Toxic work environments exist throughout the world
KARACHI: Toxic work environments exist throughout the world. Unfortunate situations occur when one is not aware of the environment they are about to get into and reality only strikes after they have spent a number of months in that environment.
Identifying toxic work environments is important. It is an art I feel everyone should inherit through a sharp observatory lens. Since it is not in everyone’s nature to grasp a dangerous work environment on the first day, a number of social cues can be considered. First case scenario is your boss — the one spokesperson you are in direct communication with on a daily basis. Not all bosses will choose to be nice to you and give you time to settle in your new job. Some will make sure they give you a hard time from day one, only to assert their dominance. While that may be a personality issue, the line between toxicity and mental ‘inheritance’ should be captured. Situations where your boss is micromanaging your work, questioning you in everything that you do and gaslights any problem are all part of the atypical attitude that needs to be addressed.
The second scenario will be your coworkers. You will notice that while your coworkers may be working on different tasks, the final goal is ultimately the same — to get to the top. Hence, in certain situations they will prioritise themselves, putting you in a vulnerable spot. The people at work will always remain your coworkers and not your ‘friends’.
Lastly, the upper management in a company also truly matters. If departments like HR are not taking an active role in employment care, you know the only job of that department is being unfulfilled. What many do not understand is that work motivation comes from you and the company, combined, to contribute to the work we do on a daily basis.
Salman Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2019.
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