From Lawyer to Artist: 5 Red Flags of Toxic Workplaces
(I’m trying to find Obi-Wan’s “hello there” meme, but tumblr isn’t helping me)
So, I did a little *huge* post ranting about my last job that caused one hell of a burnout on me and it’s taking me forever to get better + now I have a huge existencial crisis that I want to transition from being a lawyer to an artist.
As I was thinking about it, I also noticed that I didn’t know back then how to identify red flags of possible toxic workplaces. Also, I didn’t want to admit I was in a toxic workplace/I thought it was normal to the profession.
Therefore, I’m here to list a few red flags I picked up on this horrible experience :D
(I should add that this list is NOT exhaustive, nor it’s absolute: some red flags listed might be “fake red flags” - and I’ll get into that as I write)
1 - The company markets itself as “out of the box”, “welcoming”, “inclusive”, “worried about diversity and representation”, “eco-friendly”, “worried about indigenous endangered societies” and the list goes on
This is a red flag, but it can be a fake one too. There might be companies that are genuinely worried about those things and are really out of the box and couldn’t care less about how you dress or identify yourself.
BUT. There are many studies out there that identify that newer generations (such as Millenials or Gen Zs) care a lot about social impact and expression of their individuality. Companies pay heavy money for studies and insights on how to attract new talents - and this is the catch for newer generations. The youngest the work force, the more they’ll mind about this (at least for now). So, companies need to reinvent themselves and market themselves correctly to attract new talents.
It sounds like conspiracy theory talk, but it’s true (unfortunately). I was caught on something like this. I saw this company that was based on being trustworthy and forward thinking - dealing with news and technology - and I thought “hey, this might be my thing!”. I was so wrong. First day they were already forcing me to fit the grey box of corporate life I despised so much and had to endure for 2 years.
So don’t be scared of this, but heads up. If they are marketing themselves so much to look good, something might be wrong.
2 - You can’t voice your own opinions
This one is kinda tricky, because it isn’t always obvious.
On my case, for instance, I could voice my opinions, but I knew I shouldn’t. Politics in Brazil is a very sensitive subject. People are cutting out relationships because of Politics. So, let’s say my whole department had a rather extreme view on it and I knew if I talked about my points of view - usually a lot more flexible and considering all sides - I’d be bashed for it.
So I had to keep quiet - and people criticized me for being “opinionless”. Keep an eye for this sort of behaviour.
Oh, and not only on Politics. There are many subjects, like…
3 - They don’t respect you (additional points if it’s because you’re young or a woman)
I was fresh out of college - 22 years old, my first job as a Labour Counsel. I’d get to meetings and people would ask “Where’s the lawyer? Did they send their intern?” and I’d be like “Darling, I’m the lawyer.”
Once they mistaked me for the underage apprentice.
It’s fine as long as they start respecting you after they know who you are. But I had people in my own team who didn’t respect me - both for looking to young AND being a woman.
I was on a meeting with my Manager and Director one day, we needed to solve a problem. Both were men, both over 40. I gave them an idea on how to solve it, the Director goes “That won’t work, it’s too much trouble and it doesn’t solve the problem. We need a better idea” so I just stood there. Thinking. Then, my Manager says the same idea I said before, with different words, and the Director goes “That’s it, we could go that way. It’s not ideal, but fine”. And I couldn’t stop thinking…
“Maybe if I was a man, he would’ve listened to me the first time.”
And that wasn’t the ONLY time I thought that - it was a constant “I wish I was a man so people would respect me more” kind of thought. If that EVER happens to you, red flag.
4 - Someone is humiliating you through e-mails
Oh, boy, this was one of my MAIN issues.
There was this woman at my job that simply hated me. She wanted to see me suffer. But I didn’t know that at the start - she was always so kind and friendly, but when I started doing things on my own and not following the rules… I was doomed.
It all started with e-mails. She would copy the Director to point out everything I was doing wrong - even though I had just started and I had a Manager she should talk first. Sometimes, I kid you not, it was something like “I told her to write in Times New Roman 12 and she delivered 14. I can’t work like this. Tell her to do it ALL OVER AGAIN and know that MY WORK will be delayed because SHE couldn’t follow a simple rule even a child would understand”.
(I’m not joking, this is real)
Once she copied the freaking CEO to bash me on e-mails. The guy didn’t even know who I was.
Keep an eye on it. If someone is showing their power and doing their best to make you feel bad, dumb and plain humiliating you on e-mails with copies to a lot of poeple: this is a HUGE RED FLAG. This IS abuse and you shouldn’t take it.
5 - There’s nothing you can do against abuse
When you know you’re being abused but you know you can’t talk about it without suffering retaliation - you’re in a toxic workplace.
I knew I was going through a stupid situation, but there was nothing I could do. Because if I filed a complaint at the Reporting Channel, it would be sent over to the local compliance team for investigation and solving the matter.
The only problem is that the “compliance team” on my office was my Director - the same one I had complained so much about being bullied and verbally abused constantly and he did nothing because “that’s life, though up”.
That’s not life and you don’t have to though up. It’s your employer’s duty to protect you as an employee. And if they refuse to do so, that is the hugest red flag.
Goes hand in hand with not being able to voice your opinions, but this is a whole new level.
For now, I’ll finish this one here. I’ll keep thinking about other red flags or other things I can talk about, so other people won’t fall into the same trap I did.
Honestly, I don’t want people to go through what I did. You have the right to be treated like a human being.
See you in the next post,
