Employee's Resignation After Manager's Outburst Sparks Discussion On Toxic Workplaces

People complain of toxic workplaces all the time. Around 30 million, or one in nine, US workers think their workplace is toxic, according to a MIT Sloan School of Management research. Three main factors contribute to toxic workplace cultures—bad leadership, toxic social norms and poorly designed job roles, per one of the researchers, Charlie Sull, as reported by Business Insider. A Reddit user recently took a stand against workplace toxicity by quitting on the spot after their boss used the F-word.

"Work from home. I had to call him for support of a new computer to get access. He was not happy I hadn't set up the computer in my free time to get it ready. Told me to f**k off when I said I wasn't doing it for free. Told him I quit as soon as he told me to f**k off for the last time," the user who goes by the name, CrazieIrish wrote.

The post ignited conversation on the toxic work environment that many have to deal with on a daily basis. Netizens took to the comment section to pour in support. One user writes, "Seriously should have written 'Thank you for your feedback, Anthony, I've decided to follow your advice and f*** off, effective immediately.'"

The post is essentially a screenshot of the mail that the OP sent out to their boss after the toxic incident. The mail reads, "Effective immediately, I quit. And Anthony, you will never tell me to f**k off again. Thank you for your time."

People in the comment section felt empathy for the employee. One user wrote, "Now take a good rest, my friend,"  while another wrote, "Well done and enjoy your freedom."

While many supported OP's decision, some users pointed out that people who are this toxic don't care that employees are leaving because of them. "My only thing with quitting like that is that the people who pushed you to do it really don't care and/or are happy afterward. In my ideal situation, they are sc*wed with my departure," read one comment.

Another user wrote, "Well yeah, there's no fallout because they don't care. Just gonna pull up the resumes on file and replace you." Yet, another user commented, "Mature, level-headed people don’t send emails like this from an Xbox and then take a picture up and post on Reddit."

Many were simply grateful for their own workplaces. One user wrote, "Seeing posts like this honestly makes me appreciate where I work. When I was on the job for about 6 months, the department head was making chit-chat with me at an event and asked how I was finding the job. I said I love being busy and getting on with stuff and he wanted to be sure I wasn't 'too' busy, that I was having a work-from-home day and that I wasn't leaving the house until 9 am (I'm field-based). So refreshing after having the 'be in at 8:15, so you can be ready to start at 8:30.'"

As per the American Psychological Association, 19% of the respondents in a survey tagged their workplace as toxic. More than one in five (22%) said that their work environment has harmed their mental health. 

"'Toxic workplace' is an abstract term to describe infighting, intimidation, and other affronts that harm productivity," said Mindy Shoss, Ph.D., a professor and industrial-organizational psychologist at the University of Central Florida.

People being mistreated at the workplace can refer to the employee handbook and speak to the HR.