how did leaving a toxic/bad work environment affect you (positively or negatively)?

24 comments

1. Only positive. Walked out after they gave me time off to “think about my position there”. Pretty sure they were just trying to intimidate me. I still have some lingering “trauma” from that job but at least I’m not back there anymore.

2. both.

   i took a paycut and worked less hours so i struggled a little financially. but i ended up working for another company who actually took care of their employees and helped them when needed. they respected people’s time off and understood if you needed to call off for a day or two. if i didn’t move across town i’d still be with the company.

3. Positive. Having left I know what to look for and I actively avoid it.

4. Left a bad work environment and I went from 5 daily meditations down to 2 within 3 months at the new job!

5. It’s been good and bad. I’d been harassed for years and finally got a new job.

   It’s been an adjustment getting used to a different managing style. I don’t feel like my boss really trusts my performance, and feel pretty under utilized. Even when I do have small successes, she’s not great at acknowledging them. Just a “good job on that” would help, but that’s not her style. But when the smallest thing is off, she’s quick to point it out. She’s also a bit cliquey and because she’s bonded quickly with a new hire, she seems to trust her more and gives her more to do. Which is hard to navigate.

   So it’s tough. But I’m learning a lot and I’ll take it over being harassed

6. Positive. It was awful at the time and I left without a backup plan, but I got hired on as a contractor at a big multinational and the culture was totally different. Ended up getting on full time a year later and doubled my salary.

   So basically those fuckers did me a giant favor. It took me a while to see it, but now I know a lot more about myself, what I’m worth, and what a toxic, dysfunctional corporate culture looks like.

   Every once in a while I wish I could run into my old manager so I could thank her.

7. I didn’t realize just how toxic of an environment it had become until I was out of it. I knew it was bad and I always dreaded Monday morning but I didn’t realize how much I was drinking to cope and how it was sucking joy from every other area of my life.

8. Positively. My mental health has improved drastically! I no longer cry all the time at the thought of work and going to work. I’m no longer in a pissy mood all the time because I hate being at my place if employment. The only downside is I took a massive paycut. Went from just over $20 an hour down to $10.50 an hour. So money is tight, but I’d rather be where I am now versus where I was when I worked at the toxic job.

9. I quit my first job by throwing my keys at my supervisor. he had to bend over to pick them up. they still called me to see if I was coming back that weekend. so that was a power trip.

   but the problem with that job was the management. I loved my direct coworkers and everyone I worked the floor with. I loved the residents I took care of. but something inside me clicked out of place that night. I was able to very quickly find another place of employment but I’m so much more confident in myself, and my worth, and my ability to catch myself when I take a leap of faith.

   negatively, it affected my relationship with my husband because I was heavily pregnant with our 3rd baby, we had just purchased our house and I was the breadwinner 😬 so that was stressful. & that became the first in a long string of, “well it’ll all work out in the end, what’s the worst that can happen that we can’t fix?” situations I put us in. never danger, I just overestimate our tolerance sometimes lol. thank the gods I married a patient man

10. I worked at a hospital pharmacy that stressed me out so much I had a migraine once a month, usually more often. I finally finished my degree and bounced and now I only get a few a year.

11. Short term was negative. I took what looked on paper was a pay rise but turned out really was a pay cut. I worked much longer days and a lot of hours including weekends. Took a toll on my health, I got sick with respiratory infections almost once a month at one point.

    It took me 3 years to realize deep down it wasn’t my fault what happened.

    After that it was up and up. I’m now able to support other people much better through my personal experience. I chose to be a protector and supporter for people experiencing toxicity in the workplace. I’m also much better at dealing with and handling toxic people.

12. I’m still in it and frankly confused. It’s a great place to work for a lot of people but I keep ending up in some situation where I have to defend my rights or my job. I’ve gotten so good at keeping records that I’m pretty much a paralegal. It sucks. I spent a lot of nights awake in anger or anxious.

13. ***Positive.*** I stayed at Humana for 2 months. Not to reflect badly on the company but the particular people I worked with were rude as shit. As in short tempered, insulting, lying to make themselves look good. All of them.

    I took a lower paying job and life was much better.

14. Makes you more alert and cautious
    Bolder to b more upfront how you feel

15. It was the best thing for me but it took time to recover. The biggest physical change was I stopped getting headaches and my menstrual cramps decreased significantly. I also started to lose all the stress weight from lack of exercise ( I was working 12-14 hours and lost myself a bit).

    Mentally I stopped being constantly irritated and didn’t wake up with dread. I did have a hard time adjusting at my new job because I was waiting for something negative to happen…. It didn’t.

