
HPPCL chief engineer's death: Workplace toxicity is real. We should tackle it before it's too late
Written by Manju Mahipalan
Toxins are harmful to our health, and so are toxic workplaces that constantly question and undermine the dignity and worth of individuals. Research from across the world has documented the adverse impacts of workplace toxicity on employee productivity, performance, and emotional, social, and physical well-being.
In India, toxicity in the workplace is often considered normal, and employees are frequently unaware of the extent to which they are exposed to it daily — until a precious life is lost. The recent case of an HPPCL employee who was found dead after going missing for a week reveals the severe mistreatment that individuals may experience at the hands of the authorities. The fact-finding committee report shows that the employee faced constant humiliation and threats for over six months, which ultimately took a significant toll on his mental health.
However, this is not the first reported case revealing the direct consequences of toxic workplaces. In 2022, a 31-year-old IT worker died by suicide, citing excessive workplace pressure. The same year, in September, an assistant manager of a Gurugram-based firm took his life, alleging that his reputation had been tarnished. In 2019, a 24-year-old software employee reportedly died by suicide in Hyderabad, stating that she would not receive any more work.
What constitutes workplace toxicity? Toxic behaviours can be overt or covert. Low-intensity deviant behaviour that appears harmless — such as demeaning, disrespectful, or offensive comments to a co-worker, or ignoring, insulting, or yelling at someone — violates self-respect. These behaviours also include undermining an employee's credibility in front of others. Subtler forms of toxicity include microaggressions: unconscious verbal or behavioural slights, often stemming from insensitivity or incorrect assumptions, usually targeting minorities or marginalised groups. More explicit forms of toxic behaviour include bullying and harassment, manifesting as physical or sexual aggression, persistent criticism, intimidation, threatening, manipulation, false allegations, humiliation, work overload, and isolation or exploitation.
Individuals who misuse authority and engage in harassing actions may be perceived as reinforcing their sense of power and control over others. From a psychological perspective, displaying toxicity could be a sign of internalised shame, insecurity, or even low self-esteem. Researchers have linked toxic behaviours to specific personality characteristics. Narcissistic tendencies, in particular, have been consistently correlated with toxic behaviours. Narcissists often possess a sense of entitlement and a lack of empathy, which can lead to negative organisational dynamics.
Toxic workplaces are not just about the individuals who perpetrate such actions. A closer examination reveals a vicious cycle characterised by an empathy gap, inadequate support systems, and an atmosphere of conflict, distrust, and antipathy. Toxic cultures grow and thrive when such behaviours are normalised or when an unhealthy power imbalance exists within organisational hierarchies. These behaviours are exacerbated in organisations with more bystanders than active participants willing to question and protest against them. Studies indicate that while bystanders may occasionally sympathise with victims of workplace toxicity, their passiveness contributes to the perpetuation of such behaviour. The unsettling reality is that workplace toxicity can affect anyone, regardless of age, experience, or position, and it has a lasting impact on an individual's sense of self.
How can we respond to this crisis before it is too late? First, it is crucial to adopt an organisational perspective in addressing workplace toxicity. Too often, instances of harassment, humiliation, or exploitation persist as isolated incidents with individual narratives that fail to compel companies to act. What is needed is a systemic perspective that enables the phenomenon to be addressed effectively. A systemic approach uncovers the latent patterns and dynamics underpinning workplace toxicity. Leadership matters, because people do not simply mimic organisational values — they emulate the behaviours modelled by those at the top. Without leadership, organisational culture cannot transform.
Finally, efforts to address workplace toxicity must go beyond tokenistic awareness campaigns. Meaningful, targeted, multi-level interventions are required to prevent toxicity and remediate its damaging effects. These evidence-based interventions should empower individuals to confront their biases and dismantle the assumptions that shape their social interactions. No organisation can be truly sustainable if its workforce suffers and remains neglected.
