A toxic workplace is one of the biggest reasons why people leave their jobs. It might be a place where staff are stressed, managers bully their employees and people don't trust each other. "Toxic" usually means something that's poisonous, but we can also use it to mean "very unpleasant." The word is often used to describe a workplace that's so bad it's almost poisonous. If you work in a toxic place, you'll probably know about it. But how can you tell if a workplace is toxic before you even start a new job? Career coach Beata Staszkow says the way the manager treats you during the interview might give you an idea about how they'll treat you as an employee. Look out for bosses who don't seem interested in your answers, she adds, or those who make inappropriate jokes. A manager showing up late for an interview could also be a bad sign, says jobs expert Mita Mallick, writing in Harvard Business Review. Mallick says to also watch out for things like the interviewer changing the job description after you've started discussing the job, or putting pressure on you to take the job right away. It's also good to do some research into how many employees are leaving a company and how many new ones are joining. This is known as "employee turnover." Sometimes there are good reasons for turnover. But it could be a sign of a toxic workplace. You should be able to find out about it by looking on sites like LinkedIn — and you might also be able to contact someone who used to work at the company. If you're already in a toxic workplace, you'll probably want to get out of it. But you don't want to jump from one toxic workplace into another!