Toxic Work Environment: Signs, Causes, and How to Fix It

Toxic workplaces are becoming alarmingly common. In a recent study of over 2,000 employees across industries, 75% reported experiencing a toxic workplace culture, and 87% said it had a direct impact on their mental health.

These numbers aren't just statistics they signal a growing crisis that HR professionals can't afford to ignore. Toxicity in the workplace doesn't just harm individuals it erodes trust, weakens performance, accelerates attrition, and quietly sabotages long-term organizational health. As Ginny Clarke powerfully puts it:

“Toxic behavior goes without consequences and fosters a workplace culture where you don't feel safe, seen, or valued... Trust, respect, and transparency are non-existent, and it feels like everyone is on their own. People are disengaged; they're stressed. And there are several reasons for this. But in my rather extensive experience with senior leaders, they are the problem whether through acts of omission, doing nothing, or commission, pitting people against one another at the expense of the team or organization.”

Ginny Clarke

Chief Executive Officer, Ginny Clarke, LLC

For HR leaders, the challenge is twofold: responding to individual pain points while addressing the deeper systemic gaps that allow toxicity to take root. Employees look to HR for protection, resolution, and accountability but when trust is broken, even HR’s influence is at risk.

In this blog, we’ll unpack the key signs of a toxic work environment, examine its root causes, and most importantly show how both employees and HR can take meaningful steps to fix it. Because building a healthier workplace isn’t just an employee concern it’s a leadership imperative.

What is a Toxic Work Environment and How it Matters

For HR professionals, toxic work environments are more than just employee complaints they’re a systemic risk to engagement, retention, and business performance.

At its core, a toxic work environment is one where dysfunction becomes the norm: poor leadership, unchecked gossip, bullying, favoritism, and blame culture thrive, often without accountability. This erodes psychological safety, making employees feel unsafe, unheard, and undervalued.

The impact is deeply personal. In a recent APA survey, 19% of employees said their workplace was “very” or “somewhat” toxic, and over half reported mental health issues as a result. Toxicity fosters fear, not trust. Employees hesitate to raise concerns or share ideas, leading to chronic stress, burnout, and emotional disengagement. As SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. put it, “When respect is absent, toxicity blooms and everyone loses.”

But the cost extends beyond individuals. Research by MIT Sloan found that toxic culture is 10x more likely to drive attrition than pay dissatisfaction. That translates to real dollars nearly $50 billion annually in turnover costs. Left unchecked, toxicity also damages the employer brand and blocks talent pipelines, as employees share their experiences across networks and platforms.

“It can take years to build a reputation, seconds to destroy it - perhaps for good?”

Jonathan Maude

International Employment Law Partner

What’s more alarming? Nearly 46% of employees explicitly stated they do not trust HR to address toxic behaviors, and just 25% expressed confidence in HR’s ability to handle such issues. This highlights a significant credibility gap that HR leaders must urgently close. It’s not enough to have policies in place visible action, consistent accountability, and culture-focused training are essential.

Culture isn’t just a “people problem” it’s a strategic priority. As HR, you have the power to drive systemic change. By recognizing the signs and taking proactive steps, you can turn a toxic environment into one where people and performance thrive.

5 Signs of a Toxic Work Environment

There are many potential red flags that indicate a toxic work environment, but some show up more often and do more damage than others. Below, we’ve outlined five of the most common and critical signs to watch for.

If your workplace is showing even a few of these patterns, it may be time to take a closer look.

1. Lack of Trust

Trust is the foundation of any healthy workplace but in toxic environments, it’s often the first thing to crumble. According to a Gallup study, only 21% of U.S. employees agree that they trust their organization’s leadership. As trust erodes, collaboration weakens and employees begin to emotionally disengage from their work.

80% of employees who have high levels of trust in their employers feel motivated to work, versus less than 30% of those who don’t. But less than half of workers say they trust their employer.

