Toxic work culture: Silent killer of employee well-being and mental health

The death of their only daughter-Anna Sebastian Perayil-has left her family grappling with a profound loss. The 26-year-old reportedly died from cardiac arrest caused by severe exhaustion due to overwork, as revealed by her family and friends, who emphasised the burden she faced. Her mother Anita Augustine, in her now-viral letter to the top gun of Ernst & Young India, said that it was deeply hurtful that no one even attended her funeral and hoped no other family had to endure what she did.

In response, the firm's India chief Rajiv Memani extended condolences and apologised for a company representative not being present at her funeral.

However, Anna's death has forced many to confront the horrors many people are dealing with as they work their days away in firms where they are seen as nothing more than a resource, in firms where apathy has a better scope of growth than them.

The organisations' poisonous work culture fosters an environment of constant stress, resulting in employee burnout, anxiety, and despair. Despite increased awareness of mental health issues, the workplace culture, particularly in India, continues to impair the well-being of its workers.

According to a 2022 survey conducted by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), 60 per cent of employees in key Indian cities, including Mumbai, reported job stress, with 40 per cent admitting to having experienced burnout at least once in their careers. According to the same survey, 35 per cent of workers pondered resigning due to toxic office situations.

mid-day reached out to employees, HR professionals, and mental healthcare providers to discuss how a toxic work environment takes a toll on people and how can a healthy work environment be fostered.

The roots of a toxic work culture

A toxic work culture is often defined as a workplace that promotes unhealthy work practices, such as excessive workloads, a lack of work-life balance, constant pressure to fulfil unattainable goals, and inadequate managerial assistance. Employees are typically locked in a loop of extended working hours, leaving little room for personal leisure or recovery, said all respondents.

Speaking to mid-day, Saaransh D' said that he has been working at a firm where micromanagement is prevalent, often deadlines set are unrealistic and 12-hour shifts are pushed week after week.

The engineer, who is in his 30s, said that it "certainly brings the productivity down, creates undue mental stress and anxiety, causing sleeplessness".

Nalani Mondal', speaking about her experience at a toxic workplace said, "This is a common experience for young professionals who enter the workforce without sufficient mentoring. Some employers blur the distinction between professional and personal limits, often taking a stepparent-like approach. If you object, you're frequently faced with comparisons like, 'Oh, but so-and-so is prospering at a top company now,' as well as claims of having cultivated fresh talent. That's how I encountered minor gaslighting at a tiny media firm where I worked during the peak of the pandemic in 2020."

Nalani, a writer by profession, added, "At my next job, things weren't much different. Expectations to stay well beyond working hours were common. One night, after staying late to assist the editor, I was even questioned about it the following day. Small teams often come with constant scrutiny, and while I liked aspects of the second workplace, the management style left much to be desired. The pressure and fear-driven atmosphere made it difficult to stay motivated."

She added that feeling so unsupported made her not adhere to deadlines and that she "ultimately, needed therapy to regain my sense of balance and keep moving forward".

Aadhya Trivedi', who is a dentist and freelance journalist, told mid-day that while she had not faced a toxic environment firsthand but spotted that staffers at the clinic where she worked were ill-treated.

"The unskilled workers were informally employed and without a contract; they are far more susceptible to a toxic work environment. The staffers were made to run personal errands including cleaning homes despite being employed for the clinic. The girls also often faced demeaning remarks and their characters were assassinated because they came from low-income families and could not continue their education," said Aadhya.

These workers would be under duress since they did not have the same privilege and education to quit and join other organisations. Moreover, being unkilled also caused an issue, she added.

When asked whether approaching HR professionals would ever help, Siya Sinha' said that it never did since the HR personnel at the business-to-business organisation she worked for were in cahoots with the employer and their concerns would often be brushed aside or trivialised.

Sinha recognises that her reporting senior was toxic to her because she faced similar pressure from her seniors. "We were expected to pick up the workload of five persons and had to work 14-15 hour shifts to complete responsibilities. The toxic behaviour was very cyclical," she added.

The impact on mental health

The relationship between toxic workplace culture and mental health issues is well-established. Prolonged exposure to a high-stress environment can lead to anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disruptions, and even physical health issues such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Employees in toxic settings frequently experience feelings of isolation, inadequacy, and chronic weariness, which lead to a sense of powerlessness and despair.

