By Alisha Tillery | The Muse
Watching less-qualified coworkers land promotions as she was passed over again and again made Raydience Dangerfield, who was working in learning and development in Maryland at the time, question her skills and talents. Facing a barrage of constant microaggressions from her peers on top of that changed how she built—and felt about—her professional relationships. She ultimately left her job, but entered a new one feeling paranoid and distrustful.
Working in a toxic environment—which may manifest as ostracism, incivility, harassment, bullying, and other behaviors by leaders, managers, and colleagues—harms productivity and performance, erodes bonds among colleagues, and is associated with stress and burnout. Toxic environments can also impair employees’ lives beyond their workplaces, leaving them feeling emotionally drained and experiencing lower well-being and increased conflict at home.
So leaving a toxic workplace as soon as you can is a healthy choice. But taking that step doesn’t necessarily mean you’re over it. “I know from personal experience that even if you get another job, even if you move across her country, you can’t keep avoiding your past,” writes Minda Harts in her book Right Within: How to Heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace, which centers the experiences of women of color dealing with toxic workplaces. “If you don’t face trauma head-on, it’s just another bag you have to carry that was never supposed to be yours in the first place.”
After enduring a toxic workplace, you might, like Dangerfield, secure a new job. This one is different—new people, a new environment, maybe even new job duties—but that doesn’t magically erase your previous experience. Perhaps you’re anxious when it’s time to connect with a new manager because your last boss was a bully. Or maybe you don’t feel confident enough to speak up in meetings because you were silenced at your old gig, and that made you feel unsafe to share.
Simply put, you may still be carrying the effects of the old toxic work environment with you. But if you want to start fresh and keep your career moving forward, there are steps you can take to put the toxicity behind.
