5 signs of a toxic work environment

Colleagues huddle around the coffee machine, whispering about their frustration over a decision announced in the last team meeting. A manager publicly scolds a team member in front of the entire office for missing a deadline. Some employees keep seeing their workload pile up because their teammates are frequently absent.

If any of these situations sound familiar, you might be working in a toxic environment. Here are five warning signs to watch for.

1. A declining work climate

A toxic work environment often reveals itself through a noticeably negative atmosphere in the office. Employees seem demotivated, stressed, and in low spirits. Communication between managers and their teams is either poor or completely broken, leading to more side conversations and office gossip. Complaints to management or HR also tend to increase.

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2. Micromanagement and lack of trust

Do supervisors consistently make detailed to-do lists, including notes on when and how to complete them?
Is every delivered assignment meticulously reviewed, with large sections—or even the entire work—being redone?
Are movements and ongoing activities closely monitored?

This is micromanagement. It’s often deeply rooted in a dysfunctional organizational culture, which is a big problem because it significantly impacts everyone’s engagement levels. Worse yet, most micromanagers don’t even realize they’re doing it.

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3. Incivility and harassment

In a dysfunctional workplace, incivility is often part of the daily reality—whether between employees or across management levels. It can take many forms, both subtle and overt: ignoring a colleague, being cold in verbal or written exchanges, using sarcasm, making disparaging remarks, taking credit for someone else’s work, or blaming others for personal mistakes. When these behaviours become repetitive, abusive, or particularly severe, they can escalate into workplace harassment.

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Poor collaboration and underperformance

Another clear sign of a toxic work environment is a lack of effective collaboration:

Some people aren’t invited to meetings or simply don’t show up
Teams operate in silos
Tasks are duplicated or fall through the cracks

Underperformance becomes evident both at the team and individual levels. There’s also a noticeable lack of proactivity, initiative, and accountability across the organization, with teams showing low autonomy.

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5. High absenteeism and turnover

Given the four warning signs mentioned earlier, it’s no surprise that toxic workplaces struggle to retain employees, leading to a higher-than-average turnover rate. On top of that, these organizations often see unusually high levels of absenteeism, extended leaves, and burnout. When you consider that, according to Work Institute, replacing an employee can cost a company up to 33% of that position’s annual salary, it becomes clear that retaining existing talent is a smart investment.

33%

of an employee’s annual salary—that’s the cost of replacing them, according to Work Institute. (1)

If you’ve noticed one or more of these signs in your workplace, it’s time to take action. Turn to Boostalab for expert guidance in building strategies that will help you turn things around!

21%

According to Gallup, happy, motivated teams and employees are 21% more profitable than unmotivated teams. (2)

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What if we rethought soft skills training?

A healthy work environment is more than just the absence of tension. It’s a place where communication flows, collaboration happens naturally, and everyone feels respected and valued.

Recognizing the signs of a toxic workplace is the first step to addressing the issue. But the real challenge is going further—building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute fully to collective success.

At Boostalab, we know that transforming workplace culture doesn’t happen overnight. That’s why we offer concrete solutions to help you create lasting, positive change in your organization.

Our solutions

✔ Le Lab: Our online learning platform is designed to make learning engaging and flexible. Interactive courses available anytime, anywhere.
✔ Interactive team training paths: Immersive learning experiences that span several weeks, combining workshops with hands-on practice.
✔ Training boosts: A fun, interactive group workshop that helps build and reinforce key behaviours in just 30 days.
✔ Ready-to-train kits: Practical, engaging content that’s easy to implement directly in your LMS.

Not sure which soft skills training is right for you? Take the quiz and find the perfect fit!