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Surviving in a Toxic Workplace: Strategies to Help You Protect Your Career
Are your duties slowly being removed? Are you being excluded from meetings? Is a consultant lurking around you like a doggone Lookey-Loo? Did they make you move out of your office? Did they create a new job out of thin air just for you? Did you just return from FMLA? Did they put you on a PIP? These are some of the many signs that lead to termination...
In a toxic workplace, there are always signs that your employment is about to be terminated—you just need to know what to look for. Written by the international best-selling and award-winning authors of Hush How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job, this survival guide is your roadmap to turning the tables on your toxic leaders and everyone they inspired to conspire against you, making it impossible for you to succeed.
This may be hard for you to hear, but what’s happening to you is not due to unconscious bias—it’s unconscious B.S. The people targeting you and derailing your career are fully aware of what they are doing. It’s not unconscious; it’s unconscionable.
Think HR is on your side? Think again. In a toxic workplace, HR’s role is not to protect you from your toxic leaders—it’s to protect your toxic leaders from you. They’ll weaponize policies, people, and processes to help toxic leaders push you out, leaving employees like you blindsided, jobless, and completely broken.
But it doesn’t have to end that way.
In this groundbreaking book, the authors share the proven strategies they repeatedly used to secure multiple large settlements, including six figure settlements, and help countless others do the same.
🔹 Understand the Warning Signs and Red FlagsIn a toxic workplace, when your supervisor asks for your process flow charts, SOPs, or documentation on how you do your job—it’s a red you’re about to be terminated.In a toxic workplace, the slow removal of your duties is a big red flag designed to limit your exposure, decrease your value, and make it easier to manage you out of your position.Returning from medical leave (i.e., FMLA)? In a toxic workplace, you’ll be terminated 30 days later, as your absence gave your toxic leaders the alone time they needed to finish setting you up.Placed on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan)? Brace yourself—in a toxic workplace, termination will follow 30 days later.🔹 Fight Back with Proven Strategies The ‘E’ in Email Stands for Evidence : Learn why verbal conversations should never stay verbal and how to document everything to protect yourself.🔹 Walk Away on Your TermsRemember, no one wants to stay in a toxic workplace, but no one should be forced to leave empty-handed either. This book will help you turn the tables, protect your career, and increase your chances of walking away with your head held high and your pockets full.This isn’t just a book—it’s your toolkit for survival in environments designed to destroy you. Whether you’re being bullied, sabotaged, or targeted, Surviving in a Toxic Workplace will empower you to take control.
What’s happening to you is not unconscious—it’s unconscionable. Learn the signs. Learn the strategies. Reclaim your power.
In a toxic workplace, there are always signs that your employment is about to be terminated—you just need to know what to look for. Written by the international best-selling and award-winning authors of Hush How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job, this survival guide is your roadmap to turning the tables on your toxic leaders and everyone they inspired to conspire against you, making it impossible for you to succeed.
This may be hard for you to hear, but what’s happening to you is not due to unconscious bias—it’s unconscious B.S. The people targeting you and derailing your career are fully aware of what they are doing. It’s not unconscious; it’s unconscionable.
Think HR is on your side? Think again. In a toxic workplace, HR’s role is not to protect you from your toxic leaders—it’s to protect your toxic leaders from you. They’ll weaponize policies, people, and processes to help toxic leaders push you out, leaving employees like you blindsided, jobless, and completely broken.
But it doesn’t have to end that way.
In this groundbreaking book, the authors share the proven strategies they repeatedly used to secure multiple large settlements, including six figure settlements, and help countless others do the same.
🔹 Understand the Warning Signs and Red FlagsIn a toxic workplace, when your supervisor asks for your process flow charts, SOPs, or documentation on how you do your job—it’s a red you’re about to be terminated.In a toxic workplace, the slow removal of your duties is a big red flag designed to limit your exposure, decrease your value, and make it easier to manage you out of your position.Returning from medical leave (i.e., FMLA)? In a toxic workplace, you’ll be terminated 30 days later, as your absence gave your toxic leaders the alone time they needed to finish setting you up.Placed on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan)? Brace yourself—in a toxic workplace, termination will follow 30 days later.🔹 Fight Back with Proven Strategies The ‘E’ in Email Stands for Evidence : Learn why verbal conversations should never stay verbal and how to document everything to protect yourself.🔹 Walk Away on Your TermsRemember, no one wants to stay in a toxic workplace, but no one should be forced to leave empty-handed either. This book will help you turn the tables, protect your career, and increase your chances of walking away with your head held high and your pockets full.This isn’t just a book—it’s your toolkit for survival in environments designed to destroy you. Whether you’re being bullied, sabotaged, or targeted, Surviving in a Toxic Workplace will empower you to take control.
