A TikTok UK content moderator is suing the social media platform, claiming disability discrimination. She also alleges that its toxic workplace culture put stress on her pregnancy, which led to complications. Below, we examine the lawsuit in more detail, reveal the impacts of toxic workplaces in the UK, and establish how such cultures can be identified.
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TikTok UK Content Moderator Sues Social Media Platform
Olivia Anton Altamirano, a TikTok UK content moderator, is taking the social media platform to the employment tribunal over disability discrimination and a toxic workplace culture. She alleges that while working on the platform’s “Badness Project”, which involves filtering harmful content, she was given unattainable targets. The content moderator claims that this put stress on her pregnancy, causing complications.
But that’s not all. Ms Altamirano also asserts that she was the victim of disability discrimination due to her multiple sclerosis. She claims that, in addition to the pregnancy issues, the misconduct of TikTok UK contributed to her anxiety and depression.
READ: Head of PR Glorifies Toxic Workplaces: How Important is Psychological Safety at Work?
The social media giant denied the allegations brought by Ms Altamirano, claiming she was given achievable targets and provided the necessary support. Despite this, a UK judge has allowed her case to proceed, ruling that although a successful claim isn’t certain, that isn’t to say success isn’t possible. Going forward, Ms Altamirano will continue to work at TikTok UK but will seek compensation for the alleged emotional and physical harm suffered once the main hearing comes around.
TikTok UK Toxicity – The Hidden Costs of Poor Management
One might dismiss the TikTok UK case as an isolated incident, but sadly, this isn’t true. In October last year, research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and YouGov highlighted the devastating impacts of toxic workplace cultures in the UK.
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The study revealed that one-third of workers and managers had quit their jobs due to negative working environments. Furthermore, 50% of those with “ineffective” bosses said they planned to do the same.
Overall, the research found links between a toxic workplace culture and poor management. It explained how managers without formal training are less likely to call out or report misconduct, which contributes to the problem. This is worrying, as, according to the CMI’s study, only 18% of individuals entering management roles have been formally trained.
Consequently, only 27% of workers labelled their managers as “highly effective”, leading to a sorry 34% being motivated to do their job and 25% feeling satisfied with their compensation. If the study teaches employers anything, it’s that training effective managers will likely promote a positive workplace culture and influence a more motivated workforce.
Spotting the Red Flags of a Toxic Workplace
It goes without saying that a toxic workplace culture is not good for anyone. For employees, they want to be somewhere that makes them feel happy and motivated to work. As for employers, they also want a happy and motivated workforce, as this should lead to better productivity and help their business thrive.
Because of this, being able to spot the signs of a toxic working environment is essential. It can help employees avoid ‘job opportunities’ that come with toxic baggage and assist employers in stamping out the threat.
But How do you Spot the Signs?
Consistent negative employee reviews on platforms like Glassdoor could indicate a pervasive toxic culture within a company. This can be beneficial to prospective applicants, as it can provide a warning about the organisation before they secure a role.
Yet, it can also be useful to employers. It’s not always easy, especially in larger companies (like TikTok UK), to keep track of the working environments in different departments. Maybe an executive’s professional relationship with a manager blinds them from any wrongdoings, or maybe the manager is simply good at covering up the misconduct. In any event, should a recurring negative trend appear online, this could alert the company to a threat and enable it to address it quickly.
READ: Toby Carvery Manager Accused of Ableism After Not Hiring Autistic Woman
Moving on, frequent job postings by a particular company could help identify toxicity within it. This may well just be a coincidence, but it’s worth investigating during one’s interview to uncover whether anything more sinister is the cause. The frequency of the postings could also help the company uncover issues influencing a high turnover rate.
Finally, a poor interview experience may show signs of what’s to come. There could be last-minute re-schedulings, a lack of basic courtesies or other behaviours that signal red flags. What’s to say that the employer won’t act like this during an individual’s employment if they’re already displaying unfavourable behaviours at the interview stage?
Our Final Thoughts
In reality, it’s not always possible to identify toxic working environments, and sometimes, they’re more difficult to resolve than originally thought. That said, learning to spot the signs and attempting to remove them can only be a good thing. Promoting positivity will help foster a productive workplace and prevent future incidents like the one involving Olivia Anton Altamirano and TikTok UK.
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