You may not expect your workplace to feel like a party daily, but that doesn’t mean it must be a hostile environment.
Most employers and employees agree that a certain level of friendliness is good in a workplace. And, of course, you need to have your rights respected.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, and many employees end up in horrible, toxic workplaces with no idea how to cope. If this sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place, as this post is here to share a few things you need to know about coping with a toxic workplace.
Could you consider getting a lawyer?
While opting to go the legal route may not be your first choice, it’s something you should seriously consider if the toxic work environment is caused by inappropriate behavior such as harassment or discrimination.
You could lose your job if you don’t end these things before they worsen. If this does happen, you should also get an employment lawyer to determine whether you have grounds for an unfair dismissal case. Please look at HKM.com to see how their employment lawyers can assist you.
Could you try to keep it separate from your personal life?
We all know how important it is to have a work-life balance, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds.
Still, it would be best to try to leave the toxicity at work and not let it affect your personal life too much. Of course, if someone is making your work life miserable, it will also affect you personally, but you should try to keep some perspective. If it’s affecting you too much, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
Make sure there is a record of the toxic workplace
It’s also essential to ensure a description of the toxic work environment, as this could be helpful if things escalate.
If a coworker makes you uncomfortable at work, could you be sure to address the issue with your boss? Things can get a bit more complicated if it’s your boss who is the reason for the toxic workplace, and if that is the case, you should inform your company’s human resources department of the issue. Making sure there is some formal record of complaints is the intelligent thing to do.
Keep all evidence
Speaking of making sure that there’s a record . . . aside from making an official complaint at work, you should also keep any evidence of the toxic behavior. If someone sends you threatening texts or emails, don’t delete them. We’d suggest you make backups, just to be safe.
If things end up going to court, you can also request video footage if that may act as evidence of the toxic workplace, and you can get others in the workplace to testify as witnesses if they saw any harassment or other inappropriate behavior occur.
