However, he confirms that this damage is real, though he notes workers may conflate trauma with developing PTSD, and may possibly be experiencing other anxiety or depression disorders instead. It’s not a new concept, but research over the past two decades has highlighted its rising prominence – and some workers have come to refer to it as ‘workplace PTSD’.ĭr Chi-Chi Obuaya, a London-based psychiatrist and mental health professional, is hesitant to associate these forms of workplace-induced trauma with the clinical definition of PTSD. Workplace-induced trauma can stem from several causes: racism, bullying, poor work-life boundaries and job insecurity. What do workers do when they can’t shake the ripple effects of a toxic workplace – and how can they heal? Well after leaving a job, people shared that anything from retracing their old commute to otherwise-banal office socialising might induce chest pains, muscle spasms and more.Įven without a clinical designation, workplace-induced trauma is a tangible issue – one that’s especially gaining attention as younger generations grow more vocal about their mental-health struggles. In March, a viral Twitter thread exposed its prevalence. While society has long associated workplace trauma-induced mental illness with certain occupations like firefighting and the military, the notion of trauma developed from a toxic job or workplace is becoming increasingly recognised throughout the workforce. She ties many of her current struggles with mental illness to her past workplace – still panicking after hearing an email notification at the weekend, for instance. But now, almost three years after leaving, the job haunts her. It's 32 stories, it'll definitely kill me.”Įmily held her position for only a year, and never formally reported her experiences. If I go up here and just jump, it'll be fine. “It was like, no one ever comes up here except for the marketing team. “I thought about jumping off the balcony at one point,” says Emily. Ultimately, she quit – a decision she feels saved her life. After threatening to quit, she was approved for time off at the end, she realised she couldn’t go back. She experienced exhaustion to the point that she begged for a medical leave at the end of her first year. She says she experienced constant pressure to overwork, racial harassment and was pushed to engage with graphically violent and racist content. I drank a lot more than I should have,” recalls Emily, whose name has been changed due to the sensitivity of her claims.
“I'm a highly susceptible 22-year-old, just getting out of college, who wants to win the approval of the cis white. However, she also saw some red flags: for one, an office culture built around drinking – so much so, she says, that she was asked to take shots with higher-ups after her final interview. One of the managers at the office was also a woman of colour – a hopeful sign for the company’s culture – and she was excited about her salary, which felt substantial for a first-time worker. After her graduation, the then-22-year-old was looking forward to joining the labour market. When Emily started her first job in the legal industry, she was cautiously optimistic.
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