How To Deal With Toxic People In Professional Settings

Being in a toxic professional environment can be tough. Maybe it’s the managing director whose employees secretly dislike them. It could be a coworker who makes disparaging comments. Or it might be someone in a networking group or Slack. Sometimes dealing with a toxic professional setting means taking the initiative to leave.

In December 2022, I left a fellowship at an environmental non-profit based out of New York. After providing my address to receive a work computer, my manager looked up my address and admitted to doing so when I asked if they did. They ran two employees out of the organization in less than a year.

After I quit, I went to human resources and reported them. I feared for the future of my career for a very long time. But after an investigation, it turns out I was not the only former employee who felt they were toxic.

The organization has a reputation for being a toxic workplace, so much so that it’s been written about in The New York Times, POLITICO, and E & E News.

According to medical professionals, staying in a toxic work environment can have long-term impacts on someone’s mental health.

“If you feel like your livelihood is threatened you will develop PTSD symptoms. I am a strong believer in workplace trauma,” says Dr. Judith Joseph, a board certified psychiatrist and Chairwoman of the Women in Medicine Board at Columbia University.

“Working with an individual who emotionally breaks you down, who makes you feel as if you’re not doing a good job, who controls you and treats you like an object, having someone like that in your presence on a constant or continuous basis affects you,” Dr. Joseph says.

Although it can be tricky to navigate, there are ways to make toxic work situations better. Here are a few ways to handle being in a toxic professional setting.

Document Everything

This is one of the most important parts of dealing with a toxic work environment. All of your negative experiences should be documented, especially when it comes to racism and other forms of prejudice. Email is a great way to maintain a paper trail.

“Have a paper trail, you will need it,” says Khadyajah Jenkins, a former talent scout at Adobe. “Understand the employee handbook. You should know your rights. A lot of the time our rights are being violated and we don’t know. Understand the policies and procedures that are in place for your work environment.”

Look through the employee handbook to see if any of the rules were broken by your toxic colleague. If they were, report it to human resources. If you think a report will work against you, it may be time to consider leaving altogether.

Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries can be done in many ways. Try to limit interactions with the person affecting you. If the toxic person you’re dealing with is in management, try to get out of doing meetings with them regularly if you can. If they are having a serious impact on your mental health, you may want to consider seeing a therapist or attending a support group.

“When someone has the power to determine your livelihood it’s a power dynamic. The person knows they have something over you and may abuse that power. Trauma reactions may be depression, overeating, or self-medicating with alcohol,” she says.

Do your best to avoid lashing out at the toxic person in your workplace because that could hurt you down the line. Take time off for your mental health if needed.

Create An Exit Plan

It’s important to keep in mind that leaving may be your best option. However, you shouldn’t leave your job unless it’s absolutely necessary. You don’t want to come off as someone who frequently leaves jobs. Your best bet is to find another job, give two weeks notice, and exit gracefully.

“You can’t create safety in a place that is toxic or harmful to you. You can have as many boundaries and meditative practices but if it’s not a safe space, it’s simply not a safe space,” says Jenkins.

Dr. Joseph expressed similar sentiments. “Think about things that matter in life. Is the job really worth it? Workplace mental health is life or death,” she says. “It’s a public health crisis. We need to make sure our team members are happy, content, and safe in workplaces.”