1. High Turnover: When employees leave at a high rate, especially the high-performers, it’s a clear sign that the work environment is not conducive to retaining talent.

2. Lack of Trust: If employees feel they cannot trust their peers or superiors, you’ve got a toxic culture. There may be fears of backstabbing or throwing others under the bus to get ahead.

3. Poor Communication: Information hoarding or unclear communication leads to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. And to an unhealthy culture.

4. Excessive Gossip: When a lot of time is spent discussing others, it indicates a lack of focus on productivity, fosters distrust, and injects toxins into the organization. 

5. Lack of Work-Life Balance: If employees are consistently expected to work late, on weekends, or during vacations, the culture will become toxic.

6. Fear-Driven Environment: If mistakes are punished severely, employees will become afraid to take risks, innovate, or even admit to errors. Not only does this stagnate the organization, it creates a toxic culture.

7. Unrealistic Expectations: If leaders or managers consistently push for more without recognizing the efforts and achievements of their teams, the culture is toxic. Never measuring up is a sickness that leads to personal or organizational apathy.

8. Poor Leadership Behavior: We could write an entire post about this one! The culture is doomed when leaders display favoritism, fail to acknowledge accomplishments, or are not open to feedback.

9. Lack of Development Opportunities: If there are limited chances for professional growth, training, or advancement, your top talent will leave to find a better work culture.

10. Discrimination and Bias: If some groups are consistently left out, overlooked for promotions, or treated differently based on race, gender, age, etc., the end is near.

11. High Levels of Burnout: If employees frequently report feeling exhausted, cynical, or become ineffective in their roles, it could be a cultural issue more than an employee problem.

12. No Clear Mission or Values: When the organization lacks a clear purpose or the stated values are not aligned with actual practices, a toxic culture is the result. NOTE: Don’t fool yourself into believing the mission and vision are clear. Just because they are written on the wall doesn’t mean they are happening down the hall.

13. Lack of Recognition or Reward: The culture will become toxic if employees feel their hard work goes unnoticed or isn’t adequately rewarded.

14. Exclusionary Cliques: When certain groups form within the company and exclude others, a divide among employees injects a toxin into the organization.

15. Micromanagement: If leaders or managers are overly involved in the work of their subordinates, not trusting them to complete tasks on their own, an unhealthy culture is sure to form.

16. Retaliation: Healthy cultures offer psychological safety. If employees fear speaking up because they believe they might face negative consequences, the culture will become toxic.

17. High Levels of Stress: Some stress is inevitable in an organization. Prolonged high pressure, however, can indicate that the job demands are too much or that the support structures are insufficient.

18. Employee Disengagement: When a significant portion of the workforce shows signs of disinterest, lack of motivation, or detachment from their work, the culture is the problem.

19. Feedback is Discouraged: If there’s no platform or encouragement for employees to evaluate, share their concerns, or voice ideas, the culture will turn unhealthy.

20. Toxic Physical Environment: The physical workspace can contribute to cultural health. Overcrowded spaces, lack of proper facilities, or an unclean environment communicate an unhealthy culture.