Leaving a Toxic Workplace Isn’t Always the Answer—Let’s Talk About That

Every time someone says, “If your workplace is toxic, just leave,” I cringe a little inside.

Not because I disagree with the intention.

Yes—leaving may absolutely be the best move for your mental health. Y

es—it can be the beginning of healing. 

Yes—no one should be expected to endure emotional harm in the name of professionalism.

But to frame leaving as the solution oversimplifies a very complex, very human problem.

Because while walking away might remove you from the immediate harm, it doesn’t always erase the trauma.

 The PTSD That Follows You

If you’ve ever left a toxic job, you know what I mean.

You get the new role. The better title. Maybe even the higher pay.

And yet...

• You still flinch when you receive a Slack message from your manager.

  
  

• You still second-guess whether it’s safe to disagree in meetings.

  
  

• You still wake up in the middle of the night wondering if you’re about to be blindsided—again.

  
  

This is the PTSD of toxic workplaces. And it lingers long after the resignation letter is sent.

You may no longer be in the environment, but it’s in you. In your body. Your reactions. Your self-trust.

And it can take months—sometimes years—to fully exhale again.

The Problem With Telling People to “Just Leave”

There are other issues with this advice, too.

Because let’s be honest:

• Not everyone has the financial flexibility to leave.

  
  

• Not everyone has access to a thriving job market.

  
  

• Not everyone has the emotional energy to start over again.

  
  

• And perhaps most importantly—not everyone wants to jump ship every time humans behave badly.

Because let’s not forget: humans are everywhere.

Conflict. Misunderstanding. Ego. Power struggles.

They happen in every workplace.

And while some environments are clearly more harmful than others, the idea that you can job-hop your way to a perfect culture is… unrealistic.

So What If We Did Something Different?

What if the solution wasn’t always flight?

What if—alongside the very real need for people to remove themselves from harm—we also created a collective outcry?

What if we stopped whispering about toxic workplaces in private and started demanding accountability in public?

What if instead of seeing toxicity as an individual burden, we recognized it as a systemic failure?

Because here’s the truth:

The answer isn’t just to leave.

The answer is to make it harder for toxicity to thrive.

Accountability Is a Shared Responsibility

Companies need to do more than post values on their walls or run an annual employee engagement survey.

They need to:

✅ Prioritize psychological safety as a measurable KPI—not just a buzzword.

✅ Train leaders to manage with integrity, empathy, and courage—not control. 

✅ Create real mechanisms for employees to report harm without fear of retaliation. 

✅ Enforce consequences when toxic behavior is identified—regardless of someone's title or performance metrics. 

✅ Track patterns—not just individual complaints—because where there’s one voice, there are usually many more silent ones.

But it’s not just on leadership.

Every individual inside a workplace has a role to play in nurturing the culture:

• Choosing not to engage in gossip.

  
  

• Backing up colleagues who speak the hard truths.

  
  

• Naming problematic behavior when it shows up—even subtly.

  
  

• Asking the uncomfortable questions when decisions don’t align with values.

  
  

Because psychological safety doesn’t sustain itself. It’s a practice. A commitment. A collective agreement.

What People Really Want: To Be Heard, Not Harmed

At the core of this conversation is a very human desire:

To contribute meaningfully—without fear.

To express thoughts and concerns—without being silenced.

To exist in a workplace where integrity matters more than politics.

This isn’t asking for too much. 

This is asking for the baseline of a healthy work environment.

And when that baseline is met—when people believe they can be honest without consequence—everything changes:

• Ideas flourish.

  
  

• Collaboration deepens.

  
  

• Trust becomes the norm, not the exception.

  
  

• People stay—and they grow.

We Need Confidence in the Systems—Not Just Hope in the People

Here’s the shift we need:

Not just hoping we land in a workplace with “good” people…

But demanding that organizations build and maintain good systems.

Systems where:

• Psychological safety is tracked.

  
  

• Accountability is clear.

  
  

• Feedback is not feared.

  
  

• Conflict is managed—not ignored or punished.

  
  

• Culture is led from every level, not just HR.

Because when the system works, people can work.

And when the system protects truth-telling, employees don’t have to protect themselves.

Final Word: Yes, Leave If You Must—but Let’s Build What We Truly Need

To anyone considering leaving a toxic workplace: You have every right. Your wellbeing matters. Your peace matters.

But know this:

Leaving may solve the immediate problem, but the greater solution is bigger than one resignation.

It’s about creating a world where people don’t have to leave just to be respected.

Where staying doesn’t mean sacrificing dignity.

Where everyone knows that if harm happens, the system will respond—not retreat.

That’s the future of work we deserve. 

That’s the culture we must build—together.

Let’s stop hopping from job to job hoping for better. 

Let’s create better—where we are.