Last Updated on January 13, 2019 by Jessica Adams
The sad truth is that relatively few people truly enjoy their jobs. In fact, as noted by ReturnToNow.net, 85% of people actively hate their jobs. In this particular case, gauging whether a working environment is harmful has less to do with toxins in the building and more to do with the negative energy emanating off people from the hate they’re carrying around the office!
For the most part, people run on the idea that work is something we have to do. If the job is manageable and pays well enough, we’ll practice a “work to live” philosophy. As such, we start to see our employment as a means to an end.
We may downright dislike it but we can manage, and the work facilitates our ability to live the life we want. Unfortunately, the working experience doesn’t always fall into the two binary options of “love the job” or “don’t love the job, but it’s okay and manageable”.
There is a third, worrying route that many people find themselves in: they don’t love the job, and the situation isn’t manageable either – in fact, the job is potentially harmful.
How to Avoid a Career Crisis
If Your Working
Environment Is Harmful
Can This Really Happen?
In most cases, this third way of working doesn’t come into being because of the job itself – the problem is found in the working environment.
The difference between the work of the job itself and the workplace environment is an important distinction to make. You could be working in your dream job, but still be desperately unhappy due to the environment you’re working in.
For example, you could be working for a non-profit you truly believe in, but your boss demands countless hours of unpaid overtime. As a result, you’re pushed to the brink of exhaustion and slowly getting more irritable when around friends.
What Do People Do In These Scenarios?
Sadly, in most cases, people just leave. If an employer is troublesome to work for, then they’ll go and work for another company. This is a viable option and one well worth considering if you’re struggling really badly with your current working environment.
However, moving to another company isn’t always possible, especially if you live in a relatively remote area where jobs are thin on the ground.
And realistically, you shouldn’t have to move due to a poor working environment, especially if you otherwise enjoy the work. The responsibility is on your employer to improve the environment, not on you.
So What Can You Do?
If you cannot – or do not wish to – move to another company, then you have two options. First and foremost, talk to your employer, especially in cases of harassment by other workers. It is completely up to your employer to make sure that you have a safe and pleasant working environment.
In many cases, they won’t even know that such a problem exists if you do not bring it to their attention. If there is an HR department at your company, this is usually the best place to start.
Unfortunately, talking to your employer may not necessarily produce a successful outcome, especially if your employer is the one responsible for the issues you are experiencing. In these cases, legal action may be worth investigating.
You can read more about the options available to you on WMLawyers.com/california-employment-law to see if this may be suitable for your particular case. You can also – if applicable – speak to your union rep for further advice on the matter.
Rather than immediately resigning from a job you dislike due to the working environment, it’s well worth investigating other measures that could change things for the better.
Edited by Jessica Rose Adams
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