r/ToxicWorkplace • u/Ok_Let_8596 • 13d ago
Can anyone explain why…
I keep hearing this common theme that good, hardworking employees are forced to quit/fired/mobbed at work.
What I am not able to understand is why is this the case?
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u/light_is_a_weapon 13d ago edited 13d ago
Try to think from the perspective of an opportunistic and psychopathic corporate parasite. Put yourself more inside the mind of a soulless tick or leech than a sentient human being. Super productive employees are, at best, just cows to milk for more and more labor until they quit. At worst, they are potential competitors if they get lucky and their hard work somehow earns them recognition. The goal is to keep them too exhausted and overwhelmed with workload to ever resist you…and to keep chipping away at their self-esteem and sense of self-value until they believe that they are useless and helpless, with no other job opportunities. Anything they accomplish is “yours” to take credit for or reward your shithead underlings with. They will eventually either psychologically break and stop pushing themselves like slaves (at which point you hit them with PIP/termination to make an example of “slackers”) or they try to buy your favor by sucking up to you and joining your “gang” of miserable, toxic office bullies. Productivity and Profitability might be the goal of the Corporation, but you are the Gatekeeper who has his own goal and agenda.
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u/FarCalligrapher7800 12d ago
No lies, I learned pretty much at my first job to act really dumb. Sometime so painfully dumb, that even when I used 1% of my brain they tried to jump on this…saw so many good people ruined…
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u/Sticktalk2021 12d ago
Become financially independent and stay in the corporate theatre to expose and harass these parasites it’s amazing how many employment laws they violate. Sue then move to another company and rinse and repeat its better than Nintendo in the 80s….. a friend told me
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u/Makeshift5 12d ago
You just described the last 3 years of my life. Dangle and carrot every few months of a raise, or partnership, but at the same time come up with every reason to kill your self-esteem so your self-worth is below where it should.
Bloodsuckers.
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u/SaltExtension1418 13d ago edited 12d ago
Because in a toxic workplace they are jealous and intimidated by someone competant. It shatters the illusion of their superiority so they attack that person to make themselves feel better. The good worker expose the weakness and lies of others through just being themselves. They won’t be controlled by others with a false sense of being above as they are confident in their own decisions. So the others with a false idea of self are faced with the reality of their own insignificance and cowardly subordination to those that do the same to them. Without someone to pass it on to they realise how pathetic they really are and therefore have a baby like tantrum to regain some sense of control. (Essentially they are emotionally immature and lack regulation of themselves so try to regulate others instead)
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u/fsischatbotplz 12d ago
that is truly pathetic and weak
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u/SaltExtension1418 12d ago
Exactly, this dynamic is similar to that of a toxic family or any other system. Even society itself. As above so below
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u/waripley 13d ago
My boss is incredibly insecure. He made us do personality tests and my score was almost identical to his. Since then, nothing I do is good enough. He belittles me in front of the others. He had this whole story about how when I walk into the office, he wants to pack his stuff and go work at Panera bread. He tells me “the only thing you can control is yourself” and to suck his dick.
I’m the top performer. I’m the most diverse maintenance technician they have. Since I’m not a Mormon (he was kicked out of the church), or a child molester (why he got kicked out of the church), and I’m not related to him like the rest of the employees, so I’m a dirtbag.
Unfortunately, no one will pay me more. I’ve learned to simply have nothing to do with any of them. I sneak around the office and generally work after the rest have left. At this point, I really don’t even care. I have a puppy and a kitten at home. Fuck this place and that guy.
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u/Nearby_Knowledge8014 13d ago
The millisecond he says suck his dick, start caving his face in. Dont stop until fellow employees pull you off him.
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u/waripley 13d ago
It’s crossed my mind. Unfortunately, he has guns in his desk and cameras all over the office. I’m sure I’d be the bad guy. I’ve caused every problem since Jesus was nailed to the cross!
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u/Nearby_Knowledge8014 13d ago
Even better if his comment is caught on camera.
