Is It Me?

Levitt Auditorium • October 27 • 8:04 pm

Even though we spend the majority of our time working—or maybe because of it—identifying a work environment as detrimental to self-worth and a healthy work/life balance is difficult. Whether harassed by coworkers, demeaned by a demanding boss, or a part of a culture that conflates hard work with working 24/7, it can be difficult to make the distinction between the ups-and-downs that accompany working life and legitimately toxic surroundings. Not identifying this early enough can lead to burnout, a questionably short tenure on your resume, or lasting self-doubt.  

I want to anonymously interview friends and people in the community, as well as use personal experience, to explore and share answers to the following questions that I have surrounding the issue:

What was the turning point for you?
Did you talk to anyone about your concerns, whether friends, coworkers, or a manager? How did that go?
Did you attempt to directly address these issues? How were those attempts met?
How did you get past the negative experience at future jobs?
Were there (in retrospect) any early on red flags that you’ve identified since?

I hope that as a result of the talk, people in a toxic work environment can recognize their situation and develop the courage to leave on their terms. Ideally, recent grads or professionals with little work experience will additionally be armed with the ability to recognize and reject companies that issue warning signs before making the mistake of entering a toxic work environment.