The writer teaches management studies at NIT Calicut, Kerala

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘We had no option but to kill him', says Goldy Brar on Sidhu Moosewala murder
Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar justified the killing of Sidhu Moosewala by claiming that the Punjabi singer 'had to face the consequences of his actions.' In a BBC documentary, it was revealed that Lawrence Bishnoi and Moosewala's relationship dated back a long time, and the dreaded gangster used to call the singer from jail, telling him he liked his music. 'In his arrogance, he (Moosewala) made some mistakes that could not be forgiven,' Brar told the BBC. 'We had no option but to kill him. He had to face the consequences of his actions. It was either him or us. As simple as that,' he added. The BBC World Service released the documentary titled 'The Killing Call' on the killing of Moosewala, on YouTube in two parts Wednesday, which coincided with his birth anniversary. The documentary was released at 5 am Wednesday. The BBC was scheduled to screen the documentary in a cinema hall in Mumbai Wednesday evening. However, after the controversy, the BBC released it on YouTube. Moosewala's father, Balkaur Singh, had petitioned a court in Mansa to stop its release or screening. The Mansa court has listed the petition for a hearing Thursday. Meanwhile, three of his songs were also released on his official channel Wednesday. Balkaur also wrote to Maharashtra director general of police (DGP) to stop the screening. In the complaint filed with the Maharashtra DGP and Juhu Police Station in Mumbai, Balkaur said that the documentary was made without his permission, and it 'contained false content about his son's murder'. He added that the documentary could be an attempt to tarnish his son's legacy. He said that the documentary includes interviews with individuals named in the FIR related to his son's murder, which he believes could affect the ongoing case. Later in the evening, Balkaur told media persons that that release of the documentary is like derailing the ongoing investigation into the murder case. He said that two witnesses have already testified in the court and he would be the third witness to testify in the coming days.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Girl runs away to meet BF, his parents alert her family
Nagpur: Acting responsibly, an Azamgarh-based family in Uttar Pradesh alerted the parents of a 17-year-old standard X student from Nagpur, who had landed up at their residence after falling in love with their son. The minor girl had befriended the youngster from Azamgarh on a social media platform, and developed a relationship over the last few months ago. Sources said that the Azamgarh youngster had sponsored the minor girl's ticket to take a bus to his hometown on June 4. After she reached Azamgarh, the youngster took her to his home and expressed his desire to marry her. The youngster's family, realising the girl was still a minor, immediately alerted her parents, who were already searching for her. An offence had also been registered at Old Kamptee police station following the family's complaint. Immediately afterwards, the Azamgarh family ensured the girl returned to the city by train on June 6. She was taken into custody by senior inspector Lalita Todase's team of the anti-human trafficking unit of the crime branch. After counselling, the girl was reunited with her family, and accordingly, the Old Kamptee police station was also informed.


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Three mule a/c holders held in 3cr matrimonial scam
Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad cybercrime police have arrested three mule bank account holders from New Delhi following an investigation into a complaint of a 45-year-old manager of a private firm in Pimpri Chinchwad, who lost Rs3.16 crore in a matrimonial scam between June 2023 and Sept 2024. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The scam started when the woman, victim in the scam, came into contact with a 'US-based NRI' via a matrimonial website in May 2023. The man told her that he was running a business in Alaska and promised to marry her. They started talking and video-calling. Later, the man started requesting the woman to help him financially and told her that he was suffering losses in business. The woman started transferring money to him. He used to give different reasons including money for regularizing bank account in Dubai, medical treatment, repaying loans, and air-ticket expenditure from Dubai to New Delhi and New Delhi to Venezuela, the police said. At one point, he also asked money from the victim by claiming that he was detained at Istanbul airport in Turkey, police said, adding that the woman kept providing money and eventually transferred Rs3.16 crore between June 2023 and Sept 2024. When she came to realize that she was cheated, the woman suffered depression. It is only after her relative convicsed her to file a complaint in March 2025, she approached the police. Senior inspector Ravikiran Nale of the Pimpri Chinchwad cybercrime police said that two teams, led by assistant inspector Pravin Swami and sub-inspector Sagar Poman, were deployed to investigate. "The teams found that Rs 3.16 crore were transferred to 81 bank accounts and from these accounts, the money went into 400 accounts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Most of these accounts belonged to different banks in New Delhi," he said. The police investigations also revealed that 11 bank accounts were opened two years ago using a single rent agreement. "Sub-inspector Poman and his team reached New Delhi to trace people who opened these 11 accounts. The team found that the account holders had changed their cellphone numbers. With technical investigation, sub-inspector Poman took Sikandar Khan (21) into custody from Jonapur in Delhi. Khan then revealed names of two more suspects, Ranjit Yadav (27) and his brother Bablu Yadav (25), both from Jonapur. Ranjit Yadav had accepted Rs 36.96 lakh into his account," he said. The arrested people used to contact their handler using a mobile messenger application to avoid tracing. "We have ascertained the identity of their handler and our search is underway to find other suspects in the case," said Nale.