Letter: Hidden cost of living: Toxic bosses and the erosion of human dignity

By Letter to the Editor on January 20, 2026.

Dear editor,

We talk a lot about the cost of living – housing, groceries, fuel, childcare. But there’s a cost we rarely name, even though it drains people daily: the emotional cost of working under a toxic boss.

For many, the workplace is not just a source of income; it’s where they spend the second largest portion of their lives. A week holds 168 hours. After sleep, work, commuting, household responsibilities, and basic care, most people are left with only a small fraction of time to rest, dream, or reconnect with themselves.

When that precious time is overshadowed by the stress of a toxic work environment, the impact ripples far beyond the office walls – into homes, relationships, health and the very sense of who we are.

While local businesses often complain about “unreliable” or “unskilled” workers, we rarely talk about the elephant in the room: toxic bosses. Toxic bosses come in many forms, but their behaviours share common threads.

They take credit for successes while blaming staff for failures. They micromanage, refuse feedback, gossip, play favourites and create environments where people feel unsafe, unseen, or undermined. They withhold information, exclude employees from meetings, or assign impossible tasks – not to develop people, but to control them.

These behaviours often stem from insecurity, incompetence, or a need to protect a fragile ego. But regardless of the cause, the effect is the same: morale collapses, trust evaporates, and people lose their sense of purpose. A lack of self awareness is one of the clearest red flags.

When a boss cannot recognize their own emotional impact, they lash out, belittle, or publicly criticize employees. Calling someone “inadequate” is not feedback; it is a personal attack. And when done in front of others, it becomes a form of humiliation.

Toxic bosses shape employees into whatever version best protects their ego. They twist truth, intention, and memory to stay comfortable. The moment a leader believes they have the right to belittle others is the moment they reveal their own weakness.

These behaviours don’t just make work unpleasant – they erode mental health, confidence and the basic human need for belonging.

It is time to invest in a searching and fearless moral inventory – an honest, courageous examination of your actions, character flaws, fears and resentments. This is the path to self awareness and genuine change.

If you want your employees to admire you, give them a reason to. Your real job is to inspire collaboration, cultivate synergy, bring out the best in your team, think win/win.

When you fail to do this, you create nothingness. People will not respect you. They will pity you, resent you, fear you and wish they didn’t have to work for you.

Most people rely on employment simply to afford to live. That alone is hard enough.

Working for a toxic boss pushes people toward burnout and despair – and because good jobs are scarce, toxic bosses are not held accountable, but should be for mental health sake.

Karen Waldron

Medicine Hat

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