Telltale Signs That the Office Honeymoon Phase is Over
Employees spend a great deal of time in the office, so in many ways it becomes a second home. In retrospect, however, it can feel like a place of torment for some. If going to work and being around your fellow coworkers feels like a drag on a continual basis, you may be in a toxic workplace. Below or some of the subtle (and often obvious) signs that you may be dealing with an unhealthy work environment and what you can do about it.
Lack of Transparency
Not knowing where you stand on any given day can be unsettling and nerve-wrecking. From something as simple as not receiving critical feedback on a project or your job duties to far more intricate matters that affect the entire business, it’s never a good feeling dealing with a workplace that is tight-lipped and where everyone appears to be closed off.
Goals and expectations should be clear so that you know where you stand on a consistent basis. If you have to constantly nag your boss for feedback and progress reports, or your goals and job expectations seem to change on the fly with little to no knowledge or disclosure, it’s a big problem. Salary expectations and bonus structures are also an area of concern. If the bar to reach your next pay grade or achieve your bonus keeps changing on a whim—making it more difficult to attain these things—there’s potentially something fishy going on.
You’re Not Comfortable Going to HR
If you’ve ever dealt with an uncomfortable work situation and talking to HR wasn’t the first course of action to come to mind, it could be a sign of a major red flag. HR is usually the heart of a company and supposed to be a neutral caveat for resolving workplace conflict and harassment; however, if you feel that an unbiased approach to professional matters is often taken, responses to work-related inquiries come off as snarky, or even feel that your complaints are ignored or the severity of your issues are undermined, it’s not a good sign. On the other hand, maybe you don’t have a local HR representative, God forbid, or you’re dealing with a shared services model and have no idea who to even talk to. It’s essential to have access to HR and a system in place so that things run smoothly.
Your Intuition Says Something is Off
Sometimes you just need to trust your gut. Human intuition is usually right when we feel something is off. If you continuously feel an uneasy vibe from your office mates or things seem to be off-putting, chances are, there really are some infrastructural problems occuring. Trust your instincts and take heed to any red flags that come your way.
You’re Just Not Happy
We all have those days where we get the Monday blues or encounter a mid-week slump, but if you regularly dread going to the office, it’s a big problem. While work can be challenging, sometimes draining, and even time-consuming, the rewards and benefits—along with being surrounded by great people—are usually what keep people motivated to push through; however, if your work environment is taking a dramatic toll on your physical and mental health, it’s time to start looking for greener pastures.
No workplace is perfect, but the benefits should outweigh the negatives. Some people put up with a toxic environment because it comes with perks like a lucrative salary, a great title or the clout from working at a high-ranking company. Yet, these perceived perks—no matter how alluring—shouldn’t have to come at the expense of your sanity, dignity and overall wellbeing. It’s important to put yourself first and make necessary steps to improve your situation. If you feel it’s worth it, present your concerns to the higher-ups and see if they are willing to take necessary steps in leadership and policies to make things more tolerable. If this approach doesn’t work, or you just don’t feel like it’s worth the fight, it may be time to move on.