Four signs your workplace is toxic

It's Monday morning, and time for the dreaded What's-Wrong-With-Everyone weekly meeting. You sit down and brace yourself for the non-stop slew of criticism coming from Upper Management, and you wonder, are you working in a toxic workplace? If all you ever here is negative from management, chances are your workplace is toxic, but here are a few other signs:

Little to no work-life balance

Need time off to see your son's big baseball game? Not going to happen. Big plans for the weekend? Sorry, you'll have to put those on hold because there's a big project approaching deadline. Those plans involve nonrefundable airplane tickets for a spectacular weekend getaway? You'll just have to eat the costs. 

When work demands you to be on call even when you're supposedly off work, it can really change how you feel about working for a company. Remember that you work to live, you don't live to work. If your company demands all or nothing, it's time to move on.

Lack of fair play

Is Brad from sales allowed to come in when ever he wants, harass employees without so much as a slap on the wrist, and say things that would mean immediately firing for anyone else? If the rule book is different depending how far up the ladder you are, or how essential you are to the company, you're in a toxic workplace. No one should be immune from the rules, not even the boss.

 Sick Employees

To make the life-work balance even worse, there always seems to be someone calling in sick and putting an even greater strain on the staff. It could be these people are just sick of the same toxic work environment you are, and are taking mental health days to cope, but they could also really be sick.

Toxic workplaces lead to burnout, fatigue, and actual illness. What's worse, toxic workplaces tend to put a lot of pressure on employees to show up no matter what, which means people showing up when they're not only sick but contagious. Better get your flu shot.

High turn over

Is someone always quitting and leaving you in a jam? It's not because they don't enjoy a fast paced environment or that they're lazy. A high turn over is a sign that the workplace is creating an environment people don't want to work in—and they're looking for a place that makes them happier.

If you notice these signs in your workplace, chances are your working in a toxic workplace. Toxic workplaces can literally make you sick, and may even increase your odds of dying from all causes. If you're dreading work every morning because of the environment you're in, it might be time to start looking for a new job. A fresh new environment where the people are happy and you can work without dread may be worth a pay cut. Then again, you may be surprised. That toxic workplace could be holding you back from a huge pay boost instead. You never know until you try.