Toxic Workplace

In this bonus episode, I talk with Amanda Fangman, an aspiring writer and educator who specializes in teaching people about undue influence and coercive control in the workplace – from labor trafficking and exploitation to cultic abuse at work.

If you haven't listened to Amanda's story of working for a magazine crew (Season 2, Episode 14), please listen before playing this episode as it gives context to our discussion.

Amanda seeks to arm people with the crucial knowledge she wished she had before joining the workforce: general awareness of these issues, education on the warning signs and indicators of a high control workplace.

Visit Amanda’s website:

www.AmandaFangman.com

Follow Amanda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecultbusiness/

Resources:

www.igotout.org is a consortium of cult survivors supporting the #igotout movement

Dr. Janja Lalich: https://janjalalich.com/ "Promoting a deeper, more accurate understanding of cults with the intent to avoid their manipulation, exploitation, and abuse."

Steven Hassan: https://freedomofmind.com/ "Everyone deserves the right to live a life free from undue influence"

Is Your Corporate Culture Cultish? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/am-i-working-cult-5-signs-you-corporate-7-tips-avoid-joining-baker

General Cult/Trafficking Info:

https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/influence-continuum/ https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ * https://janjalalich.com/help/characteristics-associated-with-cults/

* https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/trafficking/

* https://polarisproject.org/labor-trafficking/ (Anything on Janja Lalich or Steven Hassan's websites are great for cult research/education. I have some of their books as well!)

Commercial Cults:

* https://www.marketplace.org/2020/03/10/five-signs-your-workplace-might-turning-into-a-cult/

* https://www.economist.com/business/2022/03/05/company-or-cult

* https://www.huffpost.com/entry/multilevel-marketing-companies-mlms-cults-similarities_l_5d49f8c2e4b09e72973df3d3

Amanda is fresh out of high school and ready to escape her small hometown in Nebraska. She meets a guy at a rock concert who invites her to join his travels around the country as a "salesman." He offers her a one-way bus ticket to Texas to join him on a sales opportunity. Seeking adventure and excitement Amanda accepts, but on arrival she is disappointed to find herself thrown into a door-to-door sales routine with a magazine crew that operates more like a cult than a legitimate business. The manipulative crew leaders isolate her from family and friends while gradually introducing deceptive practices to boost sales and strip Amanda of her identity. She faces a complex web of psychological manipulation and coercive tactics. Her story unfolds as a quest for self-discovery amidst the unexpected dangers of seeking a new life away from home.

Resources:

Magazine Crews:

* https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/trapped-into-selling-magazines-door-to-door/388601/

* http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/24/human-trafficking-victim-mag-crew-kid-at-door.html

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Honey_(film)

General Cult/Trafficking Info:

https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/influence-continuum/ https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/ * https://janjalalich.com/help/characteristics-associated-with-cults/

* https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/trafficking/

* https://polarisproject.org/labor-trafficking/ (Anything on Janja Lalich or Steven Hassan's websites are great for cult research/education. I have some of their books as well!)

Commercial Cults:

* https://www.marketplace.org/2020/03/10/five-signs-your-workplace-might-turning-into-a-cult/

* https://www.economist.com/business/2022/03/05/company-or-cult

* https://www.huffpost.com/entry/multilevel-marketing-companies-mlms-cults-similarities_l_5d49f8c2e4b09e72973df3d3

*****Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?***********

Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company.

Sam is a recent college graduate who lands an RN position in a pediatric unit at a rural North Carolina hospital. Sam is quickly disheartened when he realizes he is not welcome by the other nurses. As the only black, male nurse in the hospital he experiences discrimination, relentless questioning of his abilities, and a demoralizing work environment. He grapples with constant bullying and exclusion. Despite his determination to make a difference, the hostile reception at the hospital leaves Sam struggling with crushed self-esteem and questioning his capabilities.

Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?

Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company.

Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

You may also go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and leave a private review.

Follow Toxic Workplace on Facebook, TikTok, X and Instagram @ToxicWorkplacePodcast

Anna lands a dream job at a non-profit dedicated to safeguarding the local lakes, the community's primary water supply. Initially thrilled by the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause, Anna is welcomed into the organization by a seemingly supportive boss. Anna quickly realizes, however, a stark contrast between the charismatic façade and the true nature of her boss when she reads a berating email sent to a previous employee. The workplace atmosphere becomes increasingly toxic as he berates employees, takes undue credit for their collective achievements, and micromanages their work.

Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?

Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company.

Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

You may also go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and leave a private review.

Follow Toxic Workplace on Facebook, TikTok, X and Instagram @ToxicWorkplacePodcast

Welcome to After Hours, bonus episodes that discuss different aspects of a toxic workplace. In each episode, I’ll pick a topic that is a reoccurring theme or pattern that you’ll hear in my podcast stories. In this episode, I discuss why HR is not your friend. HR is an advocate of the company and they are part of management's agenda. When dealing with a toxic workplace, HR is oftentimes a main contributor to a poor work culture.

What did you think of this episode? Send me some feedback at www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage to find the feedback form. I'd love to know your thoughts or ideas for future topics.Do you have a story to share? Send a submission request through my website by clicking on "be a guest." I look forward to hearing from you!

Adam lands a job at a non-profit organization with a noble mission—mentoring teens through basketball. Little did he know, his new boss brings a different kind of game to the table. Adam finds himself in a chaotic mix of disorganization, poor time management, and a glaring lack of leadership skills at the helm. As he tries to navigate the challenges, the overwhelming workload consumes him. This episode sheds light on the importance of effective leadership and organizational structure, even in the well-intentioned world of non-profit mentorship through sports.

*****Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?***********

Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company.

Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

You may also go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and leave a private review.

Follow Toxic Workplace on Facebook, TikTok, X and Instagram @ToxicWorkplacePodcast

Do you work with a narcissist? Listen as Chelsey Brooke Cole, author of If Only I'd Known: How to Outsmart Narcissists, Set Guilt-Free Boundaries, and Create Unshakeable Self-Worth, talks about the different traits of narcissistic personality disorder and how they wreak havoc over the workplace. Chelsey discusses how to deal with these toxic people, how to set boundaries, and why empaths are more drawn to them.

Order Chelsey's book on Amazon here, https://a.co/d/9Rcl7cc.

Visit Chelsey's website at www.ChelseyBrookeCole.com

Follow her on social media:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/chelseybrookecole

X: https://twitter.com/chelseybcole FB:https://www.facebook.com/chelseybrookecole

Do you have a toxic workplace story to share? Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company. Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. You may also go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and leave a private review.

Follow Toxic Workplace on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram @ToxicWorkplacePodcast

From day one Cassie is treated as an outsider by the teachers and parents of the school she works for. The school is in a mostly white, upper-class, neighborhood and Cassie is a woman of color with a diverse background. The administration and her colleagues do not welcome her with open arms. They are cold, distant, and second guess her professional insight. Cassie works hard to win the respect of the administration, but no matter how hard she tries, they continue to dismiss her. The environment eventually pushes Cassie into an anxiety ridden state where she finally gets the courage to do something about it.

Do you have a toxic workplace story to share?

Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company.

Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

You may also go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and leave a private review.

Follow Toxic Workplace on Facebook, TikTok, X and Instagram @ToxicWorkplacePodcast

Reference: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/stress-dreams-why-do-we-have-them-and-how-to-stop/#:~:text=Frequently%20having%20stress%20or%20anxiety,thoughts%20and%20stress%20in%20order.

Sarah is excited to work at a non-profit organization whose mission aligns with her own values and passions. From the outside, this organization looks perfect. They emphasize "women empowering women," but Sarah starts to see the complete opposite as her self-serving, narcissistic boss has no shame in embarrassing Sarah and her colleagues in front of others.

Do you have a toxic workplace story to share? Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company. Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. You may also go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and leave a private review.

Follow Toxic Workplace on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram @ToxicWorkplacePodcast

Judy works as a Senior Software Engineer at a health care clinic. She quickly realizes her new employer doesn't believe in work/life balance when she gets interrogated for taking a day off to attend her aunt's funeral. She is expected to drop everything on her days off to respond to work related questions. Her boss is sexist and demeaning. Leadership expects everyone to maintain a positive attitude despite the burnout culture.

Do you have a toxic workplace story to share? Go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and click on "Be a Guest." Your story will be shared anonymously. All names are changed to protect the employee and the company. Does listening to this podcast help you navigate your toxic workplace? Be sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. You may also go to www.toxicworkplacepodcast.com and leave a private review.

Follow Toxic Workplace on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram @ToxicWorkplacePodcast

Reference: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037