Dear HR, Managers, and the Architects of Workplace Culture.

There was a time when work was just work—a place to earn a living, to build a career, to contribute to something greater than oneself. But now, for many, work has become a place of quiet suffering. A space where the weight of unkind words and the sharpness of unnecessary criticism are carried home like briefcase of wounds.

I understand the place of feedback, truly, I do. No one grows in an environment of constant applause. But since when did verbal abuse become a leadership strategy? Since when did dismissiveness become a management tool? Since when did “mentorship” become condescension?

You call it tough love, but there is no love in belittling someone who already doubts their worth. You say it builds resilience, but resilience is not the ability to endure humiliation—it is the ability to thrive in an environment that nourishes growth.

What you fail to see is that people do not leave jobs; they leave workplaces that make them feel small. They leave managers who mistake fear for respect. They leave companies that call for “open communication” but punish those who dare to be honest.

So, I ask you this:

Are you building a team, or are you tearing one apart?

Do your words inspire or do they wound?

When your employees speak of you behind closed doors, do they whisper about how much they have learned, how much they have grown, or do they swap survival stories like war veterans recounting their time on the battlefield?

A toxic workplace is not built in a day. It is not the result of one bad meeting or one harsh email. It is the slow erosion of trust, the daily chipping away at morale, the quiet quitting that happens long before a resignation letter is typed.

People deserve better. Not just because it is good business practice, but because it is human decency. Because we spend more time at work than we do with our families, and no one should have to trade their dignity for a paycheck.

So, dear HR, dear Managers, dear Leaders:

Build.

Encourage.

Lead with kindness, not intimidation.

Because the cost of a toxic workplace is not just in employee turnover rates and exit interviews. It is in the brilliant minds that dim too soon. It is in the talented employees who leave before they ever get the chance to shine. It is in the reputations that will outlive you in the corridors of LinkedIn, whispered warnings to future generations.

Choose better.

Sincerely,

Someone calling for a change

Okunola Wemimo Mercy