A statistic that really stands out in the recent Gallup State of the Global Workforce report is around stress; almost half of the people interviewed said that they’d experienced a lot of stress the previous day and that only a third of people felt like their wellbeing was ‘thriving’.
Some stress can be a good thing. It can motivate us, help us to build meaningful relationships with others and lift our confidence once we’ve achieved a goal that requires us to step outside of our comfort zone. But experiencing a lot of stress is beneficial to no one and sadly, it is the reality for many people every single day as a result of the culture within which they work, or the managers tasked with maintaining that environment.
Almost every week there is a new story in the media about an organisation with a ‘toxic’ culture and, let’s be clear, nothing toxic is ever good for anyone’s health. The organisations in these reports have little in common themselves – they’re in different countries, different industries and sectors, public and private.
One thing they do have in common, however, is the destructive effect that the cultures have on the mental and physical health of employees. These cultures often masquerade as being ‘high-performance’, ‘work hard, play hard’ or ‘goal oriented’ when in reality, they have more work than they have the capacity to do, and regularly burn staff out in the pursuit of results.
These cultures are bad for your health in three ways:
- Deteriorating mental health and depression – A comprehensive meta-analysis published in the Journal of Applied Psychology examining over 200 studies found that toxic workplace behaviours like bullying and harassment increase an employee’s risk of developing clinical depression by 300%. The study revealed that victims of workplace toxicity showed similar trauma patterns to those experiencing domestic abuse. Supporting this, research from the World Health Organisation estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity, with toxic work environments being a primary contributor.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders – Research from the American Psychological Association shows that employees in toxic work environments experience chronically elevated cortisol levels due to sustained stress. A landmark study in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that workers in hostile work environments had a 35% higher risk of heart disease compared to those in supportive cultures. The physiological mechanism is clear: prolonged exposure to toxic workplace stress triggers inflammation and elevated blood pressure, while also disrupting sleep patterns that normally help regulate metabolic function.
- Compromised immune function and higher illness rates – Studies from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health demonstrate that employees in toxic workplaces take 50% more sick days compared to those in healthy cultures. The biological pathway is well-documented: chronic workplace stress suppresses T-cell production and natural killer cell activity, key components of our immune system. Another study tracked 41,000 employees over five years and found that those reporting toxic workplace conditions had a 35% higher incidence of infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders.
These health impacts create a vicious cycle: deteriorating health leads to decreased performance, which often triggers more toxic responses from hostile workplace cultures, further exacerbating health problems. The economic cost is staggering with one study estimating that workplace stress accounts for $190 billion in healthcare costs annually in the U.S. alone.
The good news is that organisations can reverse these trends by implementing evidence-based practices. These practices take time and cost money, yet the benefits far outweigh these and not only lead to healthier people and workplaces, but also healthier results too. These practices include:
- Proactively defining the culture – involving staff in the definition of culture generates belonging and accountability and means that employees are more prepared to speak up when the culture doesn’t match their expectations
- Zero-tolerance policies for bullying and harassment – no excuses should ever be made for not dealing with those employees that bully and harass others. Leaders are only ever as good as the behaviour they choose to walk past
- Train managers on how to be managers – billions of dollars every year are wasted on leadership programs that deliver little tangible value, when managers are crying out for the skills to build and maintain safe, inclusive team cultures
The research is unequivocal: toxic workplace cultures are not just bad for business – they represent a serious public health concern that demands immediate attention from organisational leaders and policymakers. Toxic cultures and the people they affect, don’t fix themselves.
Colin D Ellis is a five-time best-selling author and culture consultant. His latest book Detox Your Culture is now available.