Is your job making you unhappy? 5 signs your job might be toxic

Let’s face it, you spend far too much of your precious time at work to put up with a toxic environment. Office politics, micromanaging bosses, colleagues helping themselves to your carefully prepared packed lunch: they’re all factors that can make your job an unhappy place.

But they’re not the only things to keep in mind. We caught up with Laura Racky, who has built an avid online audience for her straightforward life and career advice, both on her own channels and with her husband, Christian Cunningham, co-host of the couple’s podcast, Let’s Just Start.

The Melbourne-based lawyer turned content creator helps us identify five signs your job might be toxic—and what to do if it is.

Cultural Issues

You are always going to get along with some colleagues better than others. But if an attitude problem is not limited to a few bad apples, the problem might be the workplace, not just the people.

“Everyone–including senior people–knows about the ones that are toxic, behave badly, cause angst and stress for the rest of the team, and yet they are allowed to carry on without consequences,” says Racky. “It’s also important to look at how the organisation measures, incentivises and rewards success–this is so telling. These are cultural issues that create toxic work environments.”

She advises people to address problems as they arise, even if you’re not in a senior role. “Raise the cultural issues via the correct channels internally,” she adds. “This way you can be sure that management is aware of the issues and is choosing not to address them. On the upside, you might be pleasantly surprised with the action that is taken.”

Rule breaking

“To me, this is a huge red flag,” says Racky, adding that this is especially true of places that turn a blind eye to legal compliance. “Any organisation that is happy to ‘break the rules’ is likely to be toxic in all aspects.

“Again, raise this clearly with the right people and with a paper trail. Make sure you express the issues in terms of consequences for the organisation rather than just focusing on how it makes you and your colleagues ‘feel’. If nothing changes, this is a good sign that it is not the right place for you.”

High turnover

The days of people staying in the same organisation their whole life are largely over. But if an organisation seems to have a revolving door of staff, it can be a red flag of bigger issues.

“On its own, this isn’t definitive proof of a toxic workplace. Sometimes the nature of the industry means that there is a lot of turnover and it is normal,” says Racky. “What you want to watch for is who the people leaving are and how their exits unfold. 

Are the really capable, competent people leaving? Are they leaving quietly and without warning, or are they being celebrated for their next career step? If you start to see a pattern of excellent people leaving in a puff of smoke…that’s a good sign that the workplace is problematic.”

Your health is suffering

This is a big one. Every job comes with its stresses, and it’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed at times. But if you are growing concerned that your workplace might be affecting you at a deeper level–or those around you are beginning to notice a negative impact–you shouldn’t ignore it.

“Nothing is more important than your health and your wellbeing,” says Racky. “If you have been doing your best to be objective, to meet expectations and to do an excellent job and you are still feeling sick at the thought of each workday or your physical or mental health is suffering–don’t ignore it. 

“Also, do not ignore your family and friends when they show concern and tell you that your job is impacting you. This is a great big red flashing light that it is time to look elsewhere and find a workplace where you are healthy and your best self.”

It’s an ongoing problem

We all have bad days at work. But Racky says it’s important to take the emotion out of things and assess whether we’re talking about isolated incidents or an ongoing pattern. “Sometimes it’s a bad day, a bad week, or a terrible manager that has you feeling some sort of way,” she says, “and not an overall ‘toxic workplace’.”

In addition to reflecting on whether there’s anything you can do–whether personally or professionally–to improve your experience at work, Racky says it’s also worth being realistic about the demands of your particular career path.

“I'm not okay with workplaces where working until midnight, day in, day out, all is status quo. That's a problem,” she says. “But if you want highly successful outcomes in your career, if you want the big money, sometimes you've got to work through lunch. Sometimes, you've got to work late. If you're in this fantasy land where you can do a nine-to-five and be highly successful, I think that is a big disconnect.”

What to do

Few people can just walk away from a job, without a Plan B. But if it’s clear your workplace has become a toxic problem, the first step is making that decision you’re going to leave.

“Then you can in mentally check out and focus on the job hunt,” says Racky. “But it’s also about finding ways to be fulfilled outside of work. If you make your whole life and your whole identity about your work, when it is not good, life is going to be pretty miserable.

“Don't take everything so personally, while you plan the exit. If you've acknowledged there's nothing I can do here to improve the situation–I can't change these people–then you focus on what's in your control. It's your mindset, it's your job hunt, and your hobbies, friendships, families, pets, and all of the things that fill your cup.”