Kate Hackett
Now that we’ve all taken a step out of the office for a few years and been able to really reflect on the workplace, I think we’re starting to find that we recognize a lot of behaviors around work to be pretty despicable.
That’s precisely what u/legalboobs96 was wondering when they asked the AskWomen subreddit, “Which workplace behavior is actually toxic and needs to stop?” We gathered the best answers in the thread — workplaces! don’t do these!
1. Team bonding events
Like NO sir I’m not gonna change my mind about how shitty u are as a boss just because you bought us drinks, and NO I am an adult as well even though I am the youngest here so I would like to not be forced to be the entertainment this evening. I would also rather have a relaxing Friday night with friends and weekends off instead of going out of town with you guys until the saturday.
2. Mental Health Day Seminars
Give us a day off.
3. Who ORGANIZES all these dumb events?
Expecting women to organize and run the mandatory fun/ team bonding events. Does not matter if men at the same level or job would never be expected to “waste” their time putting together these events, women are expected to do it, often on their own time, and we are supposed to like it too….
4. Blame vs solutions
When things go wrong, focusing on blame rather than solutions. In my experience, most people, even lazy ones, want to do a good job and when they fail it’s due to poor systems or unclear expectations.
5. Training
Colleagues who are suppose to train you, don’t train you. So you are forced to learn the job yourself. Then that colleague criticizes how you are doing everything wrong. So you ask them for more training so they can show you how to do it right – but they say they are too busy. That colleague treats you like you’ve been working there for 25 years and assumes you know all this stuff, ignores the fact you are new. They overwhelm you with information, make you feel like a total idiot because you don’t know this stuff, and the colleague expects you to know all their 25 plus years of knowledge in a week!
6. “This is a family”
No it’s not..its a business..
7. Choices
Commenting on other people’s food choices.
8. Equal Pay
Not paying men and women equally.
9. Let us work from home
Actually attending an “office” for completely remote-capable work. We don’t need to be friends with coworkers.
10. Drama
Gossiping and drama. I have no idea why some adults still have this problem.
11. Social events outside work
End of year gatherings. Ugh.
12. Share your salary
Telling employees to keep their salary confidential. LOL I am a HR and I am all for compensation transparency because I know corporate only tell us to hide shit when when they know it’s too fishy to disclose.
13. Rules for thee, not for me
This is different but a very outgoing likeable employee not having to follow the rules because she is popular with everyone in the office.
14. Mandatory gifts
I once had to put in $75 toward a sick person’s gift So high gifting that’s mandated
15. Not our problem!
The whole department getting yelled at for one persons wrong doing. Address the person. Fix the problem. Don’t yell at all of us!
16. Having children
The mentality that people who choose to have children are more entitled to taking time off on holidays or in the summer. I don’t have a child, but I am someone’s child. I don’t have to have children of my own for holidays to be important to me.
17. Sit down!
we all need to start writing reviews on grocery stores and retail stores saying how stupid and unprofessional it looks for the cashiers to be standing, and the employees to be “looking busy” always.
18. Let them leave
Forcing people to stay until a certain time even if their workload is complete because you HAVE to be there. We only get so much time in this world, I hate having to be somewhere only for the reason of having to be there. That and giving more work if you complete your work early.
19. WFH while sick
The pressure to work when sick just because you WFH (“because that’s what everyone else does” – and everyone thinks like this).
20. Work spouses
Work wives and Work husbands. it’s fine to have friends at work, but “coupling” of people who work together seems inappropriate on a lot of levels.
