As can easily be inferred from reading any employee-written opinions about work, describing their experiences at a particular workplace, more and more people are dealing with a toxic work environment.

Employees’ Experience

The second concerns systemic issues: how a particular workplace is managed, the financial situation of employees, and how the work they perform compares with their pay.

Ultimately, the following toxic behaviors can be identified.

  • Lack of solidarity with coworkers
  • Lack of respect from supervisors toward employees
  • Poor management of working time
  • Pay inadequate for the amount of work performed

The Human Aspect

As shown above, two of the four elements listed concern relationships between people. Ultimately, the human factor largely depends on the kind of people we encounter at work.

Although toxic behavior among employees largely depends on individuals, it can also be argued that the working conditions at a given company contribute to toxic behavior among those involved. Poor working conditions, a lack of opportunities for development, and an entrenched hierarchy within the company may cause employees who have no influence over their professional situation to take out their frustrations on one another.

Opinions about workplaces often mention the rat race, manifested, among other things, through undermining colleagues, informing on others, talking behind their backs, and general spitefulness. This is not, however, a rule: in many workplaces, despite employees being in the same financial situation, their opinions of employers can differ significantly depending on whether relationships within the group are positive or negative.

Another issue is toxic behavior among supervisors. Here, praise for a manager was heard much less frequently. This may be a natural reaction to having any kind of supervisor. Few people like taking orders.

Employees do, however, point to a particular lack of culture and a complete lack of respect for lower-ranking company employees on the part of management. Naturally, this is not a rule either, and depending on a manager’s individual characteristics, there were also positive opinions. Nevertheless, a negative tendency can be observed in relationships between supervisors and employees.

Despite the ostensibly adopted manner of professionalism, which should set the boundaries of relationships between employees, inappropriate behavior toward employees can occur, particularly among supervisors, often caused by personal frustrations.

As can be seen, the individual aspect may often be closely connected with the general management system in place at a company. This means that problems caused by a systemic lack of respect for the team’s time and work manifest themselves in a consistent deterioration of relationships among employees.

Fortunately, a toxic work environment is not the rule in the Polish market. Negative opinions about employers do occur, but they remain in the minority. Among popular Polish companies, stores such as Tesco and Empik are particularly well regarded by employees.