About this episode

Cait Donovan discusses the relationship between toxic workplaces and burnout, highlighting key findings from a peer-reviewed study.

Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/UffD0Ec0SX4 Cait Donovan, host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast breaks down a 2018 peer-reviewed study on toxic workplaces and what it actually proves about the relationship between organizational dysfunction and burnout — and she has opinions. If you've been told to breathe through it, journal harder, or just be more resilient, this episode is here to tell you that the research says otherwise. This one's short, sharp, and direct. Key Topics Covered The study: An Empirical Study Analyzing Job Productivity in Toxic Workplace Environments* (Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018) what it found and why it matters The four markers of a toxic workplace: ostracism, incivility, harassment, and bullying and how any one of them (not just the extreme cases) qualifies Burnout as the mediator: Toxicity doesn't kill productivity directly it creates burnout first, and burnout kills productivity. This changes everything about how to fix it. For leaders: Your highest performer might not be your highest performer if their behavior is corroding the culture around them, the net impact is negative. You have to act. For employees: Stress…

People in this episode

Host: Cait Donovan

Topics covered

• toxic workplace
• burnout
• organizational dysfunction
• job productivity
• workplace culture

Keywords

• toxic workplace
• burnout
• organizational dysfunction
• job productivity
• workplace culture
• stress reduction
• mindfulness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Journal of Environmental and Public Health

Books & works: The 4 Behaviors of A Toxic Workplace a #straightfromcait episode, An Empirical Study Analyzing Job Productivity in Toxic Workplace Environments

More episodes of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast

• Toxic or Just a Bad Fit? How to Tell the Difference at Work with Leanne Elliott of Truth, Lies, & Work · May 24, 2026 · 55 min
• We’re Expecting the Wrong Things From Leaders And It’s Causing Leadership Burnout: A #straightfromcait episode. · May 17, 2026 · 12 min
• Burned Out and Managing Multiple Generations? What Leaders Get Wrong About Generational Conflict at Work with Kristin Scroggin · May 10, 2026 · 59 min

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