Every office insists it’s a “dynamic environment.” Translation: chaos, ego, and the occasional adult tantrum performed by people who earn enough money to know better.

It feels almost embarrassing to say the words “toxic workplace.” The phrase has been flogged to death by LinkedIn therapists and HR consultants who speak exclusively in bullet points and inspirational fonts. And yet, sometimes the cliché sticks because reality is stubborn.

Some workplaces are not merely unpleasant. They are ecosystems.

Not the wholesome David Attenborough kind with birds and coral reefs. More of the National Geographic predator special, where everyone is quietly waiting for someone else to bleed.

The Hierarchy of Favourites

Every toxic office has its unofficial caste system.

At the top: The Favourites. These are the chosen few who glide through the corridors like minor royalty. Their mistakes are “learning opportunities.” Their laziness is “strategic thinking.” Their absence from work is called “leadership bandwidth.”

Below them are the Useful People.........

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