What’s happening to you is not unconscious—it’s unconscionable. Learn the signs. Learn the strategies. Reclaim your power.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2024
20 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Jacquie Abram
5 books365 followersI never knew the cost of being Black in corporate America. The price I would pay with my dignity and fundamental rights as a human being just to have a job that wasn't in a low-income sector. A job that had a satisfying career path and gave me and my family a chance to live the American Dream.
But if I knew then what I know now, maybe I would've done things differently before taking the job that traumatized and nearly destroyed me.
Maybe I would've bleached my dark skin to make it lighter or removed my long, Dookie braids to straighten my hair. Maybe I would've bought blue contacts to hide my brown eyes and got a nose job with a butt reduction, too—you know, do all the things I should’ve, would’ve, could’ve done to look less like me and more like them just to fit into a mold I had no part in creating.
No, I know me. And even if I could go back in time to that fateful day that changed my life in the worst way, I wouldn't change a thing 'cause I'm the strong, beautiful, Black woman God created me to be—dark skin, Dookie braids, big butt, and all.
I'm Jacquie Abram, the international best-selling and award-winning author of Hush Money. Like you, I began my career in higher education filled with ambition, hope, and determination, believing that my skills and abilities would guarantee my success. I was a pillar of confidence—a six-foot-tall Janet Jackson lookalike with a smile that could sink a thousand battleships and a walk that could literally stop traffic. I was an Amazon, my own wonder woman, with legs for miles & a warrior spirit burning deep inside me. It was that fire, that passion, that drive, that fueled my rise up the ladder of success.
And rise, I did. I earned promotion after promotion, my work ethic and performance speaking louder than any words ever could. And I climbed the ladder of success, not because of favoritism or privilege, but because of the exceptional way I performed my job.
However, as I continued to reach new heights in my career based on my skills and abilities, a change in leadership caused someone in the organization who wasn’t there when I was hired to notice me. Someone who was not only in a higher position than mine but who was also a
toxic leader—a racist— who didn’t believe I deserved the position that I held because I was a Black woman.
When this leader began targeting me, she used the power, influence, and authority of her position to inspire others in the organization to conspire against me. Before long, I wasn’t dealing with one leader targeting me anymore, I was now dealing with people—a whole lot of people—who were all working together to pull the rug from under me causing me and that ladder of success I was climbing up on to come crashing down. Sadly, this was just the beginning.
In the years that followed, I ran from one company to the next trying to find a place where I could not only survive working while Black but also thrive. But here’s the problem: I ran from the first company because I was Black and when I ran to the next company, guess what? I was still Black! And although the companies were different, the playbook the toxic leaders in each company used to repeatedly derail my career was the same. Their coordinated efforts were devastatingly effective and repeatedly left me jobless, homeless, and struggling as a single mother to provide for my two daughters. As I’m sure you can imagine, they also left me completely broken and traumatized to such a degree that I may never fully recover.
Many Black women speak about the psychological trauma caused by toxic workplaces and I’m no exception because the trauma is real. But for me, specifically, the physical trauma—hair loss and 100 pounds of weight gain—was even more devastating and took a toll on me that went beyond anything I imagined I could possibly endure.
At six feet tall, I never blended in anywhere—I always stood out. But standing out as a six-foot-tall Janet Jackson lookalike was a lot different th
But if I knew then what I know now, maybe I would've done things differently before taking the job that traumatized and nearly destroyed me.
Maybe I would've bleached my dark skin to make it lighter or removed my long, Dookie braids to straighten my hair. Maybe I would've bought blue contacts to hide my brown eyes and got a nose job with a butt reduction, too—you know, do all the things I should’ve, would’ve, could’ve done to look less like me and more like them just to fit into a mold I had no part in creating.
