Dealing with a toxic coworker can be challenging. Their negative behavior can make the workplace tense and unpleasant. However, there are things you can do to protect yourself and limit their impact on you.
What are some signs of a toxic coworker?
Here are some common signs that you may have a toxic coworker:
- They gossip and spread rumors about others
- They try to take credit for other people’s work
- They are extremely competitive and care mostly about their own success
- They criticize and belittle others frequently
- They have explosive emotional outbursts
- They refuse to collaborate and prefer to work independently
- They withhold important information or resources from others
- They frequently violate company policies or ethical standards
How can a toxic coworker negatively impact you?
A toxic coworker’s behavior can negatively impact you and the whole team in many ways:
- Lower morale and increased stress
- Less productivity and missed deadlines
- Constant conflict and tension
- High turnover as people quit to escape the environment
- Reputational damage if you get associated with their behavior
- Stalled career advancement due to limited collaboration
- Legal risks if they violate policies and laws
Their actions create an unhealthy, cutthroat environment where people feel demoralized, insecure, and fearful. This prevents collaboration, innovation, and optimal work performance.
How to protect yourself from a toxic coworker’s behavior
Here are some tips on protecting yourself from a toxic coworker:
1. Keep communication brief, polite, and work-focused
Limit conversations to keep interactions brief yet still professional. Stick to discussing tasks and projects. Avoid sharing personal information or opinions. Document important conversations via email to have a paper trail.
2. Don’t get sucked into gossip or drama
Refuse to engage or contribute when they try to gossip about coworkers. Avoid commenting on unsubstantiated rumors. Do not provide personal information they could use against you later.
3. Establish clear boundaries
Set boundaries and make it clear their bullying, manipulation, or criticism will not be tolerated. You have a right to be treated with respect. Walk away if boundaries are repeatedly crossed.
4. Speak up respectfully
If a toxic person crosses an ethical line, speak up to them calmly but firmly. Explain how their specific behavior negatively impacts you and the team. They may be unaware of the effects of their actions. Ask them to change for everyone’s benefit.
5. Address issues only with management
Do not confront the toxic person about their behavior on your own. Document concerns and take them to a manager or HR representative. They have proper training for dealing with these situations.
6. Take care of your wellbeing
Make an extra effort to take care of your health by eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, and taking breaks. This will help you better cope with the added stress.
7. Cultivate positive connections
Spend time building positive relationships with kind, ethical coworkers. Do not isolate yourself. Having trusted colleagues you can confide in makes the situation easier to handle.
8. Do not retaliate or stoop to their level
As tempting as it may be, do not retaliate or behave unethically in response. Stay professional and keep doing quality work. Their actions reflect poorly on them, not you.
9. Keep records of issues
Discreetly document everything, including dates, times, witnesses, emails, texts, or meeting notes. This creates a paper trail in case things escalate to needing HR or legal intervention.
10. Request a transfer if needed
If the situation becomes intolerable, request a transfer to a different department or team. You may need to leave if the company does not address the issue properly.
When is it time to get HR involved with a toxic coworker?
Get HR involved if the toxic person:
- Repeats inappropriate behavior after being asked to stop
- Makes threats of violence towards you or others
- Commits ethical breaches or violates company policies
- Engages in harassment, discrimination, or hostile behaviors
- Causes such serious team dysfunction that work is obstructed
HR can formally address the issues through performance management, dispute resolution, investigations, and disciplinary action if needed. This is better than trying to deal with it yourself.
What steps can HR take to address a toxic employee?
HR has several options for addressing toxic employees such as:
- Coaching: Have a facilitated discussion to raise self-awareness about their impact
- Mediation: Conduct conflict resolution discussions with involved parties
- Training: Require training on areas like ethics, diversity, anti-bullying, or communication
- Performance improvement plan: Document issues clearly and monitor progress
- Probation: Warn that certain behaviors must change immediately or else job loss/termination will occur
- Transfer: Move them to a different team or department
- Demotion: Decrease responsibilities and authority if behavior does not change
- Termination: Sever employment as a last resort if severe, persistent, or illegal behavior continues
HR aims to retain employees, but toxic workers who do not reform may need to be terminated to prevent further damage.
