workplaces are often defined differently by different employees. positive work environments are commonly labelled as welcoming, collaborative, empowering, inclusive, and so on. toxic workplaces, on the other hand, are usually deemed as unsupportive, tense, or hostile.
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this serves as a cautionary tale that before taking any action, employers and employees should seek legal advice if they believe a workplace has become toxic.
to avoid the emergence of a toxic workplace altogether, we recommend employers act pre-emptively by monitoring their office culture and implementing systems for identifying issues before they go too far. these might include instituting comprehensive policies, practices and training that address how to handle workplace issues. lastly, employers should quickly respond to and investigate any complaints as they arise. an attentive employer can be an effective antidote for a poisonous work environment.