Is ‘workplace toxicity’ an accepted norm?

Visakhapatnam: Not long ago, when the tragic death of a Pune-based chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil came to light, an army of corporate employees could not just empathise with the former employee of Ernst & Young but also relate to similar work experiences they had endured at some point of their professional life.

In a highly competitive world where working overtime, not taking weekly offs, coping up with mounting work demands and related stress have been glorified to get noticed at the workplace, experiencing toxic work culture turns out to be part of the daily grind for a section of employees.

But how far could one stretch to make things work in order to save their jobs? How long could one handle a toxic work environment which most of the times could not be shared but only be endured for apparent reasons? Will flagging off such concerns in the office end up getting unnecessary attention or getting targeted? These are some of the doubts that trouble those who look forward to addressing toxicity at work.

However, for most employees, such doubts often remain unanswered. “Unfortunately, no one will come to your aid because colleagues are more concerned about being in the good books of their boss and saving their posts rather than paying attention to a targeted employee who suffers silently sitting next to them. It is a ‘mean’ world. And in order to survive in this big, bad world, you need to be thick-skinned and not many are blessed with it,” shares Ajitha (name changed), who is currently going through the worst work atmosphere. In her case, it is just not the boss who sets unrealistic targets for her to wrestle with on a daily basis but also her colleagues ignore her existence completely in the office.

In the garb of competing with one another, a section of employees share that their friends have become foes over a period of time. “It is painful to see friends ignoring your concerns. Apparently, when reality hits like a Tsunami, it would be too late to pick up things all over again and move on. It was too shocking for me to realise that the same person who bought me lunch packs once had conspired to show me the exit door,” shares another employee, who recently left her job after going through tremendous stress at the workplace for close to two years. In her case, the employer, who was once her best buddy, deliberately plotted to project her as an incompetent employee so that she could be shown the exit door based on the results of the four consecutive performance appraisals.

Even as there is a very less scope in India for flagging workplace issues, several workplaces in the country have sadly become an exploitive space for diverse age groups and it has slowly and steadily been normalised. “I think as a society we have glorified overworking and only then it means you are doing something and companies are taking advantage of this growing trend. There’s too much pressure in any sector and when it gets flagged, it often presents the employee as ‘incapable’. This is specifically difficult for freshers because if they highlight their issues, it can cost their job. For someone who is confident and has a backup to cover themselves a bit, it’s slightly possible,” opines Manasa Mohan, Social and Emotional Learning Professional.

Even as it is important to flag workplace challenges, it is equally significant to believe in oneself and understand that certain things are absolutely not ‘ok’ and needs to be ironed out before it slips out of control.

Laying emphasis on overcoming toxicity at the workplace, co-founder of ‘All is Well’ Harshita Lalchand, says, “Toxic work culture often leads to burnout, a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and negative interactions. Employees in such environments may feel drained, lose motivation and experience low productivity levels with long-lasting effects on their mental health. If not addressed by the concerned leadership, this culture of burnout might get normalised. While these cases are concerning, I don’t believe toxic work culture has become the new normal yet. However, if it is not consciously controlled, it may very well become one.”

At All is Well, fostering a healthy work culture has been prioritised through a host of mechanisms, including workshops, training, coaching interventions, wellness check-ins along with an anonymous reporting mechanism. “Thankfully, increased visibility and awareness driven by social media platforms and open conversations around mental health often push organisations to address workplace issues. With proactive efforts, companies can create healthier, more supportive work environments and prevent toxicity from taking root and becoming the status quo,” adds Harshita Lalchand.

In recent times, a number of wellness coaches offer tips to fight workplace challenges and the need to draw boundaries through social media platforms.