Is Your Workplace Toxic?

The term “toxic workplace” is used frequently in conversations about work culture, mental health, and burnout. The phrase is catchy, but what does it actually mean?

When we talk about “toxic” workplaces, we’re talking not about occasional stress, conflict, or a period of difficult change. These experiences are normal. Toxic, rather, can describe an environment where harmful behaviours, practices, or conditions are repeated, tolerated, or normalized over time. When these patterns persist, it becomes part of the culture. It goes beyond a disgruntled employee complaining about their job. It can cause real emotional and mental harm to employees and can cause drops in productivity and high turnover for organizations.

The antidote for a toxic workplace? Addressing the roots of psychological harm and weeding out those harmful behaviours.

What Is Not a Toxic Workplace

It’s important to make the distinction between what a toxic workplace is and what it is not. It is not:

• Leaders with high expectations
• Accountability and performance management
• Occasional conflict or disagreement
• Consensus decision making
• Change, pressure, or short-term stress
• Honest feedback
• Clear boundaries that protect both employees and the organization

Healthy workplaces balance expectations with respect, accountability with support, and performance with psychological safety.

Signs of a Toxic Workplace

When the workplace culture consistently undermines employees’ psychological safety, well-being, and ability to function effectively, it signals a toxic workplace. While toxicity can involve overt misconduct, it often shows up in subtle, everyday ways, through unspoken rules, power dynamics, or ongoing stressors that are never properly addressed or resolved.

A significant red flag is not just the presence of harmful behaviours, but the failure to respond when issues are raised. When concerns are ignored, minimized, or enabled, toxicity is allowed to take root and persist.

Here are some common warning signs that may indicate a toxic workplace:

Bullying and Harassment

Workplace bullying involves repeated, unreasonable behaviour that intimidates, degrades, or undermines an employee’s dignity or ability to do their job. Harassment can include unwanted jokes, comments, or actions that may be dismissed as “banter” but are experienced as harmful.

This category also includes sexual harassment and workplace violence, such as unwanted sexual attention or physical touching, inappropriate comments or contact, threats, or acts of physical aggression.

Bullying and harassment can include:

• Sharing racist, sexist, or offensive remarks or images
• Unwarranted blame without the facts
• Treated differently from rest of group
• Shouting or swearing at someone
• Humiliation or intimidation
• Excessive monitoring, unrealistic expectations, and excessive criticism
• Exclusion or social isolation
• Preventing opportunities to grow or learn

Harmful and Unprofessional Behaviour

Some behaviours may seem minor case-by-case, but with frequency become more harmful.

Microaggressions are subtle or overt comments or actions that demean or stereotype others, often related to gender, culture, disability, or identity. While sometimes described as “jokes” or “banter,” they can reinforce exclusion and create discomfort, even when intentions are framed as harmless. When microaggressions are repeated or targeted, they may meet the definition of workplace bullying.

Gossip involves sharing information, speculation, or opinions about others in a way that undermines trust, damages reputations, or excludes individuals. Even when presented as concern or curiosity, ongoing gossip can fuel conflict and contribute to social isolation within teams.

Passive-aggressive communication occurs when frustration or disagreement is expressed indirectly rather than addressed openly. It can take the form of sarcasm, avoidance, withholding information, or intentionally delaying responses. These behaviours create confusion, tension, and resentment, making it harder to resolve problems constructively.

Lack of Psychological Safety

In toxic workplaces, employees may feel afraid to speak up, ask questions, make mistakes, or raise concerns. This fear often stems from previous experiences of blame, retaliation, dismissal, or being labeled as “difficult.” Without psychological safety:

• Errors go unreported
• Feedback and diverse perspectives are withheld
• Innovation and learning decline as less risks are taken
• Mental health and feelings of safety/protection are impacted
• Employees disengage and stay silent to protect themselves
• Toxic or harmful behaviours flourish unimpeded

Poor or Inconsistent Leadership

Leadership plays a significant role in shaping workplace culture. Toxic environments may involve:

• Leaders demonstrating harmful or unprofessional behaviour themselves
• Inconsistent application of policies or expectations
• Tolerating harmful behaviour
• Failing to follow up when concerns are raised
• Lack of communication around important changes or performance

Sometimes leaders need training for “misbehaviour” or training on psychological health and safety to learn how to support their teams effectively.

Systemic Burnout

Toxic workplaces frequently expose employees to sustained, unresolved stress. Contributing factors may include:

• Unrealistic workloads or constant urgency
• Lack of role clarity
• Insufficient resources, equipment, or staffing
• Ongoing demands without recovery or support
• Lack of work-life balance

In a psychologically safe workplace, these concerns can be raised without fear of repercussion. Left unaddressed, employees are at risk of burnout and decreased mental health.

Lack of Respect, Fairness, or Inclusion

A toxic workplace often reflects systemic issues related to inequity and exclusion. Employees may experience:

• Unequal access to opportunities, promotions, or professional development
• Inconsistent recognition or rewards across the team
• Disrespectful or dismissive communication, such as interrupting or ignoring contributions
• Exclusion from important decisions or conversations
• Bias against or barriers for marginalized or underrepresented groups (e.g., cultural, identity-based, disabled, neurodivergence)

Addressing and Preventing Toxic Workplaces

Preventing workplace toxicity requires a proactive, systems-based approach rather than placing responsibility solely on individuals to “cope” or be more resilient.

Effective strategies often include:

• Clear behavioural expectations and accountability at all levels
• Consistent enforcement of zero-tolerance policies for bullying, harassment, and other harmful behaviours
• Transparent processes for reporting and addressing concerns
• Leadership development focused on communication, psychological safety, unconscious bias, and conflict management
• Team training to build awareness of harmful workplace behaviours, improve collaboration, and strengthen mutual respect
• Regular review of workload demands, role clarity, and organizational pressures to reduce chronic stress

Early identification and support play a critical role in preventing toxicity from becoming entrenched. When concerns are addressed early, organizations can reduce harm, support employees more effectively, and prevent escalation.

How Can Gowan Consulting Help?

Gowan Consulting has Occupational Therapy resources to ensure the safety and wellness of your employees and work environment.

• Request a consult from our team to audit your Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.
• Contact us to book training for your staff. We provide individuals and teams with Psychological Safety at Work Training, Manager Mental Health Training, Inclusive Leader Training, and more. Our custom workshops and online courses discuss areas of psychological risks within the workplace and cover skill building such as communication, conflict resolution, and resilience.
• We provide success coaching to individuals and teams to address behaviors, communication, emotion regulation, organization, and stress management. Contact us to learn more.