2. Excessive Stress

Chronic stress is the most visible red flag of a toxic workplace. In a Deloitte survey, 77% of employees reported experiencing burnout at their current job more than half of them more than once. Despite this, 70% feel their employers aren’t doing enough to address it, and 21% say their organization offers no burnout support at all. With 1 in 4 professionals rarely using their vacation days, it’s no surprise that stress is leading to fatigue, mental health decline, and time away from work.

Read more: Understanding Workplace Absenteeism: Causes, Impact & Prevention

3. High Turnover Rates

According to a 2023 SHRM report, 32.4% of employees who left their jobs cited a toxic or negative workplace as the leading reason. This culture-driven turnover has cost U.S. businesses $223 billion, while toxic workplaces also contribute to $16 billion annually in employee healthcare expenses, as estimated by the U.S. Surgeon General.

4. Low Morale and Negativity

Toxic workplaces drain motivation, spark resentment, and create a culture where negativity spreads fast. According to Gallup, low employee engagement costs the global economy a staggering $8.9 trillion, or 9% of global GDP. What’s more, 70% of the variance in team engagement is directly tied to the manager meaning poor leadership often fuels low morale from the top down.

5. Office Gossip

Employees spend an average of 52 minutes per day gossiping, and over 90% admit to engaging in it at work. What’s more concerning is that gossip is 2.7 times more likely to be harmful than positive, fueling mistrust, anxiety, and division among teams all classic signs of a toxic environment.

Root Causes of a Toxic Work Environment

We’ve looked at the warning signs now it’s time to go deeper: What actually causes a toxic work environment?

Toxic cultures don’t emerge overnight. They build up over time through unchecked behaviors, structural gaps, and unhealthy cultural norms. In this section, we’ll explore the most common root causes starting with leadership behavior, and moving through the organizational and cultural issues that quietly create and sustain workplace toxicity.

1. Leadership Behaviors that Erode Trust

A toxic work environment often starts at the top. When leaders model unhealthy behaviors, it creates a ripple effect throughout the organization. In fact, when asked who is most responsible for toxic workplace cultures, 33% of employees pointed to middle managers, and 27.5% to C-level leadership clearly indicating that leadership behavior is a major root cause.

• Verbal Abuse and Public Shaming by Leaders

One of the clearest signs of a toxic leader is someone who manages through intimidation yelling, belittling, or shaming employees instead of coaching or supporting them. As Tom Hanks famously said in Saving Private Ryan, “Complaints go up the chain of command not down.” Yet in toxic workplaces, it's often the opposite. Leaders who constantly punch down by venting frustrations at their team aren’t just expressing discontent they’re modeling toxic behavior for everyone else.

In a report, 56% of employees said they’ve felt belittled in front of their colleagues making it one of the most common toxic behaviors experienced in the workplace. Public shaming like this breaks trust, breeds resentment, and leaves lasting damage on morale.

This kind of top-down verbal hostility sends a dangerous message: that disrespect is acceptable if it comes from the top. You can’t demand respect while modeling the exact opposite because when you do, you’re essentially saying the rules apply to them but not to you. If leaders want accountability and collaboration, it has to start with how they treat their people especially in tough moments.

• Micromanagement and Lack of Autonomy

At first glance, micromanagement can seem like a leader’s way of ensuring quality but in reality, it often signals a lack of trust. When leaders insist on controlling every step of how work gets done checking every detail, dictating every process they don’t just drain employee motivation. They rob people of the freedom to think, explore, and take ownership of their work.

This approach may feel productive, but it creates a stifling environment where creativity dies, engagement drops, and frustration builds up. As motivation dwindles, so does performance and ironically, the micromanager ends up just as frustrated as their team. It's perfectly reasonable to expect results, but how your team gets there should include some space for autonomy. Without that, leaders unknowingly become a key source of toxicity.