Dr Sanjay Popat, Chartered organisational psychologist, speaking on toxic work environment's impact on an employee's mental health, said, "Research, toxic work environments can hurt an employee's mental health in the short and long term. In the short term, derogatory statements or gossip can elicit the 'fight or flight' response, causing tension that, if prolonged, can injure the body. Toxic practices, such as bullying, can eventually lead to exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and even physical health problems. Employees may feel a drop in self-esteem, changing beliefs of themselves, and personality changes as they attempt to justify their treatment. Toxic cultures in organisations increase turnover and reduce employee engagement."

Mumbai-based psychiatrist Dr Shaunak Ajinkya, responding to a question about indicators of a person being stressed, said the physical signals are headaches, hyperacidity, joint pains, persistent fatigue, disturbance of sleep pattern and changes in appetite.

Speaking of emotional signs, Dr Ajinkya of Kokilaben Hospital, said that difficulty in concentration, mood swings, irritability, repeated feelings of frustration, anxiety and panic. And behaviourally, employees can procrastinate, remain absent from work, their performance declines, and they rely on alcohol, cigarettes and more, he added.

"Prolonged exposure to stressful environment could result in burnout, can lead to diseases like hypertension or worsen conditions like Asthma, lead to hair loss, and affect immunity. Apart from that it can cause depression, PTSD and anxiety," said Dr Ajinkya.

He added that depression is lethal since it increases the chances of an individual dying by suicide by 25 per cent. "We are currently facing a pandemic of depression," said Dr Ajinkya.

Both Dr Popat and Dr Ajinkya, when asked about how can individuals build mental resilience, said that it entails improving emotional equilibrium, mental toughness and physical endurance.

This, they both said, includes techniques such as reframing ideas, practising mindfulness, exercising, and setting boundaries.

Dr Popat added, "However, evidence demonstrates that, while resilience can help with occasional harassment, prolonged bullying harms employees regardless of resilience. As a result, organisations must prioritise building a healthy work environment, as relying merely on individual resilience is insufficient for combating workplace toxicity. Organisations have a responsibility to protect employee well-being, particularly from internal pressures."

The HR perspective

Srinivas Kulkarni, an HR consultant, answering a question regarding toxic work culture said that maintaining work-life balance since the pandemic has been a difficult task and that the work culture is built on a top-down approach.

"Companies focused on allowing people to take vacations, providing help for mental health fosters a healthy work environment. HR professionals should push back on policies that will kill work-life balance. They should also appropriately hire, and set expectations for the workload," said Kulkarni.

"Unfortunately, the companies provide leadership training to managers but they fail to train them on how to manage people better. At times, managers are also struggling since their work is affected by the availability of resources like staff members," Kulkarni said and added that it is a give-and-take relationship insinuating that if the company fosters a healthy work environment, the staffers will be able to perform well.

He also said that the HR's role goes beyond looking after hiring and ensuring policies are in place. "HR professionals have to be proactive and be in touch with grassroots employees and managers. Constantly talking and taking stock of the teams' needs, and building a relationship to foster a sense of community is crucial. Since people spend the majority of their time at work, it is important to make them feel a sense of belonging," Kulkarni added.

He further added that freshers should be gradually eased into work and that more work should be gradually increased throughout the training period.

"Keeping communication channels open also allows to foster open communication. Usually, open open-door policy is a facade. When I used to work as an HR professional with a firm in the advertising industry, the CEO would meet new joiners every month which would be informal. This usually makes it easier for the team to trust top executives," he said.

Ways to improve the workplace environment

There is an urgent need for systemic reform in Mumbai's workplace culture. To improve employees' mental health and overall well-being, consider the following measures:

Normalising mental health talks is one of the first steps towards having a healthy workplace. Organisations should have rules that allow employees to discuss their mental health issues openly and without fear of being judged or discriminated against. Regular mental health awareness training can assist in reducing stigma and encourage staff to seek treatment when necessary, suggested experts.

They also said that companies can play a proactive role by "offering mental health resources such as counselling services, implement Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that offer confidential support can significantly impact employees' well-being".

Both Dr Ajinkya and Dr Popat had previously stated that setting boundaries around work hours helps deal with stress. Moreover, Kulkarni suggested that flexible work arrangements, such as remote working options or flexible hours, can also help employees manage their personal and professional lives more effectively.

All respondents pointed out that having empathetic leadership fosters a more supportive and compassionate environment, where employees feel valued and heard.

Srinivas Kulkarni and Dr Shaunak Ajinkya both said that recognising employees' contributions, offering growth opportunities, and fostering collaboration rather than competition can go a long way in improving morale and reducing stress. Regular feedback sessions where employees can voice their concerns are also essential.