Have you ever left work feeling more drained by the environment than the tasks themselves? Welcome to Venom in the Office, a blog inspired by the podcast series that tackles the pervasive issue of workplace toxicity

Toxic workplaces—characterized by disrespect, exclusion, and unethical practices—don’t just harm individuals. They break down trust, tear apart teams, and cost organizations billions of dollars.

A 2022 study by MIT Sloan found that toxicity is one of the leading reasons people leave their jobs, more so than receiving low remuneration. The researchers Sull et al. (2022) identified five major attributes in toxic work environments:

1. Disrespectful Behavior

2. Non-Inclusivity

3. Unethical Practices

4. Cutthroat Competition

5. Abusive Management Styles

When these behaviors take root, they don’t just cause stress or burnout—they create a ripple effect that drags down productivity, morale, and well-being.

Want to learn more about workplace toxicity and how to tackle it? Tune in to the Venom in the Office podcast on Spotify!

References

Sull, D., Sull, C., Cipolli, W., & Brighenti, C. (2022, March 16). Why every leader needs to worry about toxic culture. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-every-leader-needs-to-worry-about-toxic-culture/

Taylor, J. C., Jr. & SHRM. (2019). The high cost of a toxic workplace culture. https://www.shrm.org/content/dam/en/shrm/research/SHRM-Culture-Report_2019.pdf

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