• Favoritism and Nepotism

According to a study by INTOO, 46% of employees report experiencing favoritism from their managers. Favoritism isn’t always loud it often hides in plain sight through preferential treatment, protecting “insiders,” or advancing those from similar backgrounds or tenure, regardless of competence.

Favoritism tends to create a quiet, closed club understood by all, but rarely addressed. Nepotism, on the other hand, can be overt: like hiring a relative over more qualified candidates. In fast-growing organizations, it’s common to see long-tenured employees form tight alliances, shutting others out. These practices send a loud message that talent and performance don’t matter as much as who you know.

• Refusal to Take Accountability

One of the most damaging behaviors leaders can model is the refusal to take ownership especially when things don’t go as planned. When leaders step back instead of stepping up, it sends a clear message: responsibility is optional at the top. Over time, this mindset creates frustration and mistrust among teams, who begin to question the standards being upheld.

Wiley’s research highlights this disconnect while 76% of executives and 71% of directors feel comfortable taking risks, only 53% of individual contributors feel the same. Without leaders modeling accountability, employees feel unsupported, hesitant to act, and less likely to speak up or contribute meaningfully. The result is a disengaged workforce where progress stalls and psychological safety vanishes.

These behaviors may seem small in isolation but together, they build a toxic tone that employees mirror, tolerate, or eventually flee from. And when leadership sets the wrong example, the rest of the culture follows.

2. Cultural Norms that Normalize Dysfunction

When dysfunction becomes routine, it stops being questioned it becomes culture. Over time, toxic behaviors are no longer seen as problems to fix but as norms to survive. Let’s get into this section and uncover how these norms silently shape toxic work environments.

• Gossip and Workplace Agitators

As we’ve already mentioned, gossip is a clear sign of a toxic workplace but it’s more than just a symptom. It’s a root cause of workplace toxicity. Gossip, defined as communication about an absent or unaware third party, is rampant in many organizations, with 90% of employees admitting to engaging in it.

While it may seem harmless, negative gossip fundamentally disrupts workplace dynamics. Gossipers are often perceived as norm violators individuals who engage in malicious or self-serving conversations that erode trust. They may appear powerful or influential in the moment, but they are ultimately seen as less likable and less trustworthy. When gossip is motivated by personal gain or aggression, it poisons team morale and fosters an environment of suspicion and division.

Unchecked gossip doesn’t just hurt individual employees it feeds into a broader toxic work culture. It creates invisible walls between employees, discourages collaboration, and breeds a workplace where insecurity, tension, and distrust quietly flourish over time.

• Blame Culture

Blame Culture often replaces accountability and the effects are far-reaching. Supervisors who are constantly looking for someone to blame, rather than focusing on solutions, create an atmosphere of fear, defensiveness, and silence. When leaders deflect responsibility, especially in moments of failure, it sends a signal that self-preservation matters more than team success. 

Even when a mistake isn’t entirely your fault, leadership often requires stepping up and owning the outcome. That’s why strong leaders “fall on the sword” for their teams they model accountability from the top. But in blame-driven cultures, the instinct is to protect one’s own image, even if it means throwing others under the bus. 

It’s important to understand that toxic work environments aren’t always defined by shouting or visible conflict. Sometimes, dysfunction hides in quiet defensiveness, where everyone is trying to avoid blame instead of working collaboratively. In such settings, people become more focused on self-protection than innovation or progress.

Read more: 9 Tips for Improving Workplace Accountability + Examples

• Emotional Spillover From Leadership

Leaders set more than just goals they set the emotional climate of the workplace. Their moods, reactions, and stress levels often become the unspoken baseline for how others behave and feel. Whether it's visible frustration, passive-aggressive comments, or unchecked emotional outbursts, this emotional spillover becomes contagious shaping how teams interact, perform, and respond to pressure.

