Learn from the Columbia, SC fire department: Stamp out toxic workplace culture now

No criminal charges were filed, but the damage to the Columbia Fire Department’s reputation was already done.

The “over-sexed” frat house environment inside Station 8 had led at least one firefighter to quit and five others, including its battalion chief, two captains, a fire engineer and a senior firefighter, to be fired.

Our reporters obtained internal documents that detailed a toxic workplace culture that was tolerated by those in leadership positions.

According to those documents, the firefighter whose departure led to an internal investigation put it simply. He “couldn’t take the sexual crap anymore.” He has since filed a lawsuit.

The report noted that the first shift at Station 8 had a “substantial leadership failure which has fostered an over-sexed culture laden with unacceptable conversation, pranks that far exceed the bounds of professional conduct, and offensive touching.”

The behavior inside the fire house included everything from people walking around in the nude in common areas of the station to pulling people’s pants down and what was described as an “overwhelming infatuation” with comparing the size of male genitalia.

Other incidents included “rough horseplay that knocked over furniture and lockers and, in one instance “most likely damaged all of the dining room chairs and recliners and blinds in the day room.”

“This broken value system appears to have become so pervasive and accepted that many core members of the station (both active and passive participants) were willing to protect it through intentional misstatements, omissions of details and outright refusals to answer questions,” the report said.

Think about that for a minute. They were willing to not only tolerate the behavior, but cover for it.

That’s how toxic workplaces thrive.

An article in the Harvard Business Review notes, ”Abusive behavior, especially when displayed by leaders, can spread throughout the organization, creating entire climates of abuse. Because employees look to and learn from managers, they come to understand that this type of interpersonal mistreatment is acceptable behavior in the company.”

The article continues, “In essence, employees start to think that ‘this is how it’s done around here,’ and this belief manifests itself in a toxic environment that tolerates abusive acts. More so, studies have even shown that employees who experience abuse from a supervisor are also more inclined to ‘pass on’ this type of treatment in a ripple effect.”

If you Google the phrase toxic workplace, story after story appears from all industries about workplaces where all manner of unacceptable, often cruel, behavior was tolerated for far too long.

Five months have passed since those Columbia firefighters were fired, and we hope the department and other public and private employers recognize that toxic workplaces damage employers and employees, and cannot be tolerated.

Look at your own organization and work to improve the culture before it is featured in one of those many headlines.

Are employees fearful? Is sexism or racism tolerated? Is bullying routine?

If a member of the public walked into your workplace unannounced today, what would they find?

This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 12:00 PM.