10 Signs Your Workplace Is Actually Toxic, According To A Psychologist

Here are 10 telltale signs of a toxic workplace to look for, from favoritism to high turnover.

By now, we all understand the importance of work-life balance. Not everyone is great about honoring it, though! According to psychologist Natalie Buchwald, LMHC, many toxic workplaces will clearly state—or at the very least, imply—that they expect you to have few boundaries, i.e., expecting you to work nights, stay late in the office, and respond to messages at any time, even on weekends.

Communication is essential in a healthy work environment, and if your workplace has poor communication, Buchwald tells mindbodygreen, it's also likely they have poor problem-recognition and problem-solving abilities. "A workplace that fails to communicate promptly during the hiring process may have the same trouble when working for them," Buchwald adds.

Speaking of communication during the interview process, there are other factors there to pay attention to. "Aside from a general lack of communication, endless interviews and changes to the interview schedule, or questions that feel designed to 'trick' the interviewee can highlight some bad attitudes towards workers," Buchwald explains.

Nothing says, "This place is toxic," like all of everyone hating their job. Not only is poor employee morale a sign of a workplace that doesn't value its employees, but Buchwald notes that negativity is a direct contributor to toxicity, as well. "Negative behaviors form a cycle, influencing how others see their work," she says.

Mistakes happen, and if you're on a team, sometimes you have to deal with others' mistakes—and they might have to deal with yours! But if people are afraid to make mistakes at work—and willing to do anything to push away responsibility—Buchwald says it can "leave employees paralyzed to step out of their comfort zones, which constrains the whole team."

This one might go without saying, but high turnover is usually a good indication that things could be better. "There are many potential causes for high turnover," Buchwald notes, "but if it’s combined with any of the other signs mentioned here, it’s likely due to workplace toxicity."

They say high school never ends—but in a healthy work environment, it does. However, if there's a high amount of clique-based work environments and informal social hierarchies (i.e. "queen/king bee" types), Buchwald says, these are indicators of "highly unprofessional behavior being allowed to run rampant."

In an ideal work setting, what is expected of you is clearly communicated. As Buchwald tells mindbodygreen, "If you are not sure what is expected of you, but constantly feel like you’re not doing enough—this might be a fault of the workplace. Managers who fail to provide clear expectations to their employees or constantly shift goals can cause employees to doubt themselves and feel constantly under pressure."

There's a difference between well-deserved recognition and blatant favoritism. According to Buchwald, any workplace that "sees certain employees getting preferential treatment like promotions, special assignments, and other benefits—for reasons other than merit—can foster resentment, creating an adversarial relationship between coworkers."

Last but not least, a healthy work environment takes the concerns of its employees seriously. In fact, Buchwald adds, plenty of workplaces will explicitly ask for feedback during things like meetings, reviews, etc. "But if your workplace seems to rarely, if ever, implement [yours or others' feedback], then what can start as small problems can very easily become part of a long-term toxic culture," Buchwald explains.

In the meantime, Buchwald says in closing, "You can attempt to get through it by setting boundaries, staying positive, and focusing on what you can control, like how you interact with your fellow workers."