Psychologist Elaine Hatfield, in her book Emotional Contagion, explains how our brains are wired to mirror the emotions of those around us. If you're surrounded by constant tension or negativity, it seeps in altering not just your mood but your ability to stay focused and motivated. These emotions aren't momentary they follow people through the day, into their homes, and right back into the office the next morning, fueling an ongoing cycle of emotional fatigue.

More dangerously, emotional spillover can come in the form of microaggressions especially toward assertive employees. As Amy Kalokerinos shares:

“I used to get labeled as emotional, aggressive dramatic even pushy or sensitive. At first, I saw them as insults. But over time, I realized these labels weren't really about me. They were projections microaggressions from leaders and coworkers who were uncomfortable with assertiveness, especially from women. Those subtle put-downs didn't just affect my confidence they made me question if I belonged in the role at all."

Amy Kalokerinos

Founder of Akalaid

When leaders fail to manage their emotional influence, the damage is slow but steady. It chips away at employee confidence, reinforces unhealthy power dynamics, and cultivates the emotional instability that defines toxic work culture.

• High Stakes for Small Mistakes

In some organizations especially during periods of economic uncertainty leaders turn to layoffs as a cost-cutting measure. But instead of large, transparent reductions, some companies adopt a quieter tactic: letting go of a few employees at a time to avoid making headlines or affecting investor confidence. The result? A culture where even small mistakes can put someone’s job on the line.

When performance is measured with zero tolerance for error, it creates an intimidating environment where employees feel like they’re constantly walking on eggshells. Employees become overly cautious, avoid decision-making, and shy away from innovation not because they lack ideas, but because they fear becoming the next target. In these environments, it doesn’t matter how consistently someone performs; one wrong move could be career-ending.

Over time, this creates an intimidating atmosphere in the workplace. As a result, Instead of working together toward shared goals, everyone is focused on self-preservation. A workplace like this may still hit short-term financial targets but it does so at the cost of long-term trust, creativity, and employee well-being.

3. Organizational Gaps that Fuel Disengagement

Even in workplaces that don’t seem outwardly toxic, internal dysfunction can quietly take root through systemic gaps especially when communication, safety, and growth are overlooked. 

• No Clear Communication or Expectations

“Communication is crucial and needs to be open and transparent to build a trusting culture where people can ask questions, share ideas, speak up, call out toxic behaviours, and have confidence they will be listened to and action will be taken. It’s always complex but we are all human and building the cultures where people are psychologically safe has to be at the heart of fixing these cultures."

Katie Marlow

Business Communication Consultant & Internal Communication Specialist

Yet in many organizations, this kind of clarity is sorely lacking. One of the most overlooked drivers of workplace toxicity is ambiguity. A Gallup study found that 50% of employees don’t know what’s expected of them at work a striking indicator of leadership and communication gaps. When employees are left to interpret expectations on their own, they don’t just get confused they get anxious.

In this kind of environment, overcompensation becomes a survival tactic. Employees start double-checking every detail, hesitating to make decisions, and preparing for problems that may never come all to avoid failure or criticism. While this behavior might look like diligence on the surface, it’s often a reaction to unclear leadership and a lack of trust in the system.

Over time, unclear communication doesn’t just slow down work it chips away at the emotional resilience of your workforce and opens the door for deeper workplace toxicity to take root.

• Lack of Psychological Safety

“Repeated threats and intimidation is the most commonly used tool by managers or leadership at a toxic workplace The desire is to instill fear in employees with an intent to manipulate, harass, or underpay them and impede their growth opportunities. It robs an employee of their sense of safety and can make them feel very vulnerable and psychologically unsafe."

Smriti Joshi

Lead Psychologist at Wysa

Psychological safety isn’t just a buzzword it’s the baseline for open communication, collaboration, and innovation. Yet, in toxic workplaces, it’s often missing. Instead of feeling supported, employees operate in fear afraid to speak up, question decisions, or admit mistakes.