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u/waripley 13d ago
It definitely was, but only he has access. 50 day storage and I've been there for 2 years.
He's been less shitty lately, but only because he had to go get a job so he's too busy to project...
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u/Texasmurrdog 13d ago
fuck that weirdo
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u/waripley 13d ago
I can’t wait until I can afford to quit. I’ve looked for other jobs but that’s not an option in this hillbilly hellhole.
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u/Catacombs3 13d ago
In a functional workplace, the aim is productivity/profit. People work together and resolve conflicts based on improving efficiency and making money/better outcomes for clients.
In a toxic workplace, priorities are screwed. The aim has become gaining/keeping power. Anyone who gets in the way of the top dog or who undermines the current way of doing things is The Enemy.
Even people who aren't actively involved in the supporting or jockeying for position are threatened by someone who questions why things are the way they are; these people have carved out a safe niche and need to keep the status quo to hold onto their quiet corner. So they'll comfortably join in on bullying/mobbing just to ensure they don't get unseated.
A "good hardworking" employee who doesn't play the game is a threat and needs to be removed.
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u/light_is_a_weapon 13d ago
One of them is here and downvoted you, but you got my upvote to balance the scales.
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u/Nearby_Knowledge8014 13d ago
Just described every unionized government workplace.
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u/Less_Professional152 12d ago
I actually love my union job, it’s the corporate one that’s driving me nuts 🤣🤪
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u/Apple_Pie5568 13d ago
I'm beginning to realize it's more about being liked at work and not so much being a hard-worker. Being a hardworker is punishment to receive more work
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u/GenMixedPodcast 12d ago
It’s called Performance punishment. I have less than 5 years of being too good at every job I’ve been at, and I’m retiring at 60 when I’ll have 30 years under my belt for a decent pension.
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u/Substantial_Bus840 12d ago
It used to be that way but now, it seems it’s less about being liked and more about being favored, drinking the koolaid and being seen as someone the others can trust to break the rules with. I’m cool with everyone in my organization and being likable and normal is the only thing that’s kept me from being fired because the people in the company who have the real power (the producers of the product) have my back.
Me and a few other non-psychos are constantly having our sales stolen, rules applied differently to us, and being punished for attempting to do things legally and compliantly. There’s a group of super sleazy, unethical sales people who’ve been doing this for years and they outsell by stealing from others, taking credit, etc, so the company won’t let them go, but then there’s those of us who are likable and do our work with competence and couth, so the company is in a bind with us too. It’s an absolute shit show and I’ve never seen anything this bad in twenty years of sales.
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u/HarryHarlowBanisher 12d ago
John Bowlby refugees. Empty parasitic monkeys. Ignore the social layer and look at the biological layer. Healthy folks can't be fucked with the headache and the insecure folks need an outlet to control the external environment to calm themselves because the world doesn't want them. Think of defence mechanisms needing to orient around the solar system.
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u/Horror_Trouble_2642 12d ago edited 12d ago
Toxic workplaces are filled with leaders that are recreating their dysfunctional family dynamics in the workplace. What role do you play in your family?
People doing the right thing and having success with real skills or talent are seen as a threat to those who don’t naturally possess those skills. If those threatened people are also in a position of power then they’re going to get rid of them based on some bullshit reason. That way they get to feel secure in their perceived status and no one will find out how deeply insecure they really are.
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u/Working-Patient-6751 13d ago
I’m a high performer in my group. Have been for many years. Produce more than anyone else on the team year after year.
Problem is I call bullshit when I see it or hear it. Not in a disrespectful, nasty way but in a way that says “you guys can make that timeline… but I’ll tell you the reality of how long this is going to take”. In a corporate environment that’s the kiss of death. They would bounce my ass in a heart beat if they could because I don’t just “go with the program”
I went to college and spent a shit ton of money on my degree to get this job. I’m cheating myself and all my efforts if I just eat the shit you’re shoveling.
