Allegations recently surfaced of ‘toxicity’ within ITV Daytime from several former staff including Eamonn Holmes. But it seems toxic relations between staff and bosses is more widespread than we may think.
From issues in communication to lack of support, the study reveals how UK employees and managers cope with complex dynamics in the office. The findings note that 3,251,000 workers say their most toxic relationship is with their line manager or boss while 4,421,000 have taken time off work due to feeling so challenged in communication with bosses and 8,654,000 say conflict within the workplace has had the largest impact on productivity.
It is unfortunately not uncommon to deal with ‘bad bosses’ in your career, in fact, it is more common than you might think. Recent research from Rethinkly – a metaverse platform used to resolve workplace issues – found that an overwhelming number of employees and managers alike say they strongly consider quitting their jobs for a role that would better support their overall well-being.
So, who takes accountability and even more so, what can organisations do to combat this?
A study by Deloitte has also highlighted the overwhelming number of employees who agree that their superiors should be held accountable for employee wellness, with 80% of respondents saying their leaders should step down if they fail to maintain an acceptable level of workforce well-being and 72% believe companies should tie executives’ bonuses to employee satisfaction metrics.
However, data from Rethinkly shows how this working dynamic impacts people across all levels, and is not exclusive to staff members. They found that over 4m managers don’t feel adequately supported to deal with conflict, but also, express difficulties in taking accountability for being in the wrong, driven by a fear of being seen as ‘less capable’. Solidifying the complexity of this relationship. 6,767,000 agree that communication with managers is the most difficult part of their job, 4,291,000 managers find it difficult to admit that they might be in the wrong for fear of being seen as less capable and 4,198,000 managers admit that they don’t feel supported to manage conflict.
By leveraging the power of technology and the metaverse, Rethinkly enables individuals to connect with a community that values well-being, access expert guidance, and develop the skills needed to navigate toxic work environments. Rethinkly helps address these issues by enabling managers and employees to enter a virtual world in which neutral avatars are used to express emotions about a particular project, situation or overall workload. – Rethinkly statement