This isn’t just a feeling. A troubling number of employees report direct experiences with harmful behaviors: 42% say they’ve experienced bullying and 26% report harassment in the workplace. These experiences take a toll leading to chronic stress, burnout, and a sharp decline in performance.

When employees are forced to stay silent or protect themselves from retaliation, it stifles trust, erodes morale, and ultimately breaks down the organization’s ability to function effectively. What’s left is a culture of self-preservation, where people stop contributing not because they don’t care, but because it no longer feels safe to do so.

• Institutional Knowledge Being Undervalued

In every organization, there’s a value that isn’t written down processes that evolved over time, lessons learned the hard way, and deep understandings of how teams work best. When leaders fail to recognize or retain this institutional knowledge, especially during times of high turnover or constant restructuring, it signals a deeper problem: experience doesn’t matter here.

Employees who’ve contributed for years may find their insights ignored or their roles sidelined, while newer hires are left without guidance or historical context. The result? A cycle of inefficiency, frustration, and burnout as teams are forced to rebuild what was already known.

“As managers, founders, and leaders alike have quickly realized, knowledge loss due to employee turnover is essentially training your competitors. That’s why understanding the causes and magnitude of this knowledge gap requires a proactive attitude toward building strategies for managing and retaining an organization’s hard-earned wisdom."

Gunter Wessels

Founder & CEO, LiquidSmarts

When legacy knowledge is consistently overlooked, it breeds resentment, discourages loyalty, and erodes team cohesion. People begin to feel replaceable and in a culture like that, trust and engagement quickly unravel.

• Leaders Not Modeling Company Values

Company values aren’t just words on a website they’re supposed to be the foundation for how decisions are made, how people are treated, and how teams operate. But when leadership fails to embody those values in their daily actions, it creates a disconnect that employees notice immediately.

In fact, 34% of UK employees say their employer’s actions are not aligned with the values the organization claims to represent. This kind of misalignment doesn’t just cause confusion it quietly erodes trust and fosters cynicism. Employees begin to question the authenticity of the culture and whether leadership is genuinely invested in their well-being or simply posturing.

It’s no surprise then that 27.5% of employees directly blame leadership for creating toxic workplace cultures. Because culture is not just what you preach it’s what you tolerate, prioritize, and consistently demonstrate.

Impact of Toxic Work Environments on Employees and Organizations

A toxic workplace doesn’t just create discomfort it carries real, measurable consequences for both employees and organizations. The OAK Toxic Workplace Report 2023 offers critical insights into how pervasive and damaging these environments can be.

Impact on Employees:

Toxic work cultures take a heavy toll on the individual. According to the report:

• 87% of employees say a toxic workplace has negatively impacted their mental health
• 73% link a toxic workplace to experiencing burnout
• 61% have resigned from a job due to workplace culture issues
• 71% admit they’ve opted to work from home just to avoid toxic office dynamics
• 47% believe that companies with toxic cultures include “red flags” in their job description like “managing stress” (46%), “working under pressure” (45%), “fast-paced environment” (39%), or “wearing many hats” (28%).
  

These numbers show how toxicity doesn’t stay at work it follows employees home, affects their well-being, and forces them to take drastic actions like leaving or disengaging.

Impact on Organizations:

The cost of a toxic workplace is just as damaging to the organization itself. From productivity to retention, here’s how it shows up:

• 67% of employees believe that a negative culture hurts retention
• 63% say it directly reduces job satisfaction and wellbeing
• 54% report a clear drop in productivity in toxic environments
• 43% say toxic culture affects attendance, leading to more absenteeism
• 39% point to poor collaboration, with toxic dynamics limiting communication, teamwork, and the free exchange of ideas
  

These effects ripple across the business eroding performance, increasing costs, and ultimately damaging the company’s ability to attract and retain top talent.