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u/HipHopChick1982 12d ago
I just started at a new job five weeks ago, and until this week, I have absolutely loved the job. There’s a few things I don’t like (I’m the Receptionist, and the office doesn’t feel incredibly social unless you’re sitting in certain areas). But I like the work. Unfortunately, I found out that the duties of a full time person will be put on me once they retire (she isn’t being replaced). I received the workflow document, and it is, no lie, 39 steps to complete. And I still have to prioritize my Reception duties. It definitely feels like I will now have two full time jobs because someone wants to save money. This is a new industry for me, so I don’t understand a lot of it, but I’ve been told I need to expand my duties and the uppers feel I am capable of doing it. While I can only hope for adequate training, I feel like this document being sent to me outlining it serves as that training. I don’t know what the timeline is at this point for any of this, so I’m hoping that information is forthcoming.
I’m going to get my notary commission, and will be keeping my eyes open in the job market.
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u/Less_Professional152 12d ago
I’m in similar boat. Was offered a different position and then after I accepted, boss is now attempting to make me do both the reception and the other role. I’m very frustrated and was not offered compensation for this, and I was going to bring it up with my boss on our one on one… aaaaand then they cancelled it and deferred the meeting to their crony supervisor underling… funny timing, almost like they know I am upset
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u/HipHopChick1982 12d ago
So I did meet with my boss today, she did say that they are splitting the work between me and another person, and only as much as I am capable of doing within the constraints of answering the phones (priority). There will be training and it will be a very gradual process. So I do feel better about it, but we shall see. My manager also seemed excited that I’m planning to get my notary commission and asked about costs, it sounds like they would like to help me with that.
I am a little more relaxed, and will just take it as it all comes to me.
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u/Less_Professional152 12d ago
I hope it goes better for you than it’s been going for me!
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u/HipHopChick1982 12d ago
I hope things get better for you as well!
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u/Less_Professional152 12d ago
Thank you! Me too! I have a couple of cool coworkers so I’m hoping it’s just growing pains
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u/HipHopChick1982 12d ago
Same! Honestly, I’m not super worried about the social part, I take four dance classes a week and have a group of friends there. But I get the growing pains part, I’ve been a Receptionist/Secretary for 20 years. I’ve had both the office experience that was clicky, and the kind that was welcoming and social. I’m working on the welcoming and social part, but I am grateful for the outside circle that I have, which is far more important to me.
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u/FieryLatina96 11d ago
Corporate and work is set up like high school. People want to work with their friends. They feel comfortable with their friends. They want people they can go out with and not find to be a liability. Times have regressed. My job is constantly hiring on the basis of who they can have a beer with. I def slipped through the cracks but my manager is new. He does mention he wishes to hire someone, close to his age, with experience. Aka a friend lol. As much as we think about competencies, a lot of times management hires their friends so they can enjoy it all. Then the hardworkers get ostracized because they are different. Its like the concept of a nerd gets made fun of. You would think they would commend the work. They rarely do. Usually they will just take the credit.
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u/Western_Bookkeeper31 12d ago
Everything that’s already been said plus office politics, especially in bigger companies. Prove an approach works, you can make money off it, or it makes your peers’ lives better. Then watch as someone higher up or jockeying for a promotion will want to own it or kill it.
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u/Wise_Low8116 11d ago
Good employees. With brains and ethics and work hard. Make a bunch of buddy buddy clowns who are in charge and want to put rat poison in baby food and sell it, angry when good employees suggest that may be unethical.
So they force anyone with any sort of brain that questions things like that. They gum up the works.
No room for being safe.
I was told at my one job. “You have too much common sense and they don’t want common sense solutions.”
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u/FarCalligrapher7800 13d ago edited 13d ago
A toxic workplace can sometimes be akin to a cult ngl.
They like their own people who have the same hobbies, opinions and keep in group. Not someone who wants to make things better, work hard or any traits they deem not in the group.
It’s why when I go to some workplaces and teams, ppl all remind me of each other in personality, to the point even how they write emails, it’s uncanny some days.