labeled these incidents as“ acts of brave resistance to hideously toxic cultures” that organizations are accused of creating for their workers. In a social media video that authorities claim to be posted by Abdulkarim before the fire was started, the words“ All you had to do was pay us enough to live” have become a rallying cry of a generation that’ s clearly had enough. Now to be very clear, I’ m certainly not saying that I condone any of these actions, but what I am saying is that we in the world of business would be foolish if we didn’ t take an honest and uncomfortable look at them and what they represent. Too often toxicity in organizations is excused and swept under the rug, especially if the reaction against it is just as condemnable. But when organizations are so steeped in their own toxic cultures, it’ s unfortunately only a
matter of time until the wake-up calls become more and more extreme.
So, what questions should we be asking of our workplace cultures in light of this? I would suggest that we should be asking the same questions employees ask themselves when looking for a job: Am I safe here? Do I respect those I work with and their intentions? Can I trust them?
“ Am I safe here?”
This can mean anything from physical safety to job security, and unfortunately, this first question starts us off on a very bad note. In a volatile job market where the impact of AI is still being discovered, layoffs are hitting every industry as
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