What laws can protect you from a toxic coworker?
There are several laws that may offer protection if a coworker’s behavior becomes illegal:
- Title VII of Civil Rights Act – Protects against harassment or discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin
- Americans with Disabilities Act – Protects those with disabilities from discrimination and requires employers to accommodate them
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act – Protects against harassment or discrimination based on age, for those 40 years and older
- Occupational Safety and Health Act – Gives all employees the right to a safe and healthy workplace free from physical dangers
- National Labor Relations Act – Protects employees who collectively organize and bargain with employers. Prohibits retaliation.
- Whistleblower Protection Laws – Prevent retaliation after reporting illegal or unethical acts by employers
Consult an employment lawyer if you feel a toxic coworker has violated labor laws or your employer isn’t addressing the issue properly through HR.
When is it acceptable to sue an employer for a toxic coworker’s behavior?
Lawsuits against employers for toxic coworkers’ behavior are usually acceptable if:
- The harassment or discrimination was based on your legally protected class status
- The employer was aware of the toxic worker’s unlawful harassment or discrimination but did not take reasonable steps to address it
- Reporting their illegal behavior resulted in clear retaliation from them or the employer
- The toxic person’s actions caused you significant physical or psychological harm
- The hostile work environment was severe enough that any reasonable person would find it intolerable
For a lawsuit to succeed, there should be thorough documentation of the toxic coworker’s unlawful behavior, your complaints, and the employer’s failure to act appropriately. Witness testimony also strengthens the case.
What are some early warning signs of a company with a toxic work culture?
Here are some red flags that may indicate a broader toxic work culture enabled by management:
- High turnover rates and people quitting frequently
- Leadership seems indifferent to complaints about bullying or harassment
- No clear systems exist for addressing inappropriate conduct
- Poor communication from executives leaves people misinformed
- Lots of gossiping, backstabbing, and unhealthy competition
- Some workers get preferential treatment for no clear reason
- People seem miserable, stressed, and afraid to speak up
- Management prioritizes profit above all else, including ethics
While one toxic person can sometimes infiltrate a healthy workplace, these pervasive warning signs indicate a negative culture flows from the top-down. Exercise caution before joining such companies.
What are some strategies for dealing with a toxic work culture?
Some methods of coping with a toxic work culture include:
- Gathering evidence of misconduct to present to leadership or regulators
- Voicing concerns as a group through a signed petition or mass complaint
- Forming an employee resource group focused on positivity and culture change
- Providing anonymous feedback about issues through surveys
- Meeting with management to suggest improvements they can make
- Involving regulators or oversight committees if ethics or laws are violated
- Holding leaders accountable by leaving for better opportunities elsewhere
- Seeking mental health support to manage stress and self-esteem issues
However, at a certain point, an unhealthy culture may be too engrained to fix reasonably. Drastic measures like mass turnover or regulatory interventions may be necessary.
How can I recover after leaving a toxic workplace?
Here are some tips for recovering after leaving a toxic workplace:
- Take time off before your next job to emotionally decompress
- Reflect on your experiences objectively to process and learn from them
- Seek counseling or join a support group if trauma was significant
- Pursue relaxing hobbies and social activities unrelated to work
- Avoid venting excessively about your old job and coworkers
- Maintain professionalism and grace towards former colleagues if possible
- Use caution and ask probing questions when considering new jobs
- Find meaning in moving forward to do impactful, ethical work elsewhere
With time, self-care, and selective employment choices, your wounds can heal. The right workplace can restore your optimism, engagement, and faith in collaborative human potential.
Conclusion
Toxic coworkers can make work life miserable, but you are not powerless. Protect yourself through limits, documentation, and allies. Know when it’s acceptable to involve HR or legal routes. However, avoid sinking to the toxic person’s level. With caution and assertiveness, you can still thrive at work and beyond.