Episode: 791

Episode Title: 5 Signs of Toxic Work Culture 

“Toxic” is a word that people often use to describe their workplace, but what does it really mean? Here’s what the research says, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 791 show:

Hello and welcome to a new week on The Perna Syndicate! I’m your host, Mark Perna, and today we’re talking about the 5 telltale signs of a toxic work culture. 

During the Great Resignation, unprecedented numbers of Americans quit their jobs, many citing a toxic work environment as one of their main reasons for jumping ship. Once people had more choices, they realized they didn’t have to put up with the garbage anymore. So precisely which traits indicate that a work environment has gone bad?

Last year, MIT Sloan developed a “Toxic Five” framework, offering a helpful picture of which behaviors signal a toxic work culture. According to this research, toxic work environments share 5 attributes: 

Number 1, they’re disrespectful. Number 2, such organizations tend to be non-inclusive. Number 3, unethical practices are the norm. Number 4, they’re cutthroat.

And number 5 (which pretty much sums up the rest), toxic workplaces are abusive.

As you might expect, companies that operate like this usually have low employee engagement—and high turnover. So why don’t employers take workplace toxicity more seriously?

That’s our topic this week. We’ll look at how working at a company like this can burn workers out. And we’ll even ask some hard questions for all of us to address in our own lives—just to doublecheck we aren’t a bit toxic ourselves at times. 

Thanks for tuning in today. We’ll see you next time on The Perna Syndicate for more on toxic leaders. Until then, take care!