Surviving A Toxic Workplace

Looking back, I didn’t realize how numb I’d become until a coworker pointed out I never spoke up in meetings anymore. Have you ever adjusted yourself so much that you didn’t notice the dysfunction unt… more

After leaving a stressful job, I realized how long I’d ignored early burnout signs. I started using WorkFeelAI, an anonymous mood check-in tool that tracks team energy in real time — no HR, no accounts. I… more

I’m only now realizing how dysfunctional my workplace has become because my “normal” has started feeling off. Anyone else noticing new signs of dysfunction in real time?

After leaving my last job, I realized how long I’d been ignoring stress signals and team burnout signs. I started using a tool that lets you reflect on how work feels each day — totally anonymous, no … more

Looking back, I can finally laugh at some of the chaos I survived 😂 What’s a moment from your toxic workplace that you can laugh about now?

Why do some Managers keep their direct reports out of the loop on things that affect their day-to-day? I see peer Managers involving their team more to give input in decisions, tell them what’s going… more

Everyone nods in meetings. We say we’re aligned.
Then the deliverables land—and they’re miles apart.
Is it miscommunication, misinterpretation, or just quiet disagreement?
How do you surface misali… more

We’ve got playbooks, portals, onboarding decks, and weekly syncs.
But when everything is labeled ‘enablement,’ nothing feels truly enabling.
I’ve seen new hires spend more time decoding resources than bui… more

It’s wild how every time a toxic person finally leaves, there’s another one ready to take their place. We had someone on our team who micromanaged, spread gossip, and thrived on power trips. When they… more

How do you rebuild trust in a team when gossip and side conversations have replaced open communication? I’m struggling with this at the moment

Have you ever had to hide parts of your personality just to survive at work? I used to love being goofy, bringing energy to meetings, and making work feel fun, but now I play it safe, keep it quiet, a… more

I love my team — we support each other, vent, laugh, and genuinely care. But upper management is toxic to the core. I’m torn: do I stay for the people I love working with or leave for my own sanity? W… more

Been reading that in the creative industries a lot of toxic or inappropriate behaviours are tolerated. What does tolerated behaviour look like on your set or team?

No checklist. No roadmap. Just vibes and Slack threads.
I joined excited to contribute—now I’m just trying to survive the ambiguity.
We talk about empowering new hires, but how do you do that without stru… more

We say we’re working cross-functionally, but half the time it’s a guessing game.
Different teams, different vocabularies, different priorities—and no shared map.
I’ve spent more time decoding than deliver… more

I used to think I had imposter syndrome. But now I’m realizing maybe I’m just in an environment that tears everyone down. How do you tell the difference between your own insecurities and a culture tha… more

What’s the most ridiculous reason you’ve seen someone get promoted? At my last job, the guy who forgot to show up for a major client pitch got promoted to Senior Manager because he “had presence” in m… more

A lot of people struggle to make ends meet, how does financial instability feed a toxic environment to you?

Anyone else feel like their job is giving them trust issues? I second-guess every “just checking in!” message, every compliment, every random calendar invite. After three years in a place where praise… more

If I were to quit, I wouldn’t have another job lined up at least not as of right now, just a gut feeling that staying would break me. Have you ever taken a leap like that?

I remember when I started dreading Sunday nights because they meant going back to “that” environment. Have you ever felt the same way, or did something finally shift for you?

2 weeks in, I noticed that my 2 mangers were very belittling, condescending and displayed atrocious management tactics to attack other employees in front of the and behind their backs. I began documen… more

Has anyone ever gone through the 5 stages of grief while reading a reorg email? First it’s confusion, then dread, then frantically checking the org chart to see if your name’s still there. I’ve been t… more

We have frameworks, policies, and steering committees.
But when it comes to real decisions—especially cross-functional ones—governance disappears.
It’s all backchanneling, escalation, and ‘who owns what’ … more

We’ve been in ‘transformation mode’ for three years.
New tools, new org charts, new acronyms—every quarter feels like a reboot.
At some point, it stops feeling like progress and starts feeling like churn.… more

Why do toxic workplaces insist on celebrating everything with forced cheer? We’re overworked, understaffed, and underpaid, but sure, let’s all gather awkwardly for cake while pretending we aren’t drow… more

I’ve started to question my own memory because my boss constantly denies things he said in meetings — even when I have emails proving it. He tells me I’m ‘remembering wrong’ or ‘being dramatic.’ Has a… more

Do you think your workplace fairly treats mental health and if not, how would you fix it?

I knew I was free when I laughed at work again and it wasn’t forced lol. It reminded me what peace feels like after constant tension. What was your moment of relief?

What’s your favorite excuse to avoid a fake team bonding activity? I’m so tired of optional but mandatory happy hours and forced fun with people I wouldn’t even voluntarily eat lunch with. Last month … more

It’s wild to me how one toxic teammate can shift the whole team’s energy; I’ve had it before where there is tension in meetings and constant second-guessing.
Have you ever worked with someone who made … more

We’ve just had a new manager start and they’ve become quite controlling about when we can take breaks and how long we spend away from our desks. Have you ever felt your team’s culture shifted suddenly… more

Ever had feedback that sounds like advice but tells you nothing? It’s really hard to grow when you’re not given direction, especially if the feedback isn’t overly positive or negative. How do you hand… more

I was reading that more than a quarter of employees experienced bullying last year. What does bullying look like in your space and have you ever experienced it?

How do you push back on toxic managers who expect 24 hour, online culture? I have a manager who will blow up my teams chat at quite literally any time of day and request an excuse as to why I didn’t r… more

We say we want new hires to bring fresh ideas.
Then we hand them outdated playbooks and expect them to conform.
I’ve seen brilliant people shrink in their first 90 days—not because they failed, but becaus… more

Every time a project stalls, someone says, “It’s the governance process.”
But half the time, it’s unclear roles, vague requirements, or last-minute pivots.
Governance isn’t the problem—it’s the lack of di… more

Toxic jobs made me over apologize for everything! 😩 What habits are you still unlearning?

Does anyone else find it harder to advocate for themselves the longer they stay in a toxic job? I used to be the person who asked hard questions, gave feedback, stood up for myself, etc... now I just … more

The drive for speed in my industry is everywhere, when shortcuts happen, what happens to values, safety, or respect? I'm pushing back sometimes but worried about being labelled as the problem? Ho… more