Toxic Workplace Behaviors Can Lead To Burnout

While every workplace has its ups and downs, a toxic work environment can feel like an

unending Monday morning—draining your energy, dulling your passion, and slowly chipping away at your mental and emotional well-being. It’s the kind of setting where even the smallest tasks feel burdensome, unwarranted conflicts emerge regularly, and expressing your rights is met with punishment or passive-aggressive pushback.

Toxicity doesn’t discriminate—no matter how prestigious the job may seem on paper. And it’s not just obscure companies— even glamorous, high-profile settings like The Ellen DeGeneres Show have faced scrutiny for fostering toxicity behind the scenes.

If you’re unsure whether your workplace is hazardous, it helps to grasp the hallmarks of a toxic work environment. If you’re concerned about your workplace’s health, you can use this checklist to get an idea.

1. Experiencing burnout

Toxic work settings can overburden you with tasks and thoughts, leaving little time for rest. Even though you put in long hours expecting to be appreciated, your efforts may go unnoticed. Occasionally, you may feel burnout if your job is undemanding and offers no opportunity for advancement or if you’re exhausted after working nonstop for an extended period.

2. Inadequate work-life balance

To be effective, you should find some kind of harmony between your own and more proficient lives. Overworked employees in toxic jobs feel guilty about taking a break since they are so

overburdened. While eating dinner, you may find yourself working longer hours and checking your email. Relationships outside of work may begin to erode. Passive-aggressive conduct from your supervisor is common during vacation time.

3. Communication that isn’t effective

Effective communication is critical to a company’s success. As an alternative, communication is scarce and nonexistent in toxic settings. You may find that vital information is being withheld from you by supervisors and coworkers who pretend to have forgotten. Occasionally, your supervisor will provide little to no feedback; and when they do, they will find methods to insult you or criticize your performance without providing any constructive comments.

Other traits include:

• Leaders who do not listen well

• A lack of clarity in the circumstances

• A large number of employees hear contradictory instructions

Conflicts might arise due to inadequate communication, requiring you to remain silent when you ask inquiries.

4. Cliques

A toxic workplace might make you feel like you’re back in high school. Certain employees may intimidate, exclude, and gossip about others. They share inside jokes, dinners, and breaks together yet alienate everyone else. When they require something from you, they are remarkably nice until the job is completed, and they move on. Unfortunately, coping with cliques is unavoidable for surviving a poisonous work environment.

5. Poor leadership

Having a toxic boss is a strong indicator of a toxic work environment. A toxic boss may yell at you, insult you, or engage in passive-aggressive behavior without cause. Additionally, they may demand you to work long hours without compensation, delegate their personal life to you, and communicate outside of business hours. Certain managers may send emails at midnight and expect immediate responses, while others may phone and expect a fast reaction.

Other bosses are micromanagers content to point out errors in your job and prevent you from concentrating on it. Additionally, you may have a manager who blames you for their errors anytime a senior points out and pretends not to know you exist, frequently forgetting or misspelling your name.

6. Toxic colleagues

Negative people at work are nothing more than a distraction and a nightmare to work with. Different sizes and shapes are available. Some are constantly on the lookout for you, probing for your thoughts and passing them along to your managers or spreading tales about you in the workplace. Others take over your space.

Certain coworkers are constantly playing office politics in the hope of snatching all

advancements, while others would not hesitate to take a job offer from you. Other coworkers are a nightmare due to their lack of motivation and laziness. They frequently delegate most of the job to you but claim credit when the boss arrives. Understanding how to deal with these types of coworkers will assist you in surviving a hazardous work environment.

7. Stifled growth

While not all firms offer enormous growth potential, hazardous employment frequently offers little opportunity for advancement. Occasionally, your superiors and coworkers may deny you promotions for which you are very qualified. Other supervisors will not allow you to work autonomously, frequently insisting on excessive supervision, and some will refuse to enroll employees in job-related development programs. Any attempts at self-development, such as taking on additional duties, requesting raises, or enrolling in evening studies are treated with hostility.

8. High turnover of employees

If a substantial percentage of your coworkers decide to leave their jobs, the climate in the workplace is likely toxic. Employees may be willing to work in an office for an extended period to acquire crucial skills, climb the corporate ladder, or advance. 

However, if people depart after only a few months on the job, there is something wrong with the workplace.

9. Discrimination

Racism is destructive because of discrimination based on race or ethnicity or gender or religion or sexual orientation, age, handicap, or general appearance. Unfortunately, you may encounter prejudiced people against you, alienating, blaming, micromanaging, disrespecting, and denying you opportunities.

How to Cope and Protect Your Well-Being

Recognizing that you’re in a toxic work environment is the first—and often the hardest—step. But once you identify the signs, you can begin to strategize. If quitting isn’t immediately possible, focus on what is in your control:

• Set clear boundaries for work hours and protect your personal time.

• Document everything, especially if you’re dealing with harassment or unfair treatment.

• Seek allies within your organization or professional network who can provide support.

• Prioritize self-care—mentally, emotionally, and physically.

• Consider speaking to HR or, if needed, legal counsel when situations escalate.

Remember, a job should never cost you your health, dignity, or peace of mind. While we can’t always change the environment around us, we can change how we respond to it—and whether we choose to stay in it long-term. The ultimate goal is to find or create a workplace where respect, balance, and growth are not just buzzwords, but lived realities.