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A 2019 yearlong study of 40,000 workers at over 100 companies found a trend: almost one in three workers surveyed had left a job due to “workplace conflict.” Millions of employees today are in positions where overwork, burnout, harassment, and even abuse are a part of an ongoing toxic work environment. The early days of the pandemic prompted many to stay put.
But the script has flipped: employees are leaving their jobs in high numbers while millions of job openings put pressure on employers to try to get back to business as usual. Being stuck at home didn’t just create a surge in the real estate market as people realized they could live elsewhere more happily (or even less expensively due to remote work) — that trend bubbled over into work life, too. In April 2021, 4 million workers resigned from their roles.
If you’re thinking about making your game plan to follow them, you’re not alone: a Microsoft study shows that over 40% of employees still in their roles are thinking about resigning, too. Many are leaving a toxic work environment to find a place that matches with their values.
The pandemic revealed the toxic nature of many workplaces
Many workplaces had a toxic culture even before the pandemic. Then, when many people had to work from home, several things became clear.
Some workplaces treated people as machines and cogs in a system rather than humans.
Some workplaces treated them as misbehaving children who are not capable of making important decisions and need constant supervision or else they will act out.
Here are just a few of the ways that toxic job environments revealed themselves.
- The pressure to always “be on”, responding to emails, texts, phone calls, and Slack chats
- The blurring line between personal and work life where it becomes expected that you’ll stay late, log in early, or work weekends
- Micromanagement due to remote work environments where the employer doesn’t quite trust you to do your job
- Not being heard, seen, or valued in the workplace
- Being consistently thrown under the bus by your colleagues or boss
- Management detachment or lack of concern about company culture or mission
- Tolerance of sexist or racist jokes or undertones
- No “humanity” from bosses or coworkers around world events like the pandemic’s impact
- Being made to feel stupid or underqualified
- Increasing workload without appropriate support or commensurate pay
- The normalization of working all the time without taking sick or vacation days
Perhaps what’s most frustrating for workers is when the company culture is misperceived by them: the employee thinks it’s an environment where these issues can be pointed out and course-corrected, only for the worker to discover that no, their voice was never really meant to be heard. When legitimate claims of microaggressions, burnout, or declining morale get ignored, employees start looking elsewhere.
What digital work means for leaving a toxic work environment
Now that the economy is bouncing back, more people than ever have reevaluated their lives. They see what happened over the pandemic and recognize that they should expect better.
Digital opportunities to work completely from home, in a hybrid format, or as an independent contractor have made the Great Resignation possible. Employers have to think differently if they want to keep their workforce.
If you planning on leaving a toxic work environment, here are some steps
If you’re realizing that you’re in an environment where you can’t be successful due to one or more toxic elements, make a plan to leave. By ‘toxic’, we mean a systematic characteristic of your organization that will never change, and actively makes your life horrible.
1. Evaluate the impact on your life
First, recognize the effects the workplace is having on your life. It could be declining relationships or time with family, physical ailments, or an overall sense of exhaustion that makes you say “enough!”
How much is this impacting your career goals and your purpose? If it’s taking away from things that are more important to you, start making your plan to go. Now that you know what you don’t want, define what you do want. Brainstorm your ideal role but expand beyond the tasks of the job itself:
- How many hours do you want to work?
- What kind of people do you want to work with?
- Are relationships with your colleagues in/outside of work important for you?
- Is it important that the company have an actual company culture and “walks the walk” to back it up?
- What kind of vacation policies are important to you? (Now that you’re prone to burnout but more aware of toxic work situations, stay proactive about time off.)
- What kind of manager are you seeking?
If you’re entering the job application process again, don’t forget your answers to these questions. The interview process is just as much about you determining if this role will work for you. Your desired work culture is a non-negotiable going forward, but don’t blame yourself if you end up in a similar position in the future because the signs of a toxic work environment were hidden or because a new leader makes you miserable in a role you previously loved.
2. Commit to the next step
In some cases of leaving a toxic work environment, you need a few weeks off to reset. Carrying that negativity and burnout over into a new role won’t help you. It’s not always possible to take a break, but plan for it if you can. If your next step is a new position and you need to protect your current role for the moment, look for jobs quietly or connect with recruiters. Other employers in this market understand the need for discreet searches.
3. Create your exit plan
Are you intending to stay 90 days? 30? Where possible, keep things professional with your soon-to-be former employer. If you need to tap into savings or hit a particular financial milestone, hold yourself to it and then exit. Give them notice but remain firm in your decision (even if your boss has constantly put you down or made you feel undervalued, don’t be surprised if they try to keep you when you quit!) If the culture hasn’t changed until now, it’s unlikely to in the future.
4. Leave with dignity
After leaving a position recently, I removed video calls from my schedule most business days, set personal caps of work hours each week and tracked myself for accountability, and upped my personal exercise and nutrition to give my body a chance to bounce back. I also slept 12 hours a night for a week straight. And it’s completely normal if you’re taking anger or loss of confidence with you from a toxic work environment. Make sure you have a plan for how you’ll recalibrate after this difficult situation.
Treat yourself kindly. Leaving a toxic work environment is harder than it sounds, but your mental and physical health is worth it. Celebrate that you reclaimed your power and knew when to walk away. When you make a decision that’s more in line with your personal and professional goals, you’ll be a happier and better worker in your next position.
