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[CNBC] 4 ways your workplace encourages ‘toxic productivity’—and how to fix it
It's normal and expected for a job to encourage you to be engaged and productive, but unfortunately there are some workplaces that breed the perfect conditions for toxic productivity.
Toxic productivity is "working and needing to be productive, even at the detriment of your own health and wellbeing," according to Jennifer Moss, professional speaker and author of "Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants."
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And sometimes employers and managers have a hand in encouraging employees to get stuck in a cycle of overworking and neglecting their personal needs. None of it is good for morale or company goals.
"One of the things that we start to see is that after people are working so many hours, they actually are losing productivity, so they're making less gains," Moss tells CNBC Make It.
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Here are a few ways your workplace may be promoting behaviors that lead to toxic productivity, and how to fix it.
4 signs your workplace is encouraging toxic productivity
- People are celebrated for working late
- Leaders answer and send emails on weekends or evenings
- Eating lunch at desks is a common practice among employees
- Promotions are given to people who overwork to the point of burnout
To avoid creating a work environment that shines a positive light on toxic productivity, workplace leaders should focus on being good models for their team, Moss says.
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They should "really emphasize that well-being is part of being a high-performing person in the organization, by modeling it themselves."
Leaders 'need to create rituals and serendipitous opportunities'
One way leaders can show good examples of prioritizing wellbeing is through "loud vacationing," Moss says. Loud vacationing is when employees are encouraged to use their paid time off and spend the time actually disconnecting from work, according to Paycom.
"That's something that leaders can do in a way that doesn't feel tone deaf. You don't want to be laying people off and then talking about your vacation that you're taking," Moss says.
"But I think that leaders can say, 'I am taking time [off],' or posting even to Slack channels, 'I'm going for a 15 minute walk. Even if it's virtual, who wants to join me? Who wants to take 15 minutes?'"
It can be helpful for a workplace to also increase the time that employees are able to eat together in the office and connect, she adds.
"Have pizzas on Friday and everyone kind of hang out, or muffins on Mondays," Moss says. "We need to create rituals and serendipitous opportunities," to make it easier for employees to connect with each other.
And leaders who "gather data" and ask employees what's working for them, and what's not, can better support their needs.
"I suggest this one meeting once a week where you're asking people: 'What lit you up?' 'What stressed you out this week?' and 'What can we do for each other to make work easier?'"
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