Whats your workplace like?!

[Kimbaland]

So I left a job of 8 years in February because of a toxic work environment that was affecting my mental health. It took a long time to leave because I loved the job, the women in my office were the problem and I was pretty badly bullied.

I've been at my new place 10 months and I cant help but notice this place is much of the same. People are nasty about each other, hunt in packs, emails get sent around bitching about people, there's a lot of backstabbing. While I keep as far out of it as possible and try to do a good job and go home, I do wonder... is every workplace like this? I wanted a fresh start and it feels like out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Whats your workplace like? Is there such a thing out there as 'one big happy family'?

I work in a majority female department and I love it, it’s really supportive and zero bitchiness. I’ve only been there a few months on a temporary contract and I’m desperate to join them on a permanent basis.

The only person who sours the atmosphere occasionally is a man who doesn’t seem to like his job very much, and is very moody. If you get him on a good day he’s a good laugh, but if he has a bad day he takes it out on everyone else. And is the only one who has got close to actual bitchiness.

I've worked in toxic offices and teams but current and last places were good. Apparently there are cliques in the role I work in but I've not noticed them.

I have found it impossible to find a job where both the work and people are good. Usually it is one or the other, I really like my current job but I hate the atmosphere and bitchiness. It just grinds you down, examples are:

Constant whispering and emails flying around (slagging people off).
Constant sly digs.
Obsessive talk about diets and being questioned about food/diets every time you eat something or someone brings in birthday cakes.
Getting questioned about personal life and the bitches giving each other looks when your answer isn’t up to scratch.
Found out colleague complained to other work colleague about being seated next to me in the new seating plan.
I try not to engage with them then get more sly digs about being too quiet.
One extremely lazy ‘team’ member that does next to nothing but has worked there for ages and runs to personnel if they don’t get there own way.

I really want to stop engaging with these people but it makes it worse. I have the hell of a Christmas meal today because I weighed it up and it is probably better to go than have weeks of sly digs about not going.

Op, is it a mostly female environment again that you're working in?

I work for a huge organisation. People are mostly lovely. And mostly men.

But having been bullied by one man for years and the company doing the princely sum of feck all despite proof of nasty behaviour and him wrecking my reputation, I’m seriously thinking of leaving. Or praying harder that I won’t wake up.

Sometimes you can have enough.

I Stil have friends from previous workplaces, so I think I can say I have been in some good teams.

Currently, I work for a big multinational. As with any big organisation, some areas are better than others, but overall, it's a positive culture, and there's a focus on culture and employees, not just shareholders. It hasn't all been plain sailing , but mostly it's good - I will voluntarily socialise with some colleagues and have been on holiday with a couple of them. I am in a male-dominated department, but I am very grateful for female colleagues in other departments who have been very supportive at times.

Men can gossip just as much as women - IME, gossip is more likely to proliferate in environments where there is a lack of trust and information. Men can also be backstabbers and bullies. It's down to individual personalities, not someone's sex - however, some workplace cultures will mean it is more likely that toxic behaviours will be tolerated than in others.

I work in a small company, 100% women, very friendly and supportive - no bitchiness, no issues.

Current job is the worst ever for thus. So many cliques. The 3 women are get on with best are like me. Head down, do your work and go home. I don't think women are better I'd worse than men. It's about 50/50 where I work and most of the blokes are pretty bitchy too. Bullying is rife and management are totally unsupportive. The hours are good and I like the people I get on with but it's the worst place ive ever worked (but need the money)