After months of searching, you finally landed a new job.
Congratulations!
But beware – all might not be what it seems. As you start your first day, red flags pop up all around you.
Top Signs of a Toxic Workplace
I know you’re in dire need of employment. I get it.
But if you notice these signs of a toxic workplace on your first few days, keep your head down and keep searching.
Your new job will be a nightmare.
They Don’t Train You
You’ve arrived at the office, bright-eyed and busy-tailed, ready to start your new role.
Your manager greets you, shows you to your workspace, and then bounces, expecting you to dive in and get to work.
Best of luck to you!
The first day (or even week!) of a good job will include training. Your manager will let you know what to expect, make you watch stupid training videos, or pair you up with a more experienced employee to help you get your feet wet.
Only a mismanaged workplace would hire someone and expect them to figure everything out all on their own.
All the Employees Side Hustle
As you gather around the water cooler with your new colleagues, you notice an interesting trend.
All they talk about is their side hustle.
Mark drives for Uber after work. Sally walks dogs. Tony has a weekend job. Hustle culture is a way of life.
But what does that tell you? If every single one of your coworkers is relying on a second stream of income to survive, they’re probably underpaid.
That means you shouldn’t expect any raises.
While it might be okay if you’re just starting your career, you’ll probably need to look elsewhere to advance.
Walking on Eggshells
During your first week, pay close attention to the way your new coworkers behave, especially around the boss.
Watch what happens when the manager steps into the room. Does the conversation stop? Does it seem like everyone walks on eggshells every time they interact with your boss?
If that happens, you probably have a toxic boss, which is the biggest sign of a toxic workplace.
Immediate Evals
You’ve been there for a week, and finally feel like you’re getting it.
Suddenly, it’s evaluation time, and you’re not doing well.
The boss expected you to be at 100% by now (despite the lack of training). They’re belittling your performance, acting disappointed in your progress, and demanding improvement.
I’m not saying a good company won’t have immediate evals – they absolutely will. But in non-toxic workplaces, the evaluation will be supportive. The boss will ask how you’re doing, how they can help, and make sure you have what you need for success.
Only a terrible boss at a terrible company would expect someone to be at 100% a week into the new job. And I promise if they’re nitpicking your performance already, it will never end.
No Onboarding
The first day of work should include employee onboarding. You’ll sign whatever paperwork the company requires, verify your direct deposit information, and get some information on rules of behavior and all that.
It’s a bad sign if no one shows up to do the onboarding. It’s also a bad sign if no one ever does any type of onboarding.
No Handbook
I know that nobody reads the employee handbook, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t exist.
Great companies create standard handbooks that outline rules, expectations, employee rights, and responsibilities.
You probably won’t find a handbook at small companies (though a good one will at least have something!). But it’s a massive red flag if a giant corporation doesn’t have one.
Unclear Expectations
Even without a handbook, a new job should come with a certain set of expectations.
A good supervisor will tell you what they expect of you – both regarding behavior on the job and performance. These expectations should be fair, straightforward, and apply to everyone.
Bad bosses will constantly contradict themselves, leaving new hires unsure of their performance goals. The worst bosses leave everyone guessing.
Vague Answers
If you ask a question, your supervisor should be able to answer it. If they can’t tell you what to do, what the standards are, or how to get ahead, you might be in for a toxic ride.
It’s even worse when it comes to conversations about awards or raises. Managers absolutely love to dangle the carrot of more money in their employees’ faces.
A good company has clear and static measurements of how to get that sweet reward, but a toxic workplace pushes vague answers and impossible standards.
No Work-Life Balance
As you look around at your coworkers, you see signs of exhaustion everywhere. They’re constantly putting in extra hours for projects, coming in early and staying late.
And then the boss starts in on you.
He sends an email at 5 pm, then 6, then 7. He pushes the boundaries of when he can contact you, and expects you to always be available.
You soon find that if you stay there, the job will be your entire life.
Uncivil Coworkers
Every workplace has that guy. He’s angry, rude, dismissive, or downright mean.
Usually, he’s an outlier.
But when “that guy” is everybody, you’ve got yourself a massive sign of a toxic workplace.
When all the coworkers seem to hate each other, it’s probably management’s fault. They’re likely playing favorites, pitting people against each other, and encouraging distrust.
High Turnover
You’ve been there for a week, and suddenly you’re the most senior person on the team.
Everyone else noped out.
That’s a bad sign. People don’t leave that quickly without a reason.
Please Start Now
Most companies take a minute to decide who to hire. A company that wants you to start now might have some problems.
A company that demands you start right now, this second, is probably toxic.
“We’re Family”
Businesses love to say they treat employees “like family.”
But they never mean The Brady Bunch.
Nope, businesses that make the claim “we’re family” usually mean the owners act like narcissistic parents who demand perfection and loyalty from their children while behaving horribly in return.
I guess that is “like family,” but that’s why so many people go no contact with their families.
Micromanaging
Micromanaging bosses are awful, but a company culture of micromanagement is even worse.
A company that wants to install tracking software on your computer cares more about appearances than the actual work. The company that tracks whether you’re “green” or not on Teams is probably toxic.
You Made a Mistake, and it’s the Literal End of the World
New employees are going to mess up. No- ALL employees are going to mess up.
We’re all people, and people make mistakes.
It’s a sign of a toxic workplace when employees aren’t allowed to make mistakes.
Bait & Switch
You interviewed for a specific job, but when you start your first day, you realize that you won’t, in fact, be doing that job.
Toxic companies love to pull the bait-and-switch on new hires. They’ll hire for roles like IT or marketing, but when the employee starts, they’re thrust into a sales role. Companies will also pull a bait-and-switch on remote vs. hybrid vs. in-office and on salary.
Pay attention to your signing paperwork for anything that doesn’t align with your offer letter.
The Dread
Starting something new also comes with a bit of trepidation. But there’s a difference between first-day anxiety and all-consuming dread.
Pay attention to that inexplicable sense of foreboding overtaking you when heading home for the evening, the panic preventing you from sleeping, and the overwhelming dread clouding your morning.
Our instincts are rarely wrong.
What To Do About a Toxic Job?
If these signs of a toxic workplace speak to you, you might be wondering, ” What can I do?”
It took months to find this job; you can’t just quit.
I get it. But you don’t have to resign yourself to a life of misery either.
Go to work, but keep your head down. Do your work and try to avoid office politics. Use it as an opportunity to enhance your skills, and try to enjoy your life outside of work.
In the meantime, keep the job search up. It’s easier to find a job when you’re already employed, and you never know when a new opportunity will present itself.
And hey, maybe you’ll finally have a great answer for the interview question about dealing with toxic people!