We live in a world where ‘hustling’ and ‘grind’ are words everybody uses. Often, unironically. Ever wondered where it comes from? It comes from the vicious web of toxic work culture.
Ahhh, the rust to every ship: toxic work culture! It can have a devastating impact on companies, from poor employee engagement to a decline in brand reputation. To understand how toxic environments form, it's crucial to consider two primary drivers: People and Policy. Subtle, often unspoken, policies can quietly erode workplace morale—whether it's docking pay for minor infractions, or forcing employees to work late hours unnecessarily.
When an organisation finally reaches a breaking point with its culture, no amount of good PR and marketing can fix the damage caused by unhappy employees. Once the word gets out, it becomes doubly hard to attract top talent.
Which brings us to the most important part of the conversation. What can employers do to prevent a toxic work culture from forming?
Steps Companies Can Take to Combat Toxic Work Culture
Walk The Talk
We’ve all heard the, “We are a family here” kind of conversations when HRs are onboarding people. While it is easy for organisations to make such claims, or celebrate days like World Mental Health Day, the first and foremost step is to internalise this talk. Leaders and decision-makers of the organisation should walk the talk and must embody the values that the organisation preaches.
Train and Leverage EQ
Managers play a crucial role in shaping workplace culture. It is indeed true what they say, people quit their managers, not companies. Along with other skills, managers and top leaders must be trained in Emotional Quotient (EQ). This empowers them to make decisions that are more people-focused and focus on skills like stress management, and conflict resolution, through a more empathetic lens.
Encourage Open Communication
Do people in your organisation discuss their challenges with their leaders? Or are they afraid to bring up any confrontational conversations with leaders? A healthy workplace enables its employees to speak freely, voice their concerns, and create a feedback loop wherein they can suggest ideas without any fear. This encourages innovation and fosters an environment where employees grow with the organisation.
Recognize and Reward Positive Behavior
No no, this doesn’t just mean awards like ‘Employee of the Month/Week’ kind of awards. It means acknowledging good work, and good behaviour. This can be something as small as a ‘Thank you card’ or sharing someone’s team spirit as learnings over mail. This lets everybody know that even if in small ways, good culture is always acknowledged and appreciated.
Enforce People-First Policies
Just making clear policies does not cut it. If we want to retain talent, we have to keep people-first policies. For example, include period leaves for menstruators, and keep a very clear policy on zero tolerance of discrimination based on caste, class, race, gender, or sexuality. This helps employees bring their most authentic selves to the workplace without the fear of being ostracised.In terms of work hours, scrap policies like ‘late punch-ins’ and replace them with flexible work hours, and scrap other problematic policies like the sandwich leave policy.
Focus on Employee Wellbeing
How do we do that? For smaller organisations, starting every meeting with an emotional and bandwidth check-in. It is a small way in which employees feel seen and more cared for. Of course, this has to be supplemented with other ways. If you have the money kept aside for employee welfare, another way is to get an Employee Assistance Partner or an EAP provider like mental health organisations that work closely with the employees and the HR department to understand concerns and manage them better. This could be through one-on-one therapy, group sessions, or training for leaders. Showing a commitment to improvement is crucial for long-term cultural change.
Conclusion
To sum it up, a toxic work culture is neither built in a day nor is it resolved in a day. It requires consistent and everyday work to show up for one’s team in small (and big), but significant ways. A toxic work culture won’t simply harm day-to-day work, but make bigger dents in the company’s reputation, as well as pockets. By focusing on employee well-being, transparency, and authentic leadership, companies can create an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated. Combating toxic culture requires continuous effort, but the rewards are worth it—happy employees lead to higher productivity, better customer service, and a stronger reputation in the marketplace.
Psst! This blog was created after a lot of thought by a real person. #NoGenerativeAI
