ABSTRACT
We argue that a toxic workplace is one of the most significant causes of burnout. It may manifest via co-workers, supervisors and/or a ‘sick’ organisational culture. We have limited responses as humans: kill, coerce or co-operate, blunt instruments that do not empower a worker to deal with a sick organisation. A competent manager, as well as being firm and fair, should be caring and co-operative, able to advance collaboration within the workplace, and supportive enough to bring out their employees’ strengths. Toxic managers are the antithesis—uncaring, usually controlling and sometimes setting out to ‘destroy’ a selected employee or multiple staff members. Their skill set includes playing favourites, belittling, isolating and objectifying victims. The harassed employee becomes the one designated as ‘sick’. Repair and recovery are extremely difficult due to demoralisation and the victim may gradually adopt a new identity as someone who’s impaired. Despite ‘right’ being on the side of such employees, hostile work situations are rarely resolved in any satisfactory way. In our experience, the ‘cut your losses and leave’ option is usually the best in these circumstances for burnout symptoms to be relieved, but persuading dutiful and reliable workers that this is their best option is rarely easy.
