Why do so many people stay at their toxic workplace? The answer is more complicated than you think 

Every week brings another account of a toxic workplace. Yet despite the burnout, bullying and bad bosses, why do so many people stay and keep returning to work?

“If your workplace is toxic, just leave.” It’s one of the internet’s favourite pieces of career advice. The message is simple: protect your peace, know your worth and walk away. If only it were that easy.

Every week, there are fresh complaints about office toxicity. One employee is expected to respond to emails long after work hours without extra pay or overtime compensation. A manager in front of colleagues publicly criticises another. Someone else watches promotions go to favourites while their own efforts go unnoticed. Others describe workplaces where bullying, harassment, unrealistic workloads, discrimination and constant fear have become part of the culture. Everyone promises that this will be their last month in the company. Yet, when Monday morning comes, they show up and begin the routine all over again.

Leaving a toxic workplace is often presented as a simple act of courage, as though recognising the problem is all it takes to walk away. In reality, many people spend months, sometimes years, enduring unhealthy work environments long after they realise something is wrong.

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We assume people will be quick to leave a toxic workplace, but data says otherwise

The numbers suggest workplace dissatisfaction is far more widespread than many people realise. Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report for 2026 found that only 20% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, meaning four in five employees are either struggling or simply going through the motions. 

In Nigeria, only 17% of Nigerian employees are engaged, while 55% said they experienced stress during much of the previous day, significantly higher than the global average of 40%. Despite this, workplaces are not seeing the mass exodus many would expect.

This research also found that only 46% of Nigerian employees believe now is a good time to find another job, compared with the global average of 52%. That difference may seem small, but it reflects something many Nigerians already know. Recognising a toxic workplace and finding another opportunity are two entirely different challenges.

Rather than resigning immediately, many employees remain in their roles while becoming emotionally detached from their work. They describe this growing trend as The Great Detachment, in which employees stop investing emotionally, limit themselves to the minimum expected of them and patiently wait for a new opportunity to arise.

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Why we stay longer than we want to 

It is easy to ask why someone has not left a toxic workplace. It is much harder to ask whether they can afford to. For many Nigerians, having a job is rarely just about personal fulfilment. It is about paying rent before the landlord calls. It is about school fees, transport costs, electricity bills, ageing parents and younger siblings who depend on the same monthly salary. Walking away without another offer is not always a courageous decision. Sometimes, it simply feels reckless and impossible.

Nigeria’s economic realities make that calculation even more difficult. With inflation driving up the cost of essentials and unemployment still limiting opportunities, many employees know that replacing a job could take months rather than weeks. A toxic workplace may feel unbearable, but unemployment can feel even more uncertain. Walking away without another offer is not simply a career decision. It is a financial risk with consequences that extend beyond one person.

Then there is the hope that things might improve. Many of us convince ourselves that a difficult manager will eventually leave, that the delayed promotion will finally come through or that the company’s culture will change after another restructuring. Others stay because they genuinely enjoy the work or have built meaningful relationships with colleagues who make difficult days a little easier to endure.

In many ways, staying in a toxic workplace resembles staying in a bad relationship. Rarely do people leave after the first red flag. They stay because they believe the situation is temporary. After all, they have invested too much to walk away or because the alternative feels even riskier. That is why telling people to “just quit” often misses the point. 

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What finally makes people walk away?

Contrary to popular belief, people rarely resign after the worst thing that happens to them.

More often, they leave after the moment that convinces them nothing is ever going to change. Jobberman’s Employee Satisfaction Report surveyed more than 2,700 Nigerian employees across different industries. The report found that workers are more likely to leave because they feel undervalued than because of salary alone. Poor benefits, including paid leave, healthcare, bonuses and rewards, often influence that decision. Limited career progression, burnout, unfair treatment and poor work-life balance also push employees towards the exit.

Even then, the final straw that causes many people to quit is rarely a major issue. It might be another cancelled leave request after months of working. It could be being publicly criticised in a meeting for a mistake someone else made. It might be watching yet another promotion go to someone with better connections instead of better performance. Sometimes, it is simply one sarcastic comment after years of swallowing so much frustration.

On the surface, these moments seem too small to justify resignation. In reality, they are not the reason people leave. They are the confirmation that they have reached the end of what they are willing to tolerate.

By the time an employee submits their resignation letter, they have often left emotionally long before they leave physically.

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If you cannot leave today, start preparing for the day you can

Not everyone has the luxury of resigning immediately, and pretending otherwise helps no one. If leaving today is not an option, the next best step is to stop treating your current situation as permanent.

Ask yourself whether you are dealing with a difficult season or a deeply broken workplace culture. 

Pay attention to how the job affects your health, confidence and relationships outside work. 

Document recurring incidents if they involve harassment, discrimination or unfair treatment. 

Update your CV, strengthen your professional network and build an emergency savings fund if you can. 

Small steps may not change your workplace overnight, but they can make leaving feel possible when the right opportunity comes. There is no shame in staying while you work towards a safer exit. However, there is a danger in becoming so accustomed to dysfunction that it begins to feel normal.

Work will always come with pressure, deadlines and occasional conflict. It should not consistently cost you your dignity, your health or your peace of mind. If your workplace makes you believe that those are simply part of the job, it may not be your expectations that need adjusting. It may be your exit plan.

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