Toxic Workplace
This podcast gives employees a voice when management won't listen due to company politics, misuse of power, or lack of leadership. It shares stories of toxic workplace dynamics and aims to raise awareness of how dysfunctional patterns can harm body, mind, and spirit. Through candid narratives, listeners gain insights into personal growth and new perspectives from surviving soul-crushing work environments.
Episodes
No Job Is Worth This: Sunny's Story of Working as a Therapist for Sexual Predators
In this episode, we hear Sunny’s story—a therapist and military veteran who took her first civilian job at a civil commitment center for sexual offenders, hoping to grow as a clinician by working with a challenging population. Instead, she found herself in a toxic workplace filled with traumatic experiences, overwhelming demands, and unrealistic demands from leadership. From being forced to proces
On the Cheap: Buli's Toxic Workplace Story of Bad Management with Dodgy Practices
Buli, fresh out of college and living in the UK, joined the Kickstart scheme to find work. She was placed in a company where management cut corners, from skipping proper training to forging certificates, all while overworking their staff. Buli found herself burdened with an overwhelming workload, earning minimum wage for her efforts. As the company prioritized cost-cutting over care, Buli and her
Buried in a Pile of Work: Grace's Toxic Workplace Story of an Excessive Workload and a Non-Existent Manager
Grace graduates with a Master’s degree with high hopes that she will pave a new career path in the tech world. She lands a position in Product with a well-known tech company and is excited about the possibilities. Soon after she is onboarded, she realizes her new manager is completely hands off, giving her zero direction and feedback. The low morale and cut-throat competition in her department mak
Revolving Door of Poor Leadership: Chelsea's Toxic Workplace Story of A Non-Profit School with No Direction
Chelsea is an educator who finds herself entrenched in a toxic workplace characterized by poor leadership and revolving door turnover. The organization is constantly undergoing new leadership which causes a lack of direction, misaligned roles, unchecked behavior, and nepotism, Chelsea grapples with frustration and confusion while juggling personal tribulations. However, her dedication to her famil
Bullied to the Brink: Kylie's Toxic Workplace Story of a Bullying Manager
Kylie lands a job at a large utility company, which starts on a positive note. She excels in her accounting role and earns praise from colleagues and supervisors. However, her experience takes a sharp downturn when she begins reporting to a bullying manager. Despite her persistent dedication, Kylie faces numerous obstacles, including being denied necessary overtime, burdened with increasing worklo
Not All That Glitters Is Gold: Victoria's Toxic Workplace Story of Cheap Sales and a Sham Business
Victoria is a dedicated real estate professional and busy mom who discovers a promising opportunity in real estate sales. Impressed by a wonderful interview experience, she eagerly joins the company, initially captivated by their seemingly excellent professionalism and integrity. However, as she begins her new role, Victoria becomes disillusioned when she realizes the company engages in cheap sale
Faithful Facade: Haylee's Toxic Workplace Story of a Christian Non-Profit with Hidden Political Motives
Haylee gets the opportunity to work with a trusted, long-time family friend, Jenna, in an exclusive Christian non-profit organization. Haylee is led to believe this non-profit is funding amazing projects that brings goodness into the world, but in reality they're funding political agendas. Haylee looks up to Jenna and believes she is going to gain professionalism and mentorship under her direction
Door-to-Door Deception: Amanda's Toxic Workplace Story of Working for a Magazine Crew Cult
Amanda is fresh out of high school and ready to escape her small hometown in Nebraska. She meets a guy at a rock concert who invites her to join his travels around the country as a "salesman." He offers her a one-way bus ticket to Texas to join him on a sales opportunity. Seeking adventure and excitement Amanda accepts, but on arrival she is disappointed to find herself thrown into a door-to-door
Stern Stares and Side Eye: Sam's Toxic Workplace Story of Bullying and Discrimination as a Male Nurse in Rural NC
Sam is a recent college graduate who lands an RN position in a pediatric unit at a rural North Carolina hospital. Sam is quickly disheartened when he realizes he is not welcome by the other nurses. As the only black, male nurse in the hospital he experiences discrimination, relentless questioning of his abilities, and a demoralizing work environment. He grapples with constant bullying and exclusio
