Signs you’re a toxic coworker can be subtle, but their effects on your colleagues are real and damaging.
Toxic behavior, any action that creates tension, stress, or negativity, can range from a careless joke to ongoing patterns that push coworkers away.
At its core, toxic behavior harms both yourself and those around you.
Everyone has bad days or moments of selfishness, and one mistake is understandable. But when negative actions become regular, they can define how people experience you at work.
Recognizing these patterns is the first step in learning how to overcome toxic behavior.
Signs you’re a toxic coworker: why small behaviors matter
Research indicates that toxicity can spread rapidly in the workplace.
A 2021 study, “How Toxic Workplace Environment Effects the Employee Engagement: The Mediating Role of Organizational Support and Employee Wellbeing,” found that negative behaviors ripple through offices like a virus.
Employees exposed to toxicity often pass on stress and frustration, worsening the environment for everyone.
Toxic workplaces also harm mental health. Stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression are common outcomes.
The American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2023 “Work in America Survey” confirmed that employees in toxic offices are three times more likely to have poor mental health than those in supportive settings.
Yet being a toxic coworker isn’t always about loud arguments or dramatic fights.
Often, it’s the subtle toxic behaviors at work—small, overlooked habits—that make the office a difficult place.
14 Signs You Might Be a Toxic Coworker
It’s a tricky question, but sometimes the source of negativity is ourselves. Creating a healthy workplace begins with self-awareness.
Recognizing subtle toxic behaviors at work is the first key step to stopping tension and discomfort for your colleagues.
Medium lists 14 ways to spot if you are quietly making the office a harder place to work.
Paying attention to these signs that you may be a toxic coworker is essential for positive change.
1. Everyone Else Is Always the Problem
Do you blame others when things go wrong? McKayla Afolayan emphasizes that avoiding responsibility damages trust. Accepting mistakes is vital for a healthy office.
2. Colleagues Avoid You
Do conversations end when you walk by, or do people skip social events you attend? If interactions are strictly work-related, colleagues may be keeping their distance.
3. Harsh Honesty
Believing that honesty excuses cruelty can hurt relationships. Making people feel bad unnecessarily is one of the signs you’re a toxic coworker.
4. Drama Follows You
Are you always in the center of office crises or gossip? Creating or chasing drama is a clear warning sign.
5. Compliments That Hurt
Comments like “You look different” or “That was surprising” might seem harmless, but they can sting.
6. Never Apologizing
Refusing to say “sorry” blocks growth and creates tension. Taking ownership is key to a positive work environment.
7. Manipulative Behavior
Do you control events behind the scenes using gossip or half-truths to get what you want? Manipulation destroys trust.
8. Keeping People on Edge
Constantly changing moods or instructions leaves colleagues stressed and uncertain.
9. Interrupting Others
Finishing people’s sentences signals impatience and a lack of respect.
10. High Turnover on Your Team
Marcus Buckingham states, “People leave managers, not companies.” Supporting surveys:
- GoodHire: 82% of employees might quit due to a bad manager
- Visier: 43% left a job because of their manager
- FlexJobs: 62% cited toxic culture as the main reason for leaving
11. Passive-Aggressive Behavior
Avoiding hard conversations while expressing anger indirectly is a subtle but damaging pattern.
12. Micromanaging Everything
Overseeing every detail can kill creativity and erode trust, even among skilled team members.
13. Acting Like You’re Always Right
Ignoring others’ ideas shuts down collaboration and signals arrogance.
14. Cannot Handle Criticism
Reacting poorly to feedback, even constructive advice, shows insecurity and adds to a toxic environment.
How to stop being toxic at work
Recognizing signs you’re a toxic coworker is the first step toward change. Learning how to stop being toxic can improve your work life and create a supportive environment for everyone. MasterClass recommends:
- Apologize Promptly: A simple “I’m sorry” restores trust.
- Check Yourself Regularly: Journaling improves self-awareness and mental health.
- Listen to Feedback: Healthy relationships need open communication.
- Heal Past Wounds: Professional help prevents old pain from hurting others.
- Practice Mindfulness: Awareness helps break negative thought patterns.
- Respect Boundaries: Avoid overstepping personal or professional limits.
- Show Compassion: Look for kindness instead of criticism. Forgive, focus on positivity, and create well-being.
By noticing harmful habits, taking responsibility, and focusing on positivity, anyone can transform their behavior.
Small changes help stop tension and make every workday better—for you and for everyone around you.
Discover signs you’re a toxic coworker and learn how to improve your workplace relationships by watching collaboration expert Mark T. Rivera share ways to better connect with your coworkers on TED.
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