Modern Management

Office Politics Are Just as Toxic in the Work-From-Home Era

Sucking up to bosses seen as even more critical when workers are operating remotely.

Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute in “The Office.”Photographer: Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images
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The gossip. The suck-up. The bully.

Workplaces have been home to these toxic personalities since the beginning of work, and a new survey has found the problem persists in the hybrid world in which employees can be in-person or virtual. About half the 800 US workers surveyed say the negative effects of office politics have stayed the same in the Covid era, while another 25% say they expect the disruptive behavior to get worse before it gets better.