8 Dirty Tactics Toxic Managers Use to Control Workers

Toxic managers are rarely obvious — at least not at first.

They don’t need to shout.
They don’t need to threaten.
All they need is control… and time.

They chip away at confidence, divide teams, and keep everyone on edge.
Why? Because fear makes people compliant. And compliant workers rarely speak up.

Here are 8 of the dirtiest — and most common — tactics they use to get their way.

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1. Intimidation Through Write-Ups

Forget coaching. Toxic managers go straight to punishment.

They use write-ups as weapons:

• “You didn’t follow the process” (when the process was never taught).

• “You were late” (by 2 minutes after working 3 hours OT the day before).

• “You’re not being a team player” (code for “you disagreed with me”).

One write-up turns into a threat. Three turns into a warning. Suddenly, your job hangs by a thread.

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2. Public Shaming Disguised as Feedback

Ever been corrected in front of your whole team?

They’ll say,

“I’m just holding people accountable.”

But in reality, it’s about putting you in your place — making sure everyone else knows not to challenge them either.

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3. Isolation from the Group

You used to get invited to help train others.
You used to sit with the team at break.
Now? You’re left out. Ignored. Unseen.

Toxic managers isolate employees they don’t like — or those who speak up — so they feel alone, unsupported, and easier to break.

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4. Playing Favorites (and Weaponizing It)

The golden boys always get:

• The clean jobs.

• The best equipment.

• The boss’s protection.

Meanwhile, you’re stuck cleaning up, pulling doubles, or covering for people who don’t pull their weight.

It’s not just unfair — it’s intentional. Favoritism creates division so the team turns on each other instead of on management.

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5. Gaslighting

Gaslighting is when they make you question your reality.

• “I never said that.”

• “You’re being too sensitive.”

• “You misunderstood.”

Even when you know what you heard or saw — they twist it until you second-guess yourself.

It’s not a miscommunication. It’s a power move.

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6. Overloading Certain Workers (While Letting Others Coast)

You’re constantly drowning in work.
Meanwhile, others walk around with clipboards and jokes.

This isn’t about efficiency — it’s about breaking you down until you quit or make a mistake they can use against you.

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7. Retaliation That’s Hard to Prove

Toxic managers are smart. They know how to retaliate without leaving fingerprints.

• Shifting your hours to conflict with childcare.

• Assigning you to the worst station every time.

• Suddenly “forgetting” you for overtime or weekend shifts.

If you complain, they’ll call it coincidence or “operational needs.” But you know better.

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8. Undermining You in Front of Others

Ever have your supervisor question your competence in front of a trainee? Or joke about you being slow?

They call it “ribbing” or “just joking.”
But those little cuts? They’re meant to bleed you dry — slowly.

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Recognize the Pattern. Then Break It.

If any of this sounds familiar — you’re not imagining it.
And you’re definitely not alone.

Toxic managers thrive when workers feel powerless.
But power starts with truth — and truth starts with people like you.