How to Fix a Toxic Work Environment

Toxic workplace cultures don’t change overnight but they can be changed. Whether you're an employee navigating dysfunction or a leader looking to rebuild trust, meaningful change starts with small, intentional steps. Here’s what both sides can do to fix toxicity at its roots.

What Organizations Can Do to Fix Workplace Toxicity

Fixing a toxic workplace isn’t about quick wins or empty gestures it’s about systemic change. Leaders must be willing to hold up a mirror, address uncomfortable truths, and follow through with action. Here’s how real progress begins:

1. Run Regular Engagement Surveys and Open Feedback Channels

Surface-level check-ins won’t expose deeper issues. Organizations need regular engagement surveys that go beyond metrics followed by real action.

One effective approach is combining quarterly pulse surveys with anonymous one-on-ones, especially in teams where toxicity is suspected. This dual strategy can help uncover hidden issues like communication breakdowns, favoritism, or unclear expectations.

Ask reflective questions such as:

• Do you feel respected in your role?”
• Do you feel supported in your role?
• Do you feel valued in your role?

If the answers are inconsistent or unclear, take them seriously. Data alone won’t fix the problem, but when used thoughtfully, it can guide leaders toward meaningful cultural improvements.

2. Take Visible Action Against Hypocrisy

From an HR standpoint, nothing erodes employee trust faster than double standards especially when top performers or leaders get a pass for toxic behavior. When core values like respect, fairness, and inclusion are selectively enforced, it signals that performance matters more than people, and that some individuals are above the rules.

That's where HR must take the lead not just in having policies on paper, but in applying them with consistency, clarity, and courage.

Here's how HR can step up:

• Set Clear Behavioral Standards: Define what constitutes unacceptable behavior bullying, favoritism, passive aggression and build it into your code of conduct and leadership training. Make it clear that no one is exempt from these expectations.
• Build a Tiered Disciplinary Framework: Create a system that maps out behavioral violations to defined consequences. Whether it's a first-time offense or repeated misconduct, HR must ensure consistent enforcement regardless of title or tenure.
• Document Everything Thoroughly: Maintain detailed records of complaints, investigations, outcomes, and follow-ups. This provides transparency and protects both employees and the organization.
• Enable Safe, Anonymous Reporting: Foster psychological safety by giving employees multiple, anonymous channels to report misconduct without fear of retaliation. And more importantly, follow up. Let teams know concerns are heard and addressed.
• Model Accountability from HR Itself: HR must lead by example calling out bias, challenging toxic leadership, and upholding values even when it's uncomfortable. Integrity from HR builds courage in others.
• Communicate Outcomes (Without Breaking Confidentiality): Highlight cultural wins and progress: "We've implemented a new standard." "We've addressed issues in [X] area." This level of transparency helps rebuild trust.

HR's credibility hinges on visible action. By holding everyone accountable including leadership HR defines the real culture: one where values are not just stated, but lived.

3. Introduce Anti-Gossip Culture with Proven Programs

Gossip isn't just harmless banter it's a silent productivity killer that erodes trust, fractures relationships, and fuels toxic behavior across teams. HR professionals often underestimate its impact until it becomes deeply embedded in the culture.

One powerful method to combat this comes from Glenn D. Rolfsen., a workplace psychotherapist who introduced the "Gossip 2016" initiative in his TED Talk How to start changing an unhealthy work environment.

Here's how you can lead this initiative effectively:

Start with Honest Dialogue

• Host a session with your team and ask two simple but direct questions:
• "Do you believe gossip happens here?"
• "Would you prefer to work in a place without it?"
• Getting honest input from employees is the first step in building ownership.

Define Gossip Clearly

• Use Socrates' Triple Filter Test to draw the line:

Make employees ask these questions to gossipers: 

1. Is it true?
2. Is it kind?
3. Is it useful?

If the answer to any of these is no or uncertain, it's likely gossip and it can be avoided. HR can incorporate this simple yet powerful framework into communication training, onboarding programs, and internal policies to help employees self-regulate and build healthier dialogue norms.