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
A 2019 yearlong study of 40,000 workers at over 100 companies found a trend: almost one in three workers surveyed had left a job due to “workplace conflict.” Millions of employees today are in positions where overwork, burnout, harassment, and even abuse are a part of an ongoing toxic work environment. The early days of the pandemic prompted many to stay put.
But the script has flipped: employees are leaving their jobs in high numbers while millions of job openings put pressure on employers to try to get back to business as usual. Being stuck at home didn’t just create a surge in the real estate market as people realized they could live elsewhere more happily (or even less expensively due to remote work) — that trend bubbled over into work life, too. In April 2021, 4 million workers resigned from their roles.
If you’re thinking about making your game plan to follow them, you’re not alone: a Microsoft study shows that over 40% of employees still in their roles are thinking about resigning, too. Many are leaving a toxic work environment to find a place that matches with their values.
The pandemic revealed the toxic nature of many workplaces
Many workplaces had a toxic culture even before the pandemic. Then, when many people had to work from home, several things became clear.
Some workplaces treated people as machines and cogs in a system rather than humans.
Some workplaces treated them as misbehaving children who are not capable of making important decisions and need constant supervision or else they will act out.
Here are just a few of the ways that toxic job environments revealed themselves.
- The pressure to always “be on”, responding to emails, texts, phone calls, and Slack chats
- The blurring line between personal and work life where it becomes expected that you’ll stay late, log in early, or work weekends
- Micromanagement due to remote work environments where the employer doesn’t quite trust you to do your job
- Not being heard, seen, or valued in the workplace
- Being consistently thrown under the bus by your colleagues or boss
- Management detachment or lack of concern about company culture or mission
- Tolerance of sexist or racist jokes or undertones
- No “humanity” from bosses or coworkers around world events like the pandemic’s impact
- Being made to feel stupid or underqualified
- Increasing workload without appropriate support or commensurate pay
- The normalization of working all the time without taking sick or vacation days
Perhaps what’s most frustrating for workers is when the company culture is misperceived by them: the employee thinks it’s an environment where these issues can be pointed out and course-corrected, only for the worker to discover that no, their voice was never really meant to be heard. When legitimate claims of microaggressions, burnout, or declining morale get ignored, employees start looking elsewhere.
What digital work means for leaving a toxic work environment
Now that the economy is bouncing back, more people than ever have reevaluated their lives. They see what happened over the pandemic and recognize that they should expect better.
Digital opportunities to work completely from home, in a hybrid format, or as an independent contractor have made the Great Resignation possible. Employers have to think differently if they want to keep their workforce.
If you planning on leaving a toxic work environment, here are some steps
If you’re realizing that you’re in an environment where you can’t be successful due to one or more toxic elements, make a plan to leave. By ‘toxic’, we mean a systematic characteristic of your organization that will never change, and actively makes your life horrible.
1. Evaluate the impact on your life
First, recognize the effects the workplace is having on your life. It could be declining relationships or time with family, physical ailments, or an overall sense of exhaustion that makes you say “enough!”
How much is this impacting your career goals and your purpose? If it’s taking away from things that are more important to you, start making your plan to go. Now that you know what you don’t want, define what you do want. Brainstorm your ideal role but expand beyond the tasks of the job itself:
- How many hours do you want to work?
- What kind of people do you want to work with?
- Are relationships with your colleagues in/outside of work important for you?
- Is it important that the company have an actual company culture and “walks the walk” to back it up?
- What kind of vacation policies are important to you? (Now that you’re prone to burnout but more aware of toxic work situations, stay proactive about time off.)
- What kind of manager are you seeking?
If you’re entering the job application process again, don’t forget your answers to these questions. The interview process is just as much about you determining if this role will work for you. Your desired work culture is a non-negotiable going forward, but don’t blame yourself if you end up in a similar position in the future because the signs of a toxic work environment were hidden or because a new leader makes you miserable in a role you previously loved.
2. Commit to the next step
In some cases of leaving a toxic work environment, you need a few weeks off to reset. Carrying that negativity and burnout over into a new role won’t help you. It’s not always possible to take a break, but plan for it if you can. If your next step is a new position and you need to protect your current role for the moment, look for jobs quietly or connect with recruiters. Other employers in this market understand the need for discreet searches.
3. Create your exit plan
Are you intending to stay 90 days? 30? Where possible, keep things professional with your soon-to-be former employer. If you need to tap into savings or hit a particular financial milestone, hold yourself to it and then exit. Give them notice but remain firm in your decision (even if your boss has constantly put you down or made you feel undervalued, don’t be surprised if they try to keep you when you quit!) If the culture hasn’t changed until now, it’s unlikely to in the future.
4. Leave with dignity
After leaving a position recently, I removed video calls from my schedule most business days, set personal caps of work hours each week and tracked myself for accountability, and upped my personal exercise and nutrition to give my body a chance to bounce back. I also slept 12 hours a night for a week straight. And it’s completely normal if you’re taking anger or loss of confidence with you from a toxic work environment. Make sure you have a plan for how you’ll recalibrate after this difficult situation.
Treat yourself kindly. Leaving a toxic work environment is harder than it sounds, but your mental and physical health is worth it. Celebrate that you reclaimed your power and knew when to walk away. When you make a decision that’s more in line with your personal and professional goals, you’ll be a happier and better worker in your next position.
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
