businesses with tight budgets. Examples include restaurants that don’t have enough rags or napkins, offices that run out of printing paper, and cleaning companies that don’t purchase enough supplies for every worker. If you have a chronic problem having the supplies you need to do your job, this is bad for your own psychological health.
4. Your Coworkers Don’t Care About Their Work
It is draining to work around people who do not care about quality work as much as you do. Not everyone can be a perfectionist, but some people are just going through the motions. Others openly express their derision for their jobs or for the business. These people are toxic to work with, and working with them can bring you down.
5. You Have No Friends at Work
You may not have met your very best friend in life at work, and that is normal. You probably don’t hang out all weekend with the people you work with. However, it is good to have people at work whom you especially like and get along with. If you don’t have comeraderie or a sense of friendship with any of your co-workers, your workplace may be toxic.
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