Troubled Waters: Anna's Toxic Workplace Story of an Environmental Non-Profit Run by a Berating Boss
Anna lands a dream job at a non-profit dedicated to safeguarding the local lakes, the community's primary water supply. Initially thrilled by the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause, Anna is welcomed into the organization by a seemingly supportive boss. Anna quickly realizes, however, a stark contrast between the charismatic façade and the true nature of her boss when she reads a berat
Alley-Oops and Overload: Adam's Toxic Workplace Story of a Basketball Non-Profit Run by Poor Management
Adam lands a job at a non-profit organization with a noble mission—mentoring teens through basketball. Little did he know, his new boss brings a different kind of game to the table. Adam finds himself in a chaotic mix of disorganization, poor time management, and a glaring lack of leadership skills at the helm. As he tries to navigate the challenges, the overwhelming workload consumes him. This ep
Working Twice as Hard for Respect: Cassie's Toxic Workplace Story of Working as a School Therapist
From day one Cassie is treated as an outsider by the teachers and parents of the school she works for. The school is in a mostly white, upper-class, neighborhood and Cassie is a woman of color with a diverse background. The administration and her colleagues do not welcome her with open arms. They are cold, distant, and second guess her professional insight. Cassie works hard to win the respect of
Looks Can Be Deceiving: Sarah's Toxic Workplace Story of a Non-Profit Organization Run by a Narcissistic Leader
Sarah is excited to work at a non-profit organization whose mission aligns with her own values and passions. From the outside, this organization looks perfect. They emphasize "women empowering women," but Sarah starts to see the complete opposite as her self-serving, narcissistic boss has no shame in embarrassing Sarah and her colleagues in front of others.Do you have a toxic workplace story to sh
You Better Have a Fake Smile on Your Face: Judy's Toxic Workplace Story of Burnout and Career Sabotage
Judy works as a Senior Software Engineer at a health care clinic. She quickly realizes her new employer doesn't believe in work/life balance when she gets interrogated for taking a day off to attend her aunt's funeral. She is expected to drop everything on her days off to respond to work related questions. Her boss is sexist and demeaning. Leadership expects everyone to maintain a positive attitud
Blurring the Lines: Birdie's Toxic Workplace Story of an Insecure Councilman with No Boundaries
Fresh out of college, Birdie lands a job working for a councilman in Louisiana. At first, the councilman seems endearing and has a casual demeanor, but not long after Birdie starts in her position she realizes the councilman has no boundaries and a verbally abusive temper. He takes his frustrations out on Birdie while overloading her with work that is beyond the scope of her position.*****Do you h
Targeted for Termination: Herman's Toxic Workplace Story of Being Forced Out by Management After a Company Merger
Herman spends 15 years working for a local newspaper before it gets bought out by another newspaper. He is relieved when he doesn't lose his job right away, but things are never quite the same. After the merger, the company morale declines and burnout increases. He and his colleagues are treated as second-rate employees by management and Herman quickly finds himself as a moving target for a direct
Death by a Thousand Cuts: Rose's Toxic Workplace Story of a Bullying Boss and Finding Her Confidence
Rose gets promoted to a managerial position shortly after joining a non-profit organization. The director she reports to gives no direction, is dismissive to her suggestions, had poor management skills and creates low morale within Rose's department. Rose starts to realize her director is nothing but a bully which triggers lingering insecurities from adolescence. Rose decides to take a stand and s
Pushed to the Breaking Point: Josh's Toxic Workplace Story of Extreme Burnout and Overload
Josh lands a job with a city planning agency in an up-and-coming suburban city. The management hierarchy is run by a director that emulates a Tony Soprano vibe; he's hard to get through to and expects people to hustle for his approval. In addition, Josh's workload is that of two people. The workload and poor management start to weigh on Josh after he gets put on a PIP and he works his way out of i
Set Up to Fail: Miranda's Toxic Workplace Story of Gossip, Bullying and Lack of Training by Management
