Not every toxic workplace is caused by a bad manager. Sometimes, the people making work uncomfortable are the colleagues sitting right beside you.
I learned this from personal experience.
I remember starting a new job as a Billing and Customer Service Officer.
I was new and still learning, but one colleague seemed to have a problem with me.
She would frown whenever she saw me. Whenever I made a mistake, she spoke to me in a way that made me feel incompetent.
Eventually, I became so uncomfortable that it started affecting my concentration.
I kept wondering what I had done to her. 😂
But that experience taught me something important: employees can bully other employees too.
Some colleagues make new staff feel stupid for asking questions.
Some dump their own responsibilities on them because they are new.
Some mock them when they make mistakes instead of helping them learn.
And some behave as if they have been appointed Deputy CEO. 😂
Being experienced doesn't give you the right to intimidate others.
You were new once, too. You also needed time to learn the job, understand the processes, and settle into the workplace.
If you're an experienced employee, help the new person find their feet.
Correct them without embarrassing them. Teach them instead of mocking them. Give them room to learn without making them feel like they don't belong.
You don't have to be someone's manager to make their work experience better or worse.
A healthy workplace isn't the employer's responsibility alone. The way employees treat one another also shapes the culture.
You may not be in management, but you still have a role to play in making your workplace a better place to work.
