Recently, I read a SHRM article about dealing with toxic employees when they are loved by managers and it resonated with me. The article was solidly written, focusing on “how to” by setting expectations and addressing specific examples of toxicity as they occur, then documenting it all to protect the organization. The trouble is, despite any number of “how to” instructions, too many organizations don’t really do anything to fix the situation.
We can all point to a toxic person(s) in the workplace, and everyone reading this can picture an example of the classic toxic characters:
- The top sales guy who rages when he’s angry
- The owner’s daughter who spends her day shopping online and scrolling on her phone
- The Queen Bee of gossip and supreme source of all interesting personal information on everyone – who has the ear of the CEO
- The manager who takes credit for successes without sharing recognition for those who did the work
- The co-worker who blames everyone else and plays an Oscar-worthy role of the victim
Regardless of the defining behavior, experts agree toxic employees make co-workers unhappy and less productive. Unfortunately, toxicity often spreads, and soon the entire department/team/location is so mired in unhealthy habits that no one even realizes how horrible it feels! Remember the story of boiling a frog?
The organization absolutely suffers when toxicity is allowed to continue.
Morale suffers. Good ideas aren’t shared. Employees stop talking. Creativity and Initiative are quashed. Resumes get updated and headhunters start plucking teammates out. Costs go up due to recruiting and training from the turnover. Employee ratings and engagement scores plummet. Sometimes EAP and mental health benefit utilization increases. People complain to HR. The list goes on and on…
In many organizations, the typical way to deal with toxicity is to ignore it. After all, if we ignore a problem it almost always goes away, right? Ignoring toxicity is like ignoring weeds in your yard….what started as a tiny patch soon overtakes the entire lot and restoring a nice lawn requires a lot of time and money. The best way to deal with toxic employees is to weed them out. Of course, that’s easier said than done when the toxic employees are in key roles or relationships with leaders. However, a wise owner or leader will address the toxicity and remove the behaviors, or the person displaying them, in order to prosper the organization.
If you are in an organization where toxicity is not addressed, you have to decide whether to stay and get boiled or to jump out of the pot and seek a better situation. You can stay and fight for change – but realize there is only so much that HR and Managers can do if leadership tolerates bad behavior from key employers. If you haven’t raised your concerns to someone that could perhaps address them, please try. Walking away without some attempt to report and repair toxic damage will likely haunt you. Take away the “what if” questions you might later ask yourself, and perhaps you’ll actually see your employer take action to improve your situation! If you’ve already tried in vain, then face it – you want out. The stress is no doubt taking its toll, and your family will appreciate the change in you if you get out. It is a job-seeker’s market in almost every industry and trade – now is a perfect opportunity to explore new opportunities available and find a healthier place to work. Research companies before you apply, utilize a search firm or ‘headhunter’ to hone your resume and confidentially market your skills, explore relevant job boards for your field, and apply strategically. The uncertainty of searching for a job, interviewing, and making a change can be scary – but there are better alternatives out there, go and find yours!