Miranda works in the accounting and finance industry. She lands a job at a firm where she is set up for failure from the start. The person assigned to her training is incompetent and makes things confusing. Miranda's boss is aggressively frustrated with her mistakes during her training. Her co-workers openly gossip about her peers with bullying, racist and sexist remarks. Miranda's confidence star
Trained in Unethical Sales: Jules' Toxic Workplace Story about a Relentless Push by Management
Jules is a recent college graduate who lands a sales position at a large corporation. The compensation package is excellent and the job growth and development seems promising, but once Jules becomes acclimated she realizes management only cares about one thing... sales. The pressure from management on Jules and her team is relentless. The expectation is that the sales associates are to take any me
Hiring Employees for Grant Money: Sheila's Toxic Workplace Story of Gaming the System
Sheila decides to leave her job in retail to pursue an office job with the hope it would be a stepping stone to a career in IT. She gets placed at a large, well-known company through a non-profit, job-placement agency. Once inside, she realizes the management churns through employees as a way to collect grant money which makes for a highly toxic workplace environment. The managers and supervisors
Don't Settle For Less: Khloe's Story of Back-to-Back Toxic Workplaces and Bad Management
After graduating business college, Khloe's professor offers her a position at his company. He paints the position to be one that will jumpstart her career in the industry in which she studied. She excitedly accepts the offer only to realize the job is nothing as he described and the workplace functions in silos under his micro-management. She witnesses a darker side to her professor. After an inap
The Wicked Witch of the APL: Pamela's Toxic Workplace Story of an Evil Director
Pamela gets a job at a non-profit animal protective league in 2002. She loved her job and the people she worked with. After 15 years of great leadership and a positive workplace, new management is hired and morale quickly plummeted. The once happy organization became miserable and toxic under her management. The board members were under the spell of the executive director and the people working wi
Bullied by Mr. Tough Guys: Ezrah's Toxic Workplace Story of Machoism and Bullying
Ezrah’s job is at a plant where management leads with an iron fist and a "Mr. Tough Guy" mentality. He becomes the target of repeated bullying and unsafe work conditions. Although the workplace is toxic, he sticks around for the benefits and higher wages, but like all toxic environments, it eventually takes a toll on his physical and mental well-being.If you love listening to this podcast, please
Dr. Evil and Her Political BS: Connie's Toxic Workplace Story of Corruption in a Public Hospital
Connie is a director for a public hospital in a metropolitan area. She is passionate about serving her community and facilitating an efficient organization, but her world comes crashing down after accepting to take on a new ward ruled by a bullying doctor, Dr. M, who becomes determined to sabotage Connie's career and force her out of her job. Dr. M’s political ties and demands create a toxic work
Keep Your Head Down & Drink the Kool-Aid: Stevie's Toxic Workplace Story of Employee Stalking
Stevie lands a job in the music industry at her dream company. With a new sense of freedom and determination to prove herself in this new role, she puts up with a toxic, bullying supervisor who is equally determined to sabotage her new career. As if bad management isn't enough, she is stalked by two employees within the company. This turbulent workplace pushes Stevie to the brink...If you love lis
I'll Be Watching You: Lena and Sophie's Toxic Workplace Story of a Magazine with Trust Issues
Lena and Sophie accept a job with a business magazine and are excited to get a shot at a career in publishing. Despite the red flags, both have high hopes that the magazine can be elevated with their hard work and contributions, but the culture is controlled and monitored by the CEO and HR department who get a kick out of office gossip and drama. The surveillance of the staff generates a toxic, “b
Walk in Your Truth: Jessica's Toxic Workplace Story of Racism and Discrimination in NYC
Jessica was on a successful career path in NYC as a buyer in e-commerce. At first she loved her job, her boss and the company, but eventually she started to realize an underlying discriminatory bias within the company. There was an incident that uncovered the racist beliefs of a key manager which shook Jessica to her core. Speaking up about the incident only made the situation more uncomfortable.