Formalize the Commitment

• Create a visible pledge "No backbiting takes place here" and ask team members to sign it voluntarily. Display it in a common area to reinforce shared accountability. This becomes a social contract, not a rulebook.

Keep the Culture Check Alive

• HR should lead short, recurring check-ins:
• "How are we doing with our no-gossip commitment?"
• This keeps the initiative top of mind and signals that leadership is invested in its success.

Those who implemented this approach have seen results such as reduced absenteeism, fewer internal conflicts, and stronger team cohesion.

By giving employees language, structure, and permission to say "no" to gossip, HR doesn't just fix a problem it builds a culture rooted in trust, clarity, and mutual respect.

4. Train and Hold Managers Accountable

Managers are often the first point of contact for employees, and when they lack emotional intelligence, conflict management skills, or basic people management capabilities, they can become a direct source of toxicity.

HR must ensure that management roles aren’t filled solely based on tenure or performance metrics. Instead, embed behavioral competencies like empathy, leadership communication, and psychological safety into promotion criteria and leadership development plans.

Start by:

• Implementing structured manager training programs that go beyond operations and focus on emotional intelligence, inclusive leadership, and difficult conversations
• Using 180° or 360° feedback mechanisms to gather constructive feedback and leadership feedback evaluating not just what managers deliver, but how they lead and how their teams experience them
• Embedding leadership behavior into performance reviews to make accountability non-negotiable
• Setting clear expectations and consequences for managers who repeatedly engage in toxic behaviors or fail to support their teams

Finally, HR must model consistency ensuring that managers are held to the same behavioral standards as everyone else. When HR leads with clarity and fairness, it reinforces that leadership is not just about authority it’s about responsibility.

5. Align Leadership Behavior with Company Values

Employees don’t judge values by what’s written in a handbook they judge by what they see. When leaders contradict core values like respect, inclusion, or transparency, it sends a clear message that those values are optional.

To prevent this, HR must act as the guardian of values not just during onboarding, but in everyday decision-making. This means:

• Embedding core values into leadership KPIs and promotion criteria
• Auditing leadership actions against cultural expectations, especially during times of change or conflict
• Ensuring consequence frameworks apply equally regardless of title or tenure
• Creating channels for employees to safely flag value misalignment, without fear of retaliation

In parallel, HR can partner with internal comms and senior leadership to share real stories of values in action acknowledging moments when difficult decisions were made in service of the company’s ethical stance.

When HR leads with consistency, integrity, and visibility, values stop being wall art and start becoming the foundation of how people lead, grow, and collaborate.

What Employees Can Do to Fix Workplace Toxicity

You as an employee, may not control the entire organization but how you respond can create a ripple effect. Here's a step-by-step approach to protect your well-being, contribute to change, and navigate toxic environments with clarity and confidence.

1. Stand your Ground with Integrity

In toxic workplaces, silence is often mistaken for agreement. If someone tries to belittle or intimidate you especially in front of others respond with calm, fact-based questions:

• “Are you saying my work is not up to standard?”
• “Can you explain how I should have handled that differently?”

This shifts the tone from emotional to professional, stopping inappropriate behavior without escalating conflict. It’s not about confrontation it’s about setting respectful boundaries.

But don’t stop there. After the moment has passed, bring the incident to HR especially if you believe it’s part of a pattern. Often, what seems like “just one situation” is part of a larger issue others are also experiencing.

By communicating clearly and documenting the behavior, you give HR the insight they need to investigate root causes, not just surface tension. This isn’t just protecting yourself it’s speaking up for those who might not feel safe doing the same.

When employees channel their courage into systemic action, HR can step in with greater clarity, accountability, and long-term solutions.

2. Observe Patterns Before you React

When things feel off, take a step back. Observe how others are treated are multiple people being micromanaged, excluded, or constantly overlooked? Discretion is important here. Reacting without enough context can backfire, especially in environments where retaliation is subtle but real.

