The Silent Cost of Staying in a Toxic Workplace: A Leader’s Perspective!

I recently sat down over coffee and breakfast with a good friend, a project manager. She’s been struggling with her job for quite some time now and shared a tough story. She admitted she hadn’t slept at all the previous night, lying awake for hours. She works for a company where employees are pushed to their limits, deadlines are unrealistic, and leaders seem to see people as tools rather than humans. Every attempt she’s made to suggest better communication or manage workloads more effectively has been ignored.

Instead of support, she faced a blame culture. When things went wrong, and they often did, fingers pointed in every direction except at the system itself. Deadlines were missed, clients grew frustrated, and talented employees left faster than you can say “staff turnover.” Those who stayed behind were left with even more work and zero recognition.

Why Do We Put Up With This?

Fear of the unknown: Many employees stay in toxic workplaces because they’re scared of what might happen if they leave. “What if the next job is worse?” is a question that keeps them stuck.

Financial pressure: Bills don’t stop coming, and people worry about taking a pay cut or starting over in a new field.

Avoiding confrontation: Speaking up can feel risky. People fear being labeled as difficult or making their situation worse by rocking the boat.

The project manager summed it up well: “Even if you get a kind leader to step in, they’re up against a system that eats them alive. The culture itself is so toxic that even the best intentions can’t survive.”

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Staying in a toxic workplace comes at a huge cost:

🔥 Burnout: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

🔥 High turnover: talented employees leave, and their replacements often don’t stick around.

🔥 Poor results: missed deadlines, unhappy clients, and declining trust.

Even the leaders in these environments suffer. They’re stuck trying to balance impossible demands with no real tools to create change.

What Can Leaders Do?

To break the cycle, leaders need to take meaningful action:

🔍 Listen to your team: Create a space where employees feel safe to share their concerns. Really hear them.

🔧 Lead with empathy: Treat every person with respect and fairness, regardless of their role.

⏳ Think long-term: Focus on sustainable goals rather than quick wins that come at the expense of your people.

⚠️ End blame culture: When things go wrong, solve problems together instead of pointing fingers.

Moving Forward

Toxic workplaces don’t change overnight, but every step towards a healthier culture makes a difference. It starts with listening, showing empathy, and valuing people over numbers.

When employees feel seen, heard, and respected, they thrive, and so does the organisation.

Are you ready to make the first move? Let’s create workplaces where everyone can succeed together. Let's Chat and tell me what I can do for you and your team to improve this.

Tineke Zoet Mphil | Maritime Workplace Coach | www.tinekezoet.com

#LeadershipMatters #ToxicCulture #WorkplaceWellbeing #EmpathyAtWork