Opinion: Workplace Hostility Is A Reflection of Something Greater

It is a story that we hear all too often. Employees of all stripes go into the workplace. They understand that they are walking into a job that has high expectations for them. There is pressure to perform. As they go about and get themselves acclimated to their new teams...many begin to realize who exactly they are working with and realize that the sense of camaraderie that was given to them in the interview is off. Something feels out of place...whether it's the overcompetitive coworker whose methods undercut the results of you and the team, the manager who bends and overlooks boundaries, or the boss whose unrealistic expectations make you question every life choice you ever made. These are not new circumstances. The stories we have of people who survived these toxic encounters are notoriously infamous in a variety of different mediums. With the invention of the internet and social media, we also have an extensive archive of personal first-hand accounts from employees who endured such cultures until they could not anymore. Such experiences have also been the crux of several notable storylines, such as the iconic 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada. Except unfortunately for those enduring the abuse, it is not a film but a reality.

Having high expectations can be a good thing. Performance is also key to job function. Some competition can be great-- especially when better services, products, or customer experience come as a result. What we see all too often though is that the demands and the pressures of the workplace can foster horrible experiences for those who are working in them and most especially those who have little authority in the daily proceedings of the company. According to a 2023 report from Businessolver, there was an overall 68% drop in empathy from the HR side of business since 2022. 68% of HR employees have noticed a drop in empathy from CEOs. 78% have also said that their employees are also less empathetic compared to last year.

The numbers are striking, yet when we put things in the context of what has been happening this past year...not too surprising. We are in the midst of one of the most challenging times of this century. We are living in a world that is strapped financially, both in the public and private life. Inflation, global conflicts, economies still reeling from the pandemic, and the persistent hostility that carried over from times before the pandemic started are taking their toll. Employers are pressed to deliver results to their shareholders and at the same time their company cultures are taking brutal hits from within the workplace. As hostility churns over and ebbs into the daily lives of people outside of their workplaces, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.

It is ironic to demand that everyone be kinder to one another when we recognize that oftentimes it is a few individuals who are making it worse for everyone else. We also need to keep in mind that appearances are not always as they seem. While we may hear one perspective where someone talks about a horrible encounter they had with a coworker, proceedings that are made without the entirety can be hallow at best and gravely misjudged at worst. In these circumstances, those who are actually the survivors of such inappropriate behavior and hostile transgressions are often punished rather than the perpetrators. This is of course assuming the good faith of those who are responsible for enforcing policies. A Georgetown University McDonough School of Business survey of senior business executives found some rather dismal results.

• 92% of those surveyed saw favoritism in employee promotions.
  

• 84% have seen it at their own companies.
  

• 29% said that their most recent promotion only considered one candidate.
  

• 23% admitted that they themselves practiced favoritism (these of course are only the ones who are willing to admit it.)
  

• 56% said when more than one candidate was considered, they already knew who they wanted to promote before deliberations.
  

• 96% report promoting the pre-selected individual

This survey was released back in 2011. Yet despite its age, unfortunately the problems aforementioned are still pervasive. These are of course based on statistics that were revealed by people who were willing to admit it. If we are being critical and honest with ourselves and the information, chances are that it is even more pervasive than any study or survey will show. At its core we find that a lot of the issues we are facing are systemic. They disproportionately impact underrepresented populations and at the same time they are still felt even by those who enjoy a level of privilege.

A couple years ago, several public service announcements and campaigns were released by various companies suggesting that the pandemic had brought them to a point of reckoning. Many of them claimed that they were questioning the status quo, especially in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Supposedly, we were stepping into another more humane chapter. Yet the world we came out of is even more distraught than ever. According to Global Citizen, 81 billionaires own more than 50% of the world's wealth combined. Resources for healthcare--both physical and mental-- are being consolidated into the hands of select few. We are also witnessing the continued neglect and abuse of the environment which in turn perpetrates the inequities that we are witnessing between various disenfranchised groups.

The systemic issues we are facing are rooted in the way that people are treated around us and how we interact with the world itself. It is even harder for people to gain the resources they need to survive, let alone make a living. People are paying hundreds of dollars every time they go to the grocery store. Not everyone has access to quality food and medicine. Many have to work two or more jobs to make ends meet and the time that they are spending so they can survive is less than they have to invest in themselves and their futures. This was not a mistake. This was a systemic design meant to continue the further disenfranchisement and the continued prevalence of lining the wallets of those making profit off of abuse, disruption, and the neglect. This is not solely a problem that was created by one political party, nation, creed, or group. The solution to the problem that we are facing is a human one that will require the collaboration of those who are willing to reckon with themselves and their ability to work together with their peers of all kinds.