There has been a surge in media coverage highlighting a troubling trend in organisations: the ‘toxic’ workplace. According to OECD reports, toxic work environments lead to time off work due to sickness absence, lower productivity due to health problems while at work, and health-related early retirements.
The European Commission identifies toxic work cultures as a significant risk factor of poor mental health. Toxic workplaces span various sectors in the UK. For instance, firefighters at the London Fire Brigade endured abuse disguised as ‘banter’ while the Nursing and Midwifery Council was recently condemned over its toxic culture.
So what exactly constitutes a ‘toxic’ workplace? How can employee voice mitigate toxicity? And what role can HR play in addressing this issue?
What is the ‘toxic’ workplace?
The toxic workplace is an abstract term used to describe dysfunctionality in the workplace. It is often exhibited through a range of poor behaviours and counter-productive organisational practices. These may include hostile behaviours such as bullying, harassment and discrimination. They may also include poor leadership behaviours such as ineffective, abusive or unethical leadership.
The way work is organised in such workplaces leads to poor communication, high stress, excessive competition and unmanageable workloads. Work-life balance suffers, and so does health, wellbeing, morale, engagement and retention.
How can employee voice reduce workplace toxicity?
Where employees are offered opportunities to voice their ideas or concerns in the workplace, organisational effectiveness increases, leading to higher profitability and productivity. For employees, working for an organisation that values their voice means that they are afforded dignity and respect, according to the CIPD.
Offering voice opportunities to employees improves communication and reduces conflict within teams, while trust and respect towards leaders increases. The benefits of employee voice are so significant that recent research has found that the degree and effectiveness of organisational voice practices affect employee life not only at work but also outside of the workplace, leading to positive outcomes for life satisfaction and overall health.
HR’s role
HR can transform toxic workplaces by prioritising employee voice. With toxic behaviours often stemming from team leaders and managers, creating safe channels for direct voice (eg meetings, open-door policies, surveys) and indirect voice (eg unions) is essential.
HR can further support managers and leaders by providing training in this area, addressing the gap identified by research that shows a lack of training for people entering management positions, including training in fostering voice within teams. Effective training equips leaders with the skills needed to listen to and act on employee feedback constructively.
Beyond traditional direct and indirect voice channels, there is a critical need to offer safe channels for whistleblowing too. A study surveying HR managers and directors from 222 UK organisations found that only 42.6% of HR professionals believed that employees felt safe to blow the whistle. The majority of organisations (83%) did not have a whistleblowing policy in place. Offering safe whistleblowing channels is crucial as it protects employees from retaliation and fosters a culture of transparency and accountability.
HR can effectively combat toxic workplaces by prioritising employee voice and establishing safe channels for both direct and indirect voice. Addressing the training gap for managers and leaders, and implementing robust whistleblowing policies are also crucial steps. By fostering a culture of open communication and accountability, HR can create a supportive work environment that enhances employee health, wellbeing, morale and engagement.
Rea Prouska is a professor at Hult International Business School
