The Toxic Effects of Branding Your Workplace a “Family”

When it comes to conversations about our workplace, it’s no surprise that a deeply personal element comes into play. You spend most of your waking hours at work and share moments in that time that few outside of your coworkers have context and understanding to. So it only makes sense that the organizations’ culture and the relationships you build at work can mirror those you find within a family context. But what happens when you don’t have the right elements in place and a company masks their shortcomings and instills a false sense of belonging by touting a culture that works like a “family?”