60% of employees in a toxic work environment are looking for other jobs

Published 2 Min Read

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The workplace is ground zero when it comes to addressing mental health and well-being, but to get it right, employers need guidance.  

To support these efforts, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released guidelines for how employers can lead the charge around mental health. Be it through harm prevention, connection, healthy work-life balance and fostering a sense of meaning and belonging, employers should be proactive in their efforts to create a psychologically safe environment. 

Employers should recognize that certain demographics are particularly affected by a toxic work environment, and work diligently to improve it, the surgeon general’s guidelines suggest. The APA survey found that 19% of respondents report being in a toxic workplace environment, with the number being higher (26%) for those in people-facing jobs. Almost 60% who reported a toxic workplace said they plan to look for a new job in the coming year, more than double the number of those who did not. 

An unhealthy work environment does more than cause turnover. For those who stayed, 58% said their overall mental health was fair to poor, compared to the 21% for whom workplace toxicity was not an issue. Here the awareness gap is especially clear, with 77% of those reporting a toxic workplace also saying their employer is not aware of the severity (just 9% of upper management said they were exposed to a toxic work environment), and therefore not aware of its toll on employees. 

Lee Hafner
Editor

Lee joined the EBN team in 2022, and covers areas including caregiving, employee health and wellness, healthcare innovation, and company culture. She created EBN's popular Benefits in Action and … Read full bio


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