By HONEY REYES

It's sad to hear how many Filipinos endure toxic working environments because their priority is earning money to support their families. How often do we hear our friends or family members say it isn't easy to find work nowadays? So, they'd take the mental and psychological toll from toxic bosses and colleagues rather than being unemployed for months or years.
Little do these people know that deciding to stay a little bit longer for the money has an even more sinister effect. Working in a toxic environment can be harmful to mental health.

Putting your mental health at risk can lead to burnout, fatigue, anxiety, or depression. Later, it can lead to physical illnesses, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Now you tell me, is a toxic job worth sacrificing your mental, psychological, and physical well-being?

How to recognize if you’re working in a toxic environment
Identifying whether the office you're about to join is a toxic environment is easy. Here are some easy red flags to check.

High turnover rates
A company's work culture can be judged by how often employees leave. People quit their jobs for various reasons, such as not getting paid enough, having few career options, or working in a bad environment. If only a few people stay on the job, it could indicate that the workplace is unhealthy.

Micromanagement
A boss or manager micromanaging their employees is called a "micromanager." Instead of telling an employee what tasks they need to do and when they need to be done, a micromanager will closely watch the employee's behavior and often criticize the person's work and processes.
Simply put, micromanagement is terrible for the culture of the workplace. A workplace that isn't safe or healthy also gives the company a bad name over time. Staff confidence going down is one of the most common effects of micromanagement.

Unrealistic workload
Employees often need more work because they must go above and beyond typical. It can be caused by budget cuts, unfair treatment at work, a lack of clarity about their role, and a lack of support from management, among other things.

Too much work and unreasonable expectations
When deadlines and standards are not reasonable, it can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and a general decrease in job satisfaction. Employees could get too busy, which would hurt their productivity and standard of work.

Absence of career development
Some employees believe no support can help them advance in their professions. These personnel need more mentorship and are dissatisfied with the team. This lack of direction makes determining the next steps in their jobs challenging. With more employees working digitally, it may be more difficult for entry-level employees to engage with a team or boss.

Poor communication
When we say poor communication, there's office gossip, lack of clear communication, frequent misalignment, and misunderstandings. You may also discover that you are working hard without obtaining feedback on how you are doing or need to receive appreciation for your efforts.

Lack of work-life balance
You should be able to spend holidays with your family or loved ones without feeling guilty. Work-life balance is essential. No one should be asked to work around the clock. We should use our earned vacation days.

Lack of recognition and rewards
The absence of support and acknowledgment from managers and executive teams is one of the most typical features of a toxic atmosphere. So many employees are being asked to accomplish twice as much with half the resources. Positive reinforcement or feedback for our work is crucial to us as humans.
There's more, but I would only want to discuss the major and most obvious ones.

How Filipinos deal 
Filipinos are globally known to be diligent. No matter how toxic the environment is, they remain on the winning ground. Their strong determination to support their family and extended families outdo any work environment's noxiousness. But is it the right thing to do?
Though science would provide a detailed explanation that it isn't, still, the decision is on the individual experiencing the risk. 
Here are some of the tips for Filipinos to survive a toxic workplace:

Filipinos build a team of trustworthy coworkers
Finding your tribe in a toxic situation full of selfishness, quick to judge, and people who use others to get what they want can help you manage with a lousy colleague or boss who won't listen to your ideas because they are "always right."

Finding one or two good friends among your colleagues is crucial to managing stress at work while offering each other support and a safe place to vent. Sympathizing with each other and understanding each other's frustration can provide us a big boost and help us get through a rough situation. We must also be cautious in choosing the friends we can trust at work.

Filipinos focus on their goals
Employees love to gossip about everything, whether it's the president's secret affair, how Juan got his promotion, or whether the upcoming merger will result in layoffs. Some employees would even create a group chat or Slack channel devoted to pointing fingers and defaming coworkers. How to deal: Don't participate in these chat channels or let office gossip disturb you from your task. Spreading tall tales is one of the quickest ways to destroy trust among colleagues. It is best to avoid toxic talk wherever possible or refuse to participate in it.

Filipinos strive for work-life balance
Even when Filipinos appear to be workaholics, they know how to set boundaries for a career and a life. But there's more to not thinking about work when not at work. It's also not discussing too many personal details at work, setting a time to close the laptop when deciding to bring work home, and maintaining acquaintances outside of work. Filipinos are generally nice, even to those toxic coworkers. Filipinos are not hypocrites. We see the good in everyone. We stretch our patience and try to understand why and how someone behaves that way. 

Toxic environments are competitive, making employees feel they must step on their colleagues' toes to reach the top. In some office scenarios, employees lie, cheat, and steal ideas. That means backstabbing behavior is tolerated in this type of environment.

But Filipinos focusing on their goals don't lower themselves to these levels. Filipinos kill toxic people with kindness instead. We tend to look for ways to do things for other people and add value to them, even for those toxic bosses and colleagues. 

It may take some time. It's only sometimes a win-win situation because if managed well, it can consider you to be taken advantage of. But, over time, others will value what you provide, leading these people to value you. Work hard and be nice even when others aren't.

Filipinos can quickly move on
We Filipinos recognize that nothing is permanent. We are aware that any situation is only temporary. And we constantly seek out opportunities to progress. When we have difficulty believing the status will change, we proactively look for other options to help us change our mindset.

Filipinos believe  in happiness ever after
Finding a new job is the most excellent way to deal with a toxic workplace. And we Filipinos are always optimistic that the next job will be better.

Witnessing how Filipinos endure toxic workplaces to prioritize family over their well-being is disheartening. Economic hardships often push individuals into toxic work environments, unaware of the critical impact on mental health. The consequences include burnout, anxiety, depression, and even physical illness.

Recognizing toxic workspaces is essential in high turnover rates, micromanagement, unrealistic workloads, and poor communication. Despite these challenges, Filipinos persevere.

We form supportive friendships, focus on goals, maintain a work-life balance, remain kind, and open to new opportunities. Our optimism and belief in positive change, such as finding new jobs, reflect resilience and determination.

Though driven by noble intentions, valuing mental, emotional, and physical health is crucial. And through awareness, supportive connections, and an unwavering commitment to self-care, Filipinos can navigate toxic environments gracefully and eventually thrive in healthier workplaces.