What is 'glossing'? The new toxic workplace trend

The workplace is never going to be perfect and we are now more aware than ever before about how toxic they can be.

There have been several viral workplace trends recently, just like quiet quitting, in which employees, many of whom are burned out, do the bare minimum.

New studies have now looked into another startling issue happening in the workplace. Known as ‘glossing’, it is likely something you have experienced at some point...

What is glossing?

Glossing describes when an employer or manager, or generally someone higher up in the hierarchy, glosses over any issues by ignoring (or glossing over) them.

Instead, they champion the so-called positives instead. Although transparency should always be the best policy, this is rarely the case. Only 15 per cent of employees believed their employers always openly share the challenges they face, according to up-to-date data from a Leadership IQ poll.

So, glossing is essentially glossing over the negatives with a sheen of toxic positivity by completely ignoring the not-so-great situations, and it can leave employees feeling unheard, valued or disrespected.

The danger of toxic positivity and glossing over problems

David Rice, HR expert at People Managing People, says glossing can be both harmful and unhelpful for employees because it ‘erodes trust in leadership’.

Speaking to Indy100, he said: “It causes people to believe that [managers] don't hear them, either wilfully or through ignorance. It also leads people to question your connection to reality and whether or not you're ever genuine. These are all bad things as no one wants to work for a personality like this, or wants to feel like the leaders are out of touch”.

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In an attempt to maintain a super positive atmosphere, real problems affecting employees may be downplayed or even ignored. But if you have ever watched the Kristen Bell comedy The Good Place, you’ll know that toxic positivity can be a cover for something, shall we say, rather bleak.

Employees can face difficulty when trying to confront issues at work. It may even feel easier to pretend they don’t exist. If your employer tries to overcompensate when situations at work are rocky, it may be a case of glossing.

"Toxic positivity is an excessive and distorted form of positive thinking,” clinical psychologist Dr Andrea Burgio-Murphy explained in the Leadership IQ report and poll. “It's putting a positive spin on all experiences, no matter how dire or tragic.

"For example, you could be experiencing toxic positivity when a friend or boss minimises or refuses to acknowledge your negative feelings or critical feedback. Or perhaps they go further and try to spin your dire situation in a positive way, like 'this is a blessing in disguise' or 'all things happen for a reason'."

What are the long-term effects of glossing?

HR expert Rice says employees lower down the hierarchy at work experiencing glossing at the hands of their bosses ‘tend to feel irrelevant’ and ‘like the issues they face aren’t a priority’.

He adds: “[Glossing] creates a sense of disconnection and that leads to disengagement and a lack of faith in company goals’.

A company’s ‘culture’ is usually a big selling point in job adverts when trying to appeal to applicants. However glossing, Rice says, creates a culture in which 'transparency is non-existent’.

How can managers avoid glossing?

The key to avoiding glossing in workplaces is for managers to be honest. Solutions must be acknowledged and be clear and honest about tricky situations.

Skillsoft's Global Head of Coaching, Leena Rinne, told to Business Insider that sometimes managers can tip the scale the other way, and be far too blunt about issues.

Ultimately, leaders need to be taught how to be transparent in a way that builds trust.

Rinne said: "You get more when people feel safe and feel engaged than if they're punching that clock and glossing for hours.”

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