Why are toxic workplaces still so common?

Why do horror movie tropes still work? Because no matter how many times the protagonist ignores the creepy basement, we keep rooting for the monster. 

Toxic workplaces, much like low-budget slasher flicks, thrive on predictable scripts: overworked employees, gaslighting managers, and HR departments that exist solely to protect the “culture” (read: the CEO’s ego). From Nairobi to New York, these environments persist not because they’re rare, but because they’re profitable—until they’re not. Let’s autopsy why workplaces keep recycling toxicity like a bad Netflix reboot.

1. The Myth of “Hustle Culture” (Or: How Kenya’s Gig Economy Became a Glorified Sweatshop)

In Kenya, where the gig economy is booming (think Uber, Bolt, and delivery apps like Glovo), “hustle culture” has become code for “we don’t pay overtime.” A 2023 report by the Federation of Kenyan Employers found that 68% of employees in Nairobi’s tech and logistics sectors reported bullying, with 52% working unpaid hours weekly. Drivers for platforms like Uber allege algorithmic exploitation: surge pricing for customers, static wages for them. One driver told Business Daily Africa, “The app treats us like bots—but even bots get maintenance breaks.”

Meanwhile, companies like Equity Bank Kenya faced lawsuits in 2023 after employees accused managers of “performance terrorism”—setting unreachable targets, then berating staff in group chats. Toxic? Yes. Illegal? Rarely. As long as turnover is cheaper than reform, companies will keep sprinkling trauma on top of their KPIs.

2. Fear, Silence, and the Art of Corporate Gaslighting

Toxicity survives in the dark. A 2023 Gallup report revealed that only 32% of employees globally feel safe reporting misconduct, fearing retaliation or “not being a team player.” Take Amazon: In 2023, the National Labor Relations Board cited over 90 violations, including surveillance and threats against unionizing workers. Yet, Amazon’s PR team still churns out tweets about “Earth’s Best Employer.”

In Kenya, Copia, a rising e-commerce startup, laid off 25% of its workforce in 2023 via Zoom—after mandating “996” schedules (9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days a week). Employees described a culture of “performative paranoia,” where managers weaponized phrases like “We’re family!” to justify burnout. Spoiler: No healthy family requires a burnout waiver.

3. The Loyalty Trap (Or: Why Kenyan Teachers Keep Showing Up to Underfunded Schools)

Toxicity often masquerades as “tradition.” In Kenya’s public sector, teachers and healthcare workers endure chronic underpayment and overcrowded facilities. A 2023 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics report showed 70% of public school teachers experience verbal abuse from administrators, while 43% work in schools lacking clean water. Why stay? Pension promises and societal pressure. “If I quit, who teaches the kids?” one teacher told The Standard. Guilt-tripping isn’t a retention strategy—it’s emotional blackmail.

Similarly, Japan’s “karoshi” (death by overwork) remains a grim staple. In 2023, ad giant Dentsu paid a $3.8 million fine after an employee’s suicide—its third since 2015. But when “dedication” is culturally enshrined, accountability evaporates faster than a Zoom happy hour.

4. The Copy-Paste Leadership Model (See Also: Every Tech Bro Ever)

Toxic workplaces often stem from leaders who confuse “management” with “military drills.” Twitter/X under Elon Musk became a case study in 2023: layoffs via email, desks converted to “hotel rooms” for overworked devs, and a CEO who tweets memes while employees scrub toilets. Result? Ad revenue dropped 50%, but the stock price of ego? Still bullish.

In Kenya, fintech unicorn Cellulant faced staff exodus in 2022 after founders prioritized investor appeasement over employee welfare. “They’d announce pivots at 3 AM, then shame us for missing deadlines,” a former engineer told TechCabal. When leaders treat empathy as a weakness, toxicity becomes a feature, not a bug.

5. The Cost of Silence: $8.8 Trillion in Lost Productivity (Yes, Trillion)

The World Health Organization calls workplace stress the “health crisis of the 21st century,” costing the global economy $8.8 trillion annually in lost productivity (2023 data). For context, that’s enough to buy Elon Musk 44 times over. Yet companies still skimp on mental health support while splurging on “culture committees” that plan pizza parties.

Even “progressive” industries aren’t immune. In 2023, Activision Blizzard settled a 54millionharassmentlawsuit,yetCEOBobbyKotickexitedwitha54millionharassmentlawsuit,yetCEOBobbyKotickexitedwitha400 million golden parachute. Message to employees: Abuse is expensive. Consequences are optional.

Spotting a Toxic Workplace (Before You Update Your LinkedIn)

• The “We’re Family” Con: If your CEO says this, run. Healthy families don’t issue PIPs (Performance Improvement Plans).

• Vague Job Descriptions: “Other duties as assigned” = “You’ll be covering for three resignations by Q2.”

• The Feedback Black Hole: Surveys go in, nothing comes out.

Survival Guide: Poison Antidotes

Toxic workplaces persist because systems reward short-term gains over human sustainability. But cracks are forming: Kenya’s Employment Act now mandates mental health protections, while Gen Z workers globally are quitting jobs that demand “quiet loyalty.”

Unionization is rising (see: Starbucks, Apple stores), and AI tools like Fishbowl and Blind let employees anonymously expose bad actors.

As Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi quipped: “You can’t eat ‘company culture.’”

So, next time a manager praises your “resilience,” ask if they’d swap salaries. Spoiler: They won’t. But at least you’ll know where the exit is.

Sources:

• Federation of Kenyan Employers 2023 Report

• Gallup 2023 Workplace Report

• WHO Mental Health Cost Study

• Kenya National Bureau of Statistics

• TechCabal on Cellulant