Feeling uneasy at work? Spot those red flags early.

By Georgina Badine

Getting the Sunday scaries… but every day?

Let’s talk about it.

We’ve normalised a lot of weird things in the workplace. Like dreading Mondays. Or crying in toilets. Or being publicly picked apart by a boss and calling it “feedback.”

Spoiler: it’s not feedback if it makes you feel small. It’s just bad behaviour, dressed up in a power suit.

Here’s a quick checklist for anyone wondering whether they’re in a toxic work environment (and not just “a bit stressed”):

• You're constantly criticised in public, not helped in private

• You’re being excluded from meetings or decisions that affect your work

• There’s a culture of gossip, fear, and walking on eggshells

• Your ideas are dismissed, but someone else repeats them and gets a round of applause

• You go to bed with that awful pit-of-the-stomach feeling… every night

Let’s be clear: feedback is essential. Growth is good. But there’s a difference between helping someone grow and keeping them small. The former requires leadership. The latter usually signals insecurity.

We’ve all had that Boss. The one who thought humiliation was a motivator. The one who confused fear with respect. The one who made you question your own sanity until you spent your Sundays dreading Monday like it was a dentist appointment from hell.

The worst part? We often gaslight ourselves into staying. “Maybe it’s not that bad.” “Maybe I just need to toughen up.” “Maybe it’s me.”

It’s not.

If your workplace is making you feel diminished, disposable, or just deeply uncomfortable; you’re not being dramatic. You’re being honest. And maybe it’s time to protect your peace.

Because a healthy workplace doesn’t require you to shrink.

It gives you space to breathe, grow, and actually enjoy showing up.

So the next time your gut whispers, “This doesn’t feel right,” listen. It usually knows before your brain catches up.

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Share it with someone who needs a reminder that work shouldn’t hurt.