I will not lie — my previous workplace was the worst hellhole I’ve ever worked in! So I want to share 10 lessons I learned from it.
The Offended Boss
If you stumble upon the “offended boss” who refuses to talk to you because they feel offended for no reason, then congratulations — you are in the center of a toxic workplace.
The offended boss not talking to you is just the surface. Underneath, there is deep gossip behind your back, a complete network of alternative sources of “truth,” and above all, possibly your worst manager.
They will never acknowledge anything you say or do, and frankly the only reason to have a conversation with them (because it is never just one person) is to receive a slap on the wrist for some unrelated, low-priority, no-one-cares issue that they most likely understood — or misunderstood — through their “network of truth.”
Say Goodbye to Justice
Any sense of reason, justice, or basic common sense will become a faint dream.
In a toxic workplace, there is only authoritarian rule: “because I said so” or “because I feel like it.”
It can reach real extremes of ignorance and bad decisions that will eventually bring the company to its knees.
Hype or Be a Non-Believer
You will be obliged to attend company events and will actually be watched to see if you show enough enthusiasm.
If you don’t, you become an outcast — a non-believer who must be punished for imaginary sins.
You become the company’s witch, and people will actively look for faults in you.
Non-Existing Promotions or Career Plans
In a toxic workplace, getting a pay raise is a mirage.
In fact, it may be the only real and acknowledged thing that won’t happen, because toxic companies are doomed and cannot grow by design.
So obviously, there is no money to invest in people.
Constant Bad News on Any Idle Friday
In a toxic place, people get laid off as part of the company culture.
It is a poorly performing organization, so employees are periodically “hunted” and displayed like trophies — usually on a Friday.
You Will Find True Friendships
People tend to unite in difficult situations, especially when they believe they are on the side of justice.
You might find true comrades in the trenches — people who will stand by you.
This is actually the only positive aspect of working for a toxic company: shared trauma can unite people.
Working in a Toxic Company Is Like Hardening Steel
Working for a toxic company can be like a harsh trial. You may become stronger and learn how to survive difficult environments.
Of course, this comes at a cost — psychological and health-related.
Friend or Foe
In a toxic workplace, there is no real team — only groups of people united to defend themselves from other groups.
Choose your friends wisely.
You Won’t Fix a Toxic Workplace
In the end, I burned the bridge with that toxic company (something I never do due to professional ethics).
As a final attempt to improve things for the people I was leaving behind, I wrote a fact-based essay to the CEO and met with him personally.
It had absolutely zero effect. Afterwards, I was described as “a person who didn’t agree with the marvelous decisions of the recently appointed office-plant CTO.”
Toxic Places Are Doomed
Sooner or later, karma catches up.
Right now, the company servers have been down for 14 hours.
I warned the CEO that this is exactly what would happen when you fail to understand complexity. He wished me good luck.
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