HEALTH
Work Environment: Toxic Workplace Harms Workers’ Health Surgeon General issues report that shows poor working conditions correlate with physical health problems like cancer, heart disease, depression and anxiety By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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Toxic” work environments describe places that are not just unpleasant but are actually harmful — and not necessarily in the way that OSHA can do something about. “A toxic workplace is one where the employees are constantly in a state of stress and anxiety,” according to The Leadership Reformation. “This can be due to any number of factors, such as unrealistic deadlines, impossible work-
loads or simply a toxic culture where backstabbing and office politics are the norm. In a toxic workplace, employees are often afraid to speak up or voice their opinions for fear of retaliation. As a result, they may start to experience physical and mental health problems. “In contrast, a bad work environment is simply one that’s unproductive or unpleasant. This could be due to things like sub par working conditions,
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nonexistent or ineffective management, or just a general feeling of dissatisfaction among employees. While a bad work environment can certainly lead to stress and anxiety, it doesn’t have the same level of toxicity as a toxic workplace.” US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a statement in October that shows poor working conditions correlate with physical health problems like cancer, heart disease, depression and anxiety. “Workplace mental health and wellbeing is a critical priority for public health,” Murthy wrote. “It has numerous and cascading impacts for the health of individual workers and their families, organizational productivity, the bottom-line for businesses and the US economy.” Physician Leslie J. Kohman, SUNY distinguished service professor of surgery, was appointed in 2020 as chief wellness officer at University Hospital, and wellbeing and mental health resources at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She said Upstate developed her position over the course of two years to further improve the work environment. “In healthcare, burnout and high stress among workers started long
