One of the Lucky Ones

I was talking with someone who was freshly on the other side of resigning from "the most toxic workplace" they had ever encountered. Ever.

They described the situation and I didn't sit deep into what they were saying until I had time to be alone and reflect. They were describing a situation I have lived, experienced and felt deeply. For years after the fact. Years.

It was a toxic workplace situation that far exceeded what I had experienced in an abusive marriage. At least in my marriage, I could identify my part of the equation. I was a partner to the situation that unraveled. The workplace abuse was by far harder to manage because I had done everything in my power to rectify the situation and nothing helped. Nothing.

I have had the good fortune to have had a lifetime of healthy work situations. There were a handful of experiences I needed to leave. But that one. The toxic one shook my foundation in a way nothing had before. 

I'm juggling two casual job positions at the moment. A conversation I had this week was very complimentary to one of my workplaces. My immediate response was, "This is the best place I've ever worked. Ever." 

The positivity starts at the top and trickles downhill. Lightheartedness, laughter, support and a team effort is the name of the game at this workplace. 

Unfortunately, the same can be said of a situation where negativity starts at the top and trickles down. There is little one can do when one becomes a victim where nothing they do changes the situation. The situation become toxic. Fast.

I am so very fortunate I am in a spot where I am not feeling persecuted, unsupported, ill-equipped and unheard. Thus, I can take my little spot in a big environment and simply focus on who is in front of me, who I work with and have an attitude that "everyone is doing the best they can do". 

The upsides of being a casual employee are plentiful. "Casual" is my favorite word to describe my work situation. I have control over my situation. I can work one day a week (or less) at my second job. I'm not dependent on the income. One day a week? I can walk in and out of the day and not become personally involved in the dramas unfolding within.

I am one of the lucky ones.