Find Your Bearings

1.3 Workplace Health Check

​

A workplace, like a person, has health. Some are energetic and welcoming. Others are sick and draining. You can learn to check the health of a workplace the same way a doctor checks a patient — by paying attention to the symptoms.

Look around you:

​

• Turnover — Are people always leaving? High turnover is a warning sign. Stable workplaces show that people feel valued.

• Silence — Is the lunchroom quiet, everyone on their phones? Silence often signals mistrust or fatigue. Healthy places buzz with conversation.

• Policies — Is the “open door” truly open, or just a slogan? If feedback never leads to change, the door may be open, but the room is empty.

• Energy — Do people carry pride in their work, or drag themselves through the day? Energy is contagious — for good or bad.

​

You cannot change the health of an entire workplace by yourself. But you can recognize it. Don’t blame yourself for an environment that is already broken. Learn what you can, then decide whether to stay or move on.

​​

​

Sidebar: The Open Door That Isn’t

Many companies claim to have an “open door policy.” In practice, that door often swings one way: for appearances only. The true test of openness is whether feedback leads to change. If not, the door may be open, but the room is empty.

​

Sidebar: Turnover Tells the Story

If people are always leaving, that is a warning sign. High turnover means something is wrong: poor management, lack of respect, or simple exhaustion. A stable workplace usually signals that people feel valued. Count the exits — they tell the story more honestly than any manager will.