Harassment is accepted as normal behaviour, this is the saddest part, this is the culture of a toxic workplace. Staff are pitted against each other – discrediting colleagues, taking credit for work and blame shifting is modus operandi. Bullying is an integral component of a toxic workplace, this is the normal behaviour of the crew in the team. This is not based on knowledge, skills or ability – this is cronyism in its purest form. There is one ringleader who generally enlists others into this clan, they are generally weak and seek the protection of the ring leader.

What a toxic workplace does is demotivate individuals, damage output, stifle creativity and ensure talent leaves so only the non-performers remain. It makes people sick, for no other reason they show up to do the minimum work to receive their paycheck – nothing more. This is purely the relationship of the weak. They are attracted to the power and seek the protection that this person in power offers. This is base schoolyard dynamics, people just seek to get through the week and this is a poor reflection of senior managers.