How to spot toxicity in the workplace

Many employees do not know when they are about to enter into a toxic workplace, while some do not know they are working in one until they get sick.

Employees enter and stay in toxic workplaces due to the fear of becoming part of the high unemployment rate.  

Kgalalelo Education Foundation CEO, Victor Seshoka says toxic workplaces have a great impact on employees. In the long run, employees end up being physically sick, with weak mental health, and at times, they are scared to leave, forcing them to look for an exit plan.

He says it is important for employees to recognise and remove toxic elements from their lives, not just work-related but also toxic relationships, environments, or patterns of behaviour.

Quoting the 2024 Work in America survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), Seshoka says “15% of respondents labelled their workplace as somewhat or very toxic. Among those living with a cognitive, emotional, learning, or mental disability, 24% reported a “toxic workplace” experience.”

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How to spot toxicity in a workplace

He encourages new employees to research the company culture and how the old employees behave. In addition, he says a high level of absenteeism and constant sick leave by employees can be considered as red flags.

Seshoka says in his 17 years of working in public service, has observed toxicity amongst colleagues that was not instigated by managers.

“What is worrying is watching some of my colleagues’ health deteriorate as a result of the toxicity.”

He believes people should start by acknowledging and accepting that the problem does exist and start doing introspection to check if they are not the cause or whether they have participated in the toxicity.  

How to set boundaries

Seshoka says a lot of toxicity lies in jokes and some people can not tell if it is a joke or not. He says people need to know there is a line between joking and driving a point home. “It is important to identify toxic traits as early as possible to avoid toxicity.”

He believes it is the responsibility of the employer to create a safe space, free of toxicity. “An employer needs to ensure the working environment is a conducive environment for all employees to thrive and enjoy working because there are employees who spend most of their time in the workplace.”

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Effects of toxicity

Seshoka says toxicity becomes visible when performance levels drop, and initially, employees start to show signs of depression and stress. A toxic workplace can also result in quite quitting, and this can impact the company negatively.

“The employer will start feeling the pinch the moment most of their employee’s performance drops and lack of enthusiasm in their work,” he says.