Some jobs can be frustrating, some can be genuinely difficult...and others can just be downright toxic.
Lately, "toxic workplaces" have been a major component of the collective conversation we're having around burnout and work-life balance. I, for one, am thrilled that it's being addressed — but honestly, I'm not hearing enough discussion about toxic practices that are more or less "industry standard" in some fields.
If you work in an industry in which toxic practices are commonplace, I want to hear from you — especially if folks in other fields wouldn't really know about it otherwise.
There are no prerequisites for sharing your experience, either. If your line of work upholds practices that are unfair in any way, shape, or form, I want to hear about them — no matter where you're located, what your experience level is, or how much money you make.
For example: Maybe you work in academia, and while you put your all into your work every single day, you're also constantly reminded that your tenured colleagues rarely put that same passion and energy into their own work — and odds are they won't be reprimanded for it, either.
Or, perhaps you work in a customer-facing role — like retail or food service — and you've been written up for denying customer requests even though you know it goes against policy. In other words, you suffered just because "the customer is always right."
Here's one that really bothers me, personally: Many of my friends are theater performers. For many years, the only practical way to audition for a show's "open call" was if you were a member of the actors' union — otherwise, you'd be subjected to lining up *outside the building* before it opened, often in frigid temperatures, and praying that they'd have time at the END of the day to see you. Normally they wouldn't, and you would've wasted an entire day that could've been spent working a day job and making money for rent.