    Overall, I am at a great place, I am so much happier and healthier.

16. Saved my life. Toxic work environment for me meant problematic drinking to deal. Didn’t even realize it was that toxic until I left.

17. One of the most freeingly healthy feelings I’ve ever experienced in my life. It literally made me feel better about life itself.

18. Quitting my very toxic job was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made so it was positive mentally and physically. That job made me literally sick: I’ve had reoccurring sore throats and so did all my coworkers who sat near their HVAC vents, I’ve had seemingly random headaches and developed bruxism. I was also angry all the time and brought home a lot of the stress.

    Once I quit my job, I finally dragged myself to go see a new doctor to address my health issues. Long story short, I wish I would have quit so much sooner. Life is too short to stay at a place that makes you miserable.

19. Positive – became less anxious and stressed, which allowed me to live a healthier lifestyle including quitting cigarettes. I also found a job that I enjoy much more and that has a much better environment

    Negative – I was unemployed for 10 weeks, which was both embarrassing and frustrating for me to admit to people I talked to. I hated starting from square 1 in terms of the job search. I obviously lost some income but thankfully my new job pays a lot better than my old one so I am catching up pretty quickly

20. First job: NEGATIVELY

    I left Subway because my manager would set me to be at the line of part-time at about 38 hours a week and me beinf a full-time college student. He would constantly text me exactly at 7:35am after I closed the night before even though he knew I was busy. Sending roughly 7-10 messages, spamming me everytime about how poorly I did and how he has to go fix all my mistakes. I would be closing at 11pm and wouldn’t be getting home til about 1am on school nights. Crying before driving to class, having panic attacks, leaving me with extreme anxiety to the point I quit and went to work in my hometown Subway. Still have panic attacks when I don’t do my best after 3 years, screw you Juan.

    Second job: Negatively after a Month

    Left to work at Walmart after I was laid off for a month because our town did the whole quarantine gig. Apparently I was the last person they asked to come back. And I had to call them to ask, they were open 2 weeks prior to me calling. I needed a reliable job. After I left, I’d go back to the Walmart/Subway to get food and chat with my former coworkers. A month into the new job and I get called in to the office by my Walmart manager because apparently I’m talking crap about my previous job BY MY OLD SUBWAY MANAGER. Found out her granddaughter was saying shit despite me being on good terms with everyone. Never trusted them again.

    Third job: Positively.

    Walmart actually left me with alot of grocery experience and good references plus friendships that have lasted years despite me moving to a new town.

21. Both! I left a job that was going nowhere for more pay and job security but I miss my old coworkers and the actual job itself terribly. I don’t regret it, as I do make way more money and my coworkers are… fine. But I’m only slowly getting to the point where I’m not grieving the loss anymore

22. If I would’ve stayed, I’m confident I would’ve lost my mind.

    Before I left I was losing hair, I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t working out, I was working 10 -12 hours a day, work schedule was constantly changing so my sleep schedule was fucked, it was so bad I was hallucinating due to lack of sleep, working 6 sometimes 7 days a week, my depressed and stress was at an all time high

    The positives of leaving was being in a better state mentally, physically and spiritually . Another positive is that because I left a toxic relationship. I was so busy working I didn’t even have time to step back and fully evaluate my relationship that when I did, I saw an exit and ran for the hills.

    Another positives was that I actually used the free time to go on a “retreat” I deleted all medias, stopped listening to media, apps/music/ etc. and literally just meditated I didn’t speak to anyone, I didn’t go out with anyone, I took that time to mass declutter and get rid of everything.

    Another positive is that I was always a career first “independent” women that when I wasn’t working I discovered my “feminine” side. I felt like I was busy being the man in the relationship in my last relationship that seeing other perspectives online from single women and women who date strategically opened up eyes that I really shouldn’t be settling.

    The negatives I took a paycut and lost out on money. Another negative is a career hit, society/employers look down on unemployment gaps.

    I’m sure there’s other pros and cons but That’s all I can think of

23. Left graduate school..basically dropped out of PhD program with a masters..I was so close to graduating..was done with my qualifying exams and proposal defense..published a paper with my finding..worked hard day and night only to be called stupid, unmotivated and lazy at the group meeting of around 20 people every week. I quit the program, it was really hard to do so being an international student and moreover I was admitted with a fellowship but somehow the things worked out. Had to schedule a lot of meetings with dean from grad school and all.. currently working at a multinational company where my skills are treasured. I still get anxiety looking back..but I am proud of myself for how far I have come

24. Positive…stayed home and went back to school to further my degree and now I have way more options.