Violated on Wall Street: Elizabeth's Toxic Workplace Story of Sexual Harassment in a Boys Club Firm
Elizabeth Miles Graham, author of You Know What They Say: A Memoir Presaging #metoo, tells her story of being manipulated, devalued and sexually harassed at a trading firm on Wall Street. Elizabeth loved her career in finance and her firm, but after a restructure at the company, it turned into a toxic boy's club complete with sexual harassment. Her job as a VP quickly became a glorified assistant
This is Not Okay: Gwen's Toxic Workplace Story of a Helicopter Boss with No Trust
Gwen's new company seems ideal in the beginning. They have a beautiful facility which includes a gymnasium, beer machine and welcoming people, but once she gets inside the company, she realizes there is no depth and no trust. The president helicopters around all day looking over shoulders and policing time. Her toxic boss cusses out an assistant and is quick to throw anyone under the bus. She find
Too Good to be True: Maria's Toxic Workplace Story About a Narcissistic Boss
Maria moves to France from Colombia to settle with her newlywed husband. She is optimistic to start a career in France and finds a sales job at a company that promises an atmosphere that seems too good to be true. Within the first month, Maria experiences derogatory and sexist remarks from her toxic boss who rages at staff and is an insecure control freak. Maria says she never thought she could be
Overworked and Underpaid: Clara's Toxic Workplace Story of Finding Confidence and Knowing Her Potential
Clara worked at a toxic financial services firm as a customer service representative. Her resilient work ethic and determination made her the perfect target for the company to pile on the work load with the messiest of client issues. Since she started as a temp worker, the company never gave her the full pay she deserved and held back her potential. This is a story of discovering confidence and fi
Demeaning Doctors: Donna's Toxic Workplace Story about Working for Manipulating MDs
Donna is a nurse practitioner that worked for a neurology group of twelve doctors for eight years of her career. She would be kept well past her scheduled work hours, sometimes working up to 12 hour shifts 5 days a week. These toxic doctors would triangulate the staff, gaslight their abilities and take full advantage of Donna's willingness to work hard.Follow on IG! @ToxicWorkplacePodcastIf you lo
Churn and Burn: Walter's Toxic Workplace Story of Burnout Culture in the Financial Industry
Walter kickstarts his career in a financial services firm and quickly realizes the company has no real vision other than to generate revenue at any cost. All work and responsibilities get pushed to the bottom and the leadership has a revolving door. Employees are constantly over worked and burnout is a part of this toxic workplace culture.Follow on IG! @ToxicWorkplacePodcastIf you love listening t
Mean Girls: Stacy's Toxic Workplace Story about Non-Profit Cliques
Stacy lands her dream job at one of the largest non-profits in the U.S. The organizational culture in this story is cliquey and exclusive. Her toxic supervisors treat Stacy like an intern despite her credentials and background. This toxic workplace revolves around workplace bullying, power cliques, unqualified supervisors and a lack of communication.Follow on IG! @ToxicWorkplacePodcastIf you love
A No Boundaries Business: Brooke's Toxic Workplace Story of a Workaholic Boss
Brooke jumps ship from a failing work culture only to find herself in the icy waters of a new toxic work environment. Her boss doesn't listen and leads with a workaholic mentality. Non-existent leadership and a lack of processes proves poor management in this episode of Toxic Workplace.Follow on IG! @ToxicWorkplacePodcastIf you love listening to this podcast, please leave a review in Apple Podcast
Deceived by a Narcissistic Boss: Michelle and Jen’s Toxic Workplace Story (Part II)
Michelle and Jen's story unravels as they both realize how the company they signed on with has a complete lack of accountability, respect, and abuse of power from an extremely controlling CEO. The employees who feed into the CEO's façade also participate in the gaslighting and confusion that comes straight from the top.Follow on IG! @ToxicWorkplacePodcastIf you love listening to this podcast, plea
Deceived by a Narcissistic Boss: Michelle and Jen’s Toxic Workplace Story (Part I)
Michelle and Jen sign on with a company that appeared to be reputable on the surface but they would quickly come to realize nothing is as it seems.... The charming owner has another side to him that can't be seen on the surface. His control issues, lack of accountability and disconnection from daily operations makes for a toxic workplace experience.Follow on IG! @ToxicWorkplacePodcastIf you love l
Antidote Episode: Free Yourself From Your Toxic Workplace Story - Interview with Alisha Wolf of Goldfinch Wellness
Alisha Wolf is a psychotherapist and coach who has developed a niche expertise in understanding and healing from toxic workplaces using self-regulation, self-compassion, and the creation of a coherent narrative. Alisha has been helping her clients navigate out of toxic workplaces and over the years she’s gained incredible insight on how we build our stories around toxic workplaces, how we can get
After Hours: Nobody Likes an Ass-Kisser... Except Your Boss
We've all dealt with them, the self-serving ass-kisser that gets ahead because they stroke the boss's ego. In this quick After Hours episode, I talk about why ass-kissers are successful and how they erode a workplace.
