Women who are leading the way in addressing toxic workplace culture

Jacinda Ardern showed an example of how vulnerability and honesty can lead to healthy workplace decisions. Credit: News Zealand Ministry of Justice / Wikimedia Commons

I saw the beginning of 2023 started out for three strong resilient and intelligent professional women like past years did perhaps for others like them – speaking up and against toxic workplace cultures. On January 19, 2023, Jacinda Ardern, shocked the citizens of New Zealand and many of us around the world by announcing her resignation. In her dignified style she referenced exhaustion among other reasons for her decision.

 “I know what this job takes and I don’t have enough left in the tank,” she said. 

Later in the month, Whitney Sharpe, a Sales Executive, posted a video on TikTok that went viral as she calmly called-out a vendor for “locker-room talk” about her during a business meeting. Topping off the month of January 2023 was American Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), who skillfully articulates her views on “the racism and incitement of violence against women of colour in this body”.

There are many women like AOC who show-up for work dealing with toxic workplace cultures, there are many like Whitney Sharpe that display courage in calling out harassing behaviour, and there are those like Prime Minister Ardern who know when their capacity is compromised and decide it’s time to leave. As a racialized woman who has two careers: co-raising two humans and working in the People & Culture/Human Resources space, my heart sometimes aches from reading and experiencing toxic workplace cultures, it is sometimes afraid for individuals newly entering the workforce, and sometimes my heart is angry and simply fed-up – how is it that these toxic workplace environments still exist? 

What is a toxic workplace environment? 

In order to unpack this beast of toxicity at work, a definition is handy. A toxic workplace environment is a specific recipe of norms and behaviours which result in people feeling and being psychologically unsafe, bullied, harassed, discriminated against, isolated, and stressed. 

In toxic workplace environments employees consistently experience negative behaviours, attitudes and interactions; examples include gaslighting, gossip, micromanagement, and favouritism. 

Toxic workplace environments can also be caused by lack of capacity or resources, unrealistic expectations and lack of trust within teams or between management and employees. They are literally the polar opposite of humanity, inclusion, and belonging at work. I believe there are three core ingredients – what I consider to be the underbelly – that contribute to toxic workplaces environments: systemic discrimination, condonation, and espoused values versus enacted values. 

Systemic Discrimination 

Systemic discrimination is deeply rooted behavioural patterns, policies and practices that result in favorable outcomes for one group of people while unfavorable outcomes for others. Also known as ‘institutional discrimination’ it’s possibly the most significant contributor to a toxic workplace environment. Why? Because, when something is ‘systemic’ is pervasive – it’s in every nook and cranny of a workplace and worse it’s wreaking havoc on and causing harm to employees. 

Condonation 

When nothing is said, when excuses are made, when ‘group-think’ results in group-behaviour and is not called out, condonation is in full-affect. Defined as accepting an employee’s behaviour, condonation shows up not addressing the behaviour immediately, allowing an employee to remain in their position even after misconduct has been proven, or when an employer fails to “discipline employees who have engaged in similar conduct“. The point being that tolerating, allowing, or not consistently addressing behaviours that are resulting in toxic workplace environments is irresponsible. In fact, employers have a moral and legal obligation to provide safeguards for employees that cultivate workplace environments that are safe and free from bullying, harassment, violence and discrimination. 

Espoused Versus Enacted Values 

Espoused values are the ones that an organization publicly professes through such things as  mission or vision statements, statements of intent, or manifestos. Enacted values, on the other hand, are the values that are actually practiced or demonstrated. They are the values that are reflected in the actions and decisions of all employees regardless of title or role.   

In other words, espoused values are what organizations say they believe in, while enacted values are what they actually do or demonstrate through their actions.Toxic workplace environments will exist when espoused values do not align with enacted values. 

What’s Needed to Dismantle Toxic Workplace Environments 

As I’ve stated above, organizations have a moral and legal obligation to create a safe and healthy work environment with and for employees. The ‘with’ is important folks – take a “nothing for us without us” approach and be truly collaborative with employees. Listen to them and incorporate what they have to say. Take a proactive approach to identifying and addressing potential issues that could lead to a toxic workplace environment. Some strategies include: 

• Cultivate a clear and positive workplace culture: This includes setting clear expectations for behavior, promoting positive communication, and recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work. It can also include zero-tolerance policies and ‘real-deal’ enacted values. 

• Encourage and model open communication: Employees should feel comfortable discussing their concerns with their managers without fear of retribution. Regular check-ins, pulse-check surveys, and focus groups can help management to identify areas of concern and work to improve them.

• Provide learning experiences for all employees (again regardless of title or role). Everyone is responsible for humanity in the workplace. Training that not only elevates employee emotional intelligence should be balanced with training on acceptable behavior in the workplace, how to recognize toxic behavior, and what to do when it occurs.

• Follow existing legislation and be mindful of jurisprudence while implementing policies and procedures that are specific to your organization: Clear policies and procedures should be in place to address issues such as bullying, discrimination, and harassment. In Canada all provinces have workers compensation entities who provide fabulous guidance in these areas. Employees should be aware of these policies and procedures and have a clear understanding of the consequences of violating them. 

• Provide support for employees: This includes providing access to resources such as employee assistance programs, mental health services, and flexible work arrangements.

Stagnant mindsets and ignorance are contributing to toxic workplace environments, but the workforce is changing and demanding better. Outside of using common sense, human rights exist for a reason and must be taken to heart. And if nothing else, remember the words of the legendary Maya Angelou, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”