As you notice patterns, document what you see: dates, incidents, affected individuals. This isn’t just for your own protection it’s evidence that can help HR understand whether the issue is isolated or systemic.

If you feel safe, approach HR with your observations. You don’t need to accuse just share what you’ve noticed like: 

“I’m seeing a pattern that’s affecting team morale, and I think it’s worth looking into.”

Use available channels: direct outreach to HR, anonymous reporting tools, or scheduled 1:1s during engagement surveys. The goal isn’t just to raise a flag it’s to give HR enough visibility to act strategically.

When employees bring patterns not just isolated complaints to HR’s attention, it allows them to connect the dots and take meaningful, organization-wide action.

3. Learn the System and Use It Strategically

When you are escalating the concern, do it with intention. Start by understanding how your organization's HR or Employee Relations processes work:

• What type of documentation strengthens your case?
• How are complaints evaluated and followed up?
• Are there protections in place against retaliation?

Knowing the system equips you to raise concerns more effectively. But it doesn't stop there.

If you see gaps slow response times, unclear steps, or fear of backlash bring that to HR too as a constructive insight like:

"I've noticed employees are hesitant to speak up. Can we explore safer ways to report concerns?"

An organization that fosters a positive work environment welcomes employee input in improving its reporting culture, even co-creating safer feedback mechanisms or anonymous channels with internal advocates.

When employees engage HR thoughtfully and proactively, they become part of the solution not just a voice in the crowd.

And if your efforts to raise legitimate concerns are dismissed, it's also okay to escalate externally through labor laws or legal support.

4. Evaluate If the Culture Aligns with your Values

If you've raised concerns, observed patterns, and still see no accountability or change it's not a failure on your part. It's a reflection of a workplace that isn't willing to grow. So, the hardest but healthiest choice for you to escape workplace toxicity is to step away.

You're not being "too sensitive." You're being honest about what matters to you respect, fairness, psychological safety. And if those values are constantly dismissed or contradicted, it's okay to walk away. That's not quitting. That's self-respect.

Think of it this way: every time you stay in a toxic culture, you teach yourself to tolerate less than you deserve. When you leave, you're not just leaving a job you're reclaiming your standards. There are organizations that live their values, where your voice matters and your growth is supported. You'll feel the difference the moment you get there.

5. Reflect and Reclaim your Energy

Toxic workplaces don’t just drain your time they quietly take pieces of your confidence. You might find yourself second-guessing decisions, over-explaining things, or feeling anxious about even minor feedback even after you’ve left. That’s not a weakness. That’s the residue of a culture that made you question your worth.

Give yourself space to reflect without judgment. What did that environment teach you? What habits did you develop just to survive? And which of those do you no longer need?

Talk it out with someone you trust, or journal if that feels safer. The goal isn’t to dwell it’s to understand what you carried with you, so you can start putting it down. 

Reclaiming your energy isn’t just about moving on. It’s about showing up in your next role with clarity, confidence, and a better understanding of what you need to thrive.

Conclusion

A toxic work environment isn't just a personal challenge it's an organizational crisis. From mental health deterioration to high turnover and lost productivity, the effects of workplace toxicity run deep and wide. Left unaddressed, it chips away at morale, trust, and long-term business sustainability.

To create lasting change, companies must go beyond surface-level fixes. This includes equipping leaders and teams with the right mindset, training, and accountability structures. That's where Edstellar comes in with a comprehensive suite of corporate training programs and its powerful Skill Matrix Platform, organizations can assess, build, and align skills in a way that fosters healthy, high-performing cultures.

Workplace culture is everyone's responsibility. Whether you're leading a team or trying to survive a tough environment, know this: change is possible. With the right tools, awareness, and commitment, it's entirely within your power to build a workplace where people feel safe, valued, and empowered to thrive.