Buli, fresh out of college and living in the UK, joined the Kickstart scheme to find work. She was placed in a company where management cut corners, from skipping proper training to forging certificates, all while overworking their staff. Buli found herself burdened with an overwhelming workload, earning minimum wage for her efforts. As the company prioritized cost-cutting over care, Buli and her colleagues bore the brunt of the mismanagement. Her story highlights the red flags and shady practices that many employees encounter in poorly run workplaces. Ultimately, Buli’s resilience helped her rise above it all, finding strength and confidence through the struggle.

*****Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?***********

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Grace graduates with a Master’s degree with high hopes that she will pave a new career path in the tech world. She lands a position in Product with a well-known tech company and is excited about the possibilities. Soon after she is onboarded, she realizes her new manager is completely hands off, giving her zero direction and feedback. The low morale and cut-throat competition in her department makes it challenging for her to onboard and progress in her position. She’s left to fend for herself and feels like she’s in a sink or swim situation, where her manager is merely sitting back and watching, waiting for her to sink. However, she doesn’t give up and pushes through without any recognition. Grace realizes some hard learned truths about herself and what she’s truly searching for in her career.

Chelsea is an educator who finds herself entrenched in a toxic workplace characterized by poor leadership and revolving door turnover. The organization is constantly undergoing new leadership which causes a lack of direction, misaligned roles, unchecked behavior, and nepotism, Chelsea grapples with frustration and confusion while juggling personal tribulations. However, her dedication to her family and unwavering work ethic kept her persevering through the storm. Ultimately, Chelsea emerged with a newfound perspective, prioritizing her well-being and aspirations over the toxicity of her workplace.

*****Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?***********

Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company.

Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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Kylie lands a job at a large utility company, which starts on a positive note. She excels in her accounting role and earns praise from colleagues and supervisors. However, her experience takes a sharp downturn when she begins reporting to a bullying manager. Despite her persistent dedication, Kylie faces numerous obstacles, including being denied necessary overtime, burdened with increasing workloads, and subjected to unfounded accusations of poor performance. Additionally, opportunities for professional advancement within the company are consistently withheld from Kylie, leaving her feeling trapped and undervalued. Through Kylie's narrative, this episode highlights the destructive effects** of workplace bullying and underscores the pressing need for systemic changes to cultivate healthier work environments.

***Please note, this episode discusses suicide.

Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?

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Victoria is a dedicated real estate professional and busy mom who discovers a promising opportunity in real estate sales. Impressed by a wonderful interview experience, she eagerly joins the company, initially captivated by their seemingly excellent professionalism and integrity. However, as she begins her new role, Victoria becomes disillusioned when she realizes the company engages in cheap sales practices and the management fosters a toxic workplace culture. The initial excitement turns into disappointment as she grapples with the contrast between her expectations and the harsh reality of management's unethical business practices and toxic work environment.

*****Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?***********

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Haylee gets the opportunity to work with a trusted, long-time family friend, Jenna, in an exclusive Christian non-profit organization. Haylee is led to believe this non-profit is funding amazing projects that brings goodness into the world, but in reality they're funding political agendas. Haylee looks up to Jenna and believes she is going to gain professionalism and mentorship under her direction, but is quickly disappointed when she learns Jenna is a micromanager with a passive aggressive personality. Jenna starts to form the untrue narrative that Haylee doesn't respect her authority and is not well received by her colleagues.

*****Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?***********

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Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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Amanda is fresh out of high school and ready to escape her small hometown in Nebraska. She meets a guy at a rock concert who invites her to join his travels around the country as a "salesman." He offers her a one-way bus ticket to Texas to join him on a sales opportunity. Seeking adventure and excitement Amanda accepts, but on arrival she is disappointed to find herself thrown into a door-to-door sales routine with a magazine crew that operates more like a cult than a legitimate business. The manipulative crew leaders isolate her from family and friends while gradually introducing deceptive practices to boost sales and strip Amanda of her identity. She faces a complex web of psychological manipulation and coercive tactics. Her story unfolds as a quest for self-discovery amidst the unexpected dangers of seeking a new life away from home.

Resources:

Magazine Crews:

* https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/trapped-into-selling-magazines-door-to-door/388601/

* http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/24/human-trafficking-victim-mag-crew-kid-at-door.html

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Honey_(film)

General Cult/Trafficking Info:

https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/influence-continuum/ https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ * https://janjalalich.com/help/characteristics-associated-with-cults/

* https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/trafficking/

* https://polarisproject.org/labor-trafficking/ (Anything on Janja Lalich or Steven Hassan's websites are great for cult research/education. I have some of their books as well!)

Commercial Cults:

* https://www.marketplace.org/2020/03/10/five-signs-your-workplace-might-turning-into-a-cult/

* https://www.economist.com/business/2022/03/05/company-or-cult

* https://www.huffpost.com/entry/multilevel-marketing-companies-mlms-cults-similarities_l_5d49f8c2e4b09e72973df3d3

*****Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?***********

Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company.