Toxicity in the workplace on the rise? Here are ways to fix it

A study from employment and job search site Monster reports a sharp increase in the number of workers identifying a toxic culture in their workplace. The company’s 2025 Mental Health in the Workplace report, released last fall, found that 80% of the more than 1,100 participants in the survey say their workplace is toxic—up from the 67% reporting toxicity the year before. What can employers do to change that?

What makes a toxic workplace?

What makes a workplace toxic certainly varies by individual, but the Monster data found alarming numbers of workers saying toxicity is damaging their mental health. Also, 93% of the survey respondents say their employer doesn’t do enough to support their mental health—up from 78% the previous year. More than half (57%) say they’d rather quit than stay in a toxic workplace.

What should employers be looking for as they try to reduce tension in the workplace? FaceUp, an anonymous platform for employees and students to report misconduct, says to watch for problems such as:

• Sudden drops in employee engagement;
• Defensive behavior in response to feedback;
• A lack of open communication;
• Favoritism or inconsistent accountability;
• Public criticism; and
• High turnover or repeated complaints in exit interviews.

Emtrain, a company providing training to help organizations build healthier workplaces, also notes red flags: