We've all dealt with them, the self-serving ass-kisser that gets ahead because they stroke the boss's ego. In this quick After Hours episode, I talk about why ass-kissers are successful and how they erode a workplace.

Chelsea is an educator who finds herself entrenched in a toxic workplace characterized by poor leadership and revolving door turnover. The organization is constantly undergoing new leadership which causes a lack of direction, misaligned roles, unchecked behavior, and nepotism, Chelsea grapples with frustration and confusion while juggling personal tribulations. However, her dedication to her family and unwavering work ethic kept her persevering through the storm. Ultimately, Chelsea emerged...

Kylie lands a job at a large utility company, which starts on a positive note. She excels in her accounting role and earns praise from colleagues and supervisors. However, her experience takes a sharp downturn when she begins reporting to a bullying manager. Despite her persistent dedication, Kylie faces numerous obstacles, including being denied necessary overtime, burdened with increasing workloads, and subjected to unfounded accusations of poor performance. Additionally, opportunities for...

Victoria is a dedicated real estate professional and busy mom who discovers a promising opportunity in real estate sales. Impressed by a wonderful interview experience, she eagerly joins the company, initially captivated by their seemingly excellent professionalism and integrity. However, as she begins her new role, Victoria becomes disillusioned when she realizes the company engages in cheap sales practices and the management fosters a toxic workplace culture. The initial excitement turns...

Haylee gets the opportunity to work with a trusted, long-time family friend, Jenna, in an exclusive Christian non-profit organization. Haylee is led to believe this non-profit is funding amazing projects that brings goodness into the world, but in reality they're funding political agendas. Haylee looks up to Jenna and believes she is going to gain professionalism and mentorship under her direction, but is quickly disappointed when she learns Jenna is a micromanager with a passive aggressive...

In this bonus episode, I talk with Amanda Fangman, an aspiring writer and educator who specializes in teaching people about undue influence and coercive control in the workplace – from labor trafficking and exploitation to cultic abuse at work. If you haven't listened to Amanda's story of working for a magazine crew (Season 2, Episode 14), please listen before playing this episode as it gives context to our discussion. Amanda seeks to arm people with the crucial knowledge she wished she had...

Amanda is fresh out of high school and ready to escape her small hometown in Nebraska. She meets a guy at a rock concert who invites her to join his travels around the country as a "salesman." He offers her a one-way bus ticket to Texas to join him on a sales opportunity. Seeking adventure and excitement Amanda accepts, but on arrival she is disappointed to find herself thrown into a door-to-door sales routine with a magazine crew that operates more like a cult than a legitimate business. The...

Sam is a recent college graduate who lands an RN position in a pediatric unit at a rural North Carolina hospital. Sam is quickly disheartened when he realizes he is not welcome by the other nurses. As the only black, male nurse in the hospital he experiences discrimination, relentless questioning of his abilities, and a demoralizing work environment. He grapples with constant bullying and exclusion. Despite his determination to make a difference, the hostile reception at the hospital leaves...

Anna lands a dream job at a non-profit dedicated to safeguarding the local lakes, the community's primary water supply. Initially thrilled by the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause, Anna is welcomed into the organization by a seemingly supportive boss. Anna quickly realizes, however, a stark contrast between the charismatic façade and the true nature of her boss when she reads a berating email sent to a previous employee. The workplace atmosphere becomes increasingly toxic as he...

Welcome to After Hours, bonus episodes that discuss different aspects of a toxic workplace. In each episode, I’ll pick a topic that is a reoccurring theme or pattern that you’ll hear in my podcast stories. In this episode, I discuss why HR is not your friend. HR is an advocate of the company and they are part of management's agenda. When dealing with a toxic workplace, HR is oftentimes a main contributor to a poor work culture. What did you think of this episode? Send me some feedback at...

Adam lands a job at a non-profit organization with a noble mission—mentoring teens through basketball. Little did he know, his new boss brings a different kind of game to the table. Adam finds himself in a chaotic mix of disorganization, poor time management, and a glaring lack of leadership skills at the helm. As he tries to navigate the challenges, the overwhelming workload consumes him. This episode sheds light on the importance of effective leadership and organizational structure, even in...

Do you work with a narcissist? Listen as Chelsey Brooke Cole, author of If Only I'd Known: How to Outsmart Narcissists, Set Guilt-Free Boundaries, and Create Unshakeable Self-Worth, talks about the different traits of narcissistic personality disorder and how they wreak havoc over the workplace. Chelsey discusses how to deal with these toxic people, how to set boundaries, and why empaths are more drawn to them. Order Chelsey's book on Amazon here, https://a.co/d/9Rcl7cc. Visit Chelsey's...

From day one Cassie is treated as an outsider by the teachers and parents of the school she works for. The school is in a mostly white, upper-class, neighborhood and Cassie is a woman of color with a diverse background. The administration and her colleagues do not welcome her with open arms. They are cold, distant, and second guess her professional insight. Cassie works hard to win the respect of the administration, but no matter how hard she tries, they continue to dismiss her. The...

Sarah is excited to work at a non-profit organization whose mission aligns with her own values and passions. From the outside, this organization looks perfect. They emphasize "women empowering women," but Sarah starts to see the complete opposite as her self-serving, narcissistic boss has no shame in embarrassing Sarah and her colleagues in front of others.

Judy works as a Senior Software Engineer at a health care clinic. She quickly realizes her new employer doesn't believe in work/life balance when she gets interrogated for taking a day off to attend her aunt's funeral. She is expected to drop everything on her days off to respond to work related questions. Her boss is sexist and demeaning. Leadership expects everyone to maintain a positive attitude despite the burnout culture. Do you have a story to share? Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com...

Fresh out of college, Birdie lands a job working for a councilman in Louisiana. At first, the councilman seems endearing and has a casual demeanor, but not long after Birdie starts in her position she realizes the councilman has no boundaries and a verbally abusive temper. He takes his frustrations out on Birdie while overloading her with work that is beyond the scope of her position. Do you have a story to share? Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will...

There’s no one I can think of that has inspired me to chase my dreams more than my dad. My dad made a successful career through courage, perseverance, and putting his family first. Despite the failures from his past, he never quit his dream of owning his own business. As you’ll hear in this episode, nothing came easy for him. He struggled "behind the eight-ball" for years before his business took off.

Herman spends 15 years working for a local newspaper before it gets bought out by another newspaper. He is relieved when he doesn't lose his job right away, but things are never quite the same. After the merger, the company morale declines and burnout increases. He and his colleagues are treated as second-rate employees and Herman quickly finds himself as a moving target for a director that tries to stump his productivity and push him out the door. Do you have a story to share? Go to...

Zenica Chatman is a Certified Personal and Executive Coach with a focus of helping women rediscover their inner strength and confidence after encountering workplace bullying. In this bonus episode, Zenica shares her own experience of racially fueled bullying at her dream job during the height of her career. Her workplace experience gave her new insight and strength which led her onto a new career path of inspiring others. She coaches women on how to work through their own negative experiences...

Rose gets promoted to a managerial position shortly after joining a non-profit organization. The director she reports to gives no direction, is dismissive to her suggestions, and creates low morale within Rose's department, Rose starts to realize her director is nothing but a bully which triggers lingering insecurities from adolescence. Rose decides to take a stand and speak out for what she knows is right, which empowers her with newfound strength and courage. Do you have a story to share?...

Josh lands a job with a city planning agency in an up-and-coming suburban city. The management hierarchy is run by a director that emulates a Tony Soprano vibe; he's hard to get through to and expects people to hustle for his approval. In addition, Josh's workload is that of two people. The workload and poor management start to weigh on Josh after he gets put on a PIP and he works his way out of it. The exertion to prove himself takes a toll on his health and he goes through one of the most...

Miranda works in the accounting and finance industry. She lands a job at a firm where she is set up for failure from the start. The person assigned to her training is incompetent and makes things confusing. Miranda's boss is aggressively frustrated with her mistakes during her training. Her co-workers openly gossip about her peers with bullying, racist and sexist remarks. Miranda's confidence starts to dwindle as she feels isolated and anxious in this hostile environment. Do you have a story...

Jules is a recent college graduate who lands a sales position at a large corporation. The compensation package is excellent and the job growth and development seems promising, but once Jules becomes acclimated she realizes management only cares about one thing... sales. The pressure from management on Jules and her team is relentless. The expectation is that the sales associates are to take any measures necessary to close a sale, including misleading and lying to customers. This causes Jules...

Sheila decides to leave her job in retail to pursue an office job with the hope it would be a stepping stone to a career in IT. She gets placed at a large, well-known company through a non-profit, job-placement agency. Once inside, she realizes the management churns through employees as a way to collect grant money which makes for a highly toxic workplace environment. The managers and supervisors are bullies who make the working conditions stressful and anxiety ridden for Sheila and her...