Antidote Episode: Surviving a Cult Business - Interview with Amanda Fangman
In this bonus episode, I talk with Amanda Fangman, an aspiring writer and educator who specializes in teaching people about undue influence and coercive control in the workplace – from labor trafficking and exploitation to cultic abuse at work.If you haven't listened to Amanda's story of working for a magazine crew (Season 2, Episode 14), please listen before playing this episode as it gives conte
After Hours: HR is Not Your Friend
Welcome to After Hours, bonus episodes that discuss different aspects of a toxic workplace. In each episode, I’ll pick a topic that is a reoccurring theme or pattern that you’ll hear in my podcast stories. In this episode, I discuss why HR is not your friend. HR is an advocate of the company and they are part of management's agenda. When dealing with a toxic workplace, HR is oftentimes a main cont
Antidote Episode: How to Deal with Narcissists at Work - Interview with Chelsey Brooke Cole, Licensed Psychotherapist, Author, Speaker, and Coach Specializing in Narcissistic Abuse
Do you work with a narcissist? Listen as Chelsey Brooke Cole, author of If Only I'd Known: How to Outsmart Narcissists, Set Guilt-Free Boundaries, and Create Unshakeable Self-Worth, talks about the different traits of narcissistic personality disorder and how they wreak havoc over the workplace. Chelsey discusses how to deal with these toxic people, how to set boundaries, and why empaths are more
Antidote Episode: Never, Never Quit... Following Your Dreams (My Dad's Story)
There’s no one I can think of that has inspired me to chase my dreams more than my dad. My dad made a successful career through courage, perseverance, and putting his family first. Despite the failures from his past, he never quit his dream of owning his own business. As you’ll hear in this episode, nothing came easy for him. He struggled "behind the eight-ball" for years before his business took
Antidote Episode: Zenica Chatman - Career Coach Helping Women Rediscover Their Inner Strength and Confidence after a Toxic Workplace
Zenica Chatman is a Certified Personal and Executive Coach with a focus of helping women rediscover their inner strength and confidence after encountering workplace bullying. In this bonus episode, Zenica shares her own experience of racially fueled bullying at her dream job during the height of her career. Her workplace experience gave her new insight and strength which led her onto a new career
Antidote Episode: Coach Ruben - Leading the Workplace Through Health and Well-Being
Coach Ruben Guzman is an inspirational public speaker, professional leadership consultant and lifestyle coach who is passionate about empowering others to live a healthy, thriving life. In this episode, Coach Ruben discusses what it takes to become an effective leader; why poor leadership and bad management lead to toxic workplaces; how unfulfilled lives lead to health issues; and how we can empow
Antidote Episode: Finding Authenticity and [Re]Humanizing the Workplace - Interview with Laura Warnod of The Culture Cabinet
Laura Warnod, MSc, is a consultant and coach who is "re-humanizing" the workplace. Laura's personal story of resilience inspired her to leave her 9 to 5 job to become an entrepreneur and create her platform, The Culture Cabinet. Laura coaches people to embrace their true self, hone in on their resilience, and lead with authenticity within the workplace. Her goal as a cultural architect is to trans
Antidote Episode: Narcissists in the Workplace and How They Got There in the First Place - Interview with Leslie Miller, LICSW
Narcissists find their way to the top of organizations because their lack of empathy resembles a competitive spirit. Listen to this Antidote Episode where we hear from Leslie Miller, a licensed independent clinical social worker who specializes in trauma and narcissistic abuse. She discusses why a narcissist fits the mold of a corporate boss so perfectly and how to cope when you deal with one.Lesl
Antidote Episode: Navigating a Toxic Workplace and How to Plan Your Escape - Interview with Alisha Wolf of Goldfinch Wellness
Alisha Wolf, owner of Goldfinch Wellness, is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist. Her practice specializes in helping people through toxic workplace situations. In this interview, you'll listen as Alisha discusses her thought provoking approach to finding your inner calm and "coming home to yourself" as an exercise of "changing your lens" on toxic situations. It's clear that she has fo
Introduction to Toxic Workplace
The goal of this podcast is to expose workplace toxicity, and to uncover the why and how it became toxic in the first place. We want to enlighten employees and reshape how people function at work. Let’s learn how to set boundaries and appreciate each other. Ultimately, this podcast is part of a change: the change needed to grow and thrive as a workforce. We want to empower employees everywhere…. B
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