No, I know me. And even if I could go back in time to that fateful day that changed my life in the worst way, I wouldn't change a thing 'cause I'm the strong, beautiful, Black woman God created me to be—dark skin, Dookie braids, big butt, and all.
I'm Jacquie Abram, the international best-selling and award-winning author of Hush Money. Like you, I began my career in higher education filled with ambition, hope, and determination, believing that my skills and abilities would guarantee my success. I was a pillar of confidence—a six-foot-tall Janet Jackson lookalike with a smile that could sink a thousand battleships and a walk that could literally stop traffic. I was an Amazon, my own wonder woman, with legs for miles & a warrior spirit burning deep inside me. It was that fire, that passion, that drive, that fueled my rise up the ladder of success.
And rise, I did. I earned promotion after promotion, my work ethic and performance speaking louder than any words ever could. And I climbed the ladder of success, not because of favoritism or privilege, but because of the exceptional way I performed my job.
However, as I continued to reach new heights in my career based on my skills and abilities, a change in leadership caused someone in the organization who wasn’t there when I was hired to notice me. Someone who was not only in a higher position than mine but who was also a
toxic leader—a racist— who didn’t believe I deserved the position that I held because I was a Black woman.
When this leader began targeting me, she used the power, influence, and authority of her position to inspire others in the organization to conspire against me. Before long, I wasn’t dealing with one leader targeting me anymore, I was now dealing with people—a whole lot of people—who were all working together to pull the rug from under me causing me and that ladder of success I was climbing up on to come crashing down. Sadly, this was just the beginning.
In the years that followed, I ran from one company to the next trying to find a place where I could not only survive working while Black but also thrive. But here’s the problem: I ran from the first company because I was Black and when I ran to the next company, guess what? I was still Black! And although the companies were different, the playbook the toxic leaders in each company used to repeatedly derail my career was the same. Their coordinated efforts were devastatingly effective and repeatedly left me jobless, homeless, and struggling as a single mother to provide for my two daughters. As I’m sure you can imagine, they also left me completely broken and traumatized to such a degree that I may never fully recover.
Many Black women speak about the psychological trauma caused by toxic workplaces and I’m no exception because the trauma is real. But for me, specifically, the physical trauma—hair loss and 100 pounds of weight gain—was even more devastating and took a toll on me that went beyond anything I imagined I could possibly endure.
At six feet tall, I never blended in anywhere—I always stood out. But standing out as a six-foot-tall Janet Jackson lookalike was a lot different th
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 4, 2025
This book is a critical read for anyone who is (or has) experienced the insidious tactics of toxic leaders to undermine and derail one's career success. One of the core strengths of this book is the detailed unpacking of "The Covert Discrimination Playbook" whereby the authors unviel many of the ways toxic leaders "inspire to conspire" against their employees or abuse power and policies to push employees out of their role (by limiting job duties or exploiting employees in ways that set them up to fail).
What is so deeply powerful about this book is that the authors, Jacquie and Deliliah, provide a very realistic portrayal of the central character's journey in navigating and surviving various toxic work environments (in the same ficitionalized organization) so that YOU as a reader can recognize when covert action is being take against you to harm your career and/or discriminate against you because of the toxic biases and prejudice of those with power. In addition to the very clear and unequivocal examples provided through the character's journey there is also incredibly helpful commentary, advice, and recommended actions for the reader should they be in the same situation as the central character. Not only are their recommendations for what to document when experiencing discrimination or bias, but there they also provide really helpful email templates/examples for HOW to document in ways that feel safe.
Documentation and maintaining evidence are key to surviving a toxic workplace, and Jacquie and Deliliah's book is an essential resource and guide for not just survival but thriving in your career in the ways that you deserve!! As someone who has survived a toxic workplace (and still healing from that experience), I absolutely recommend it.
What is so deeply powerful about this book is that the authors, Jacquie and Deliliah, provide a very realistic portrayal of the central character's journey in navigating and surviving various toxic work environments (in the same ficitionalized organization) so that YOU as a reader can recognize when covert action is being take against you to harm your career and/or discriminate against you because of the toxic biases and prejudice of those with power. In addition to the very clear and unequivocal examples provided through the character's journey there is also incredibly helpful commentary, advice, and recommended actions for the reader should they be in the same situation as the central character. Not only are their recommendations for what to document when experiencing discrimination or bias, but there they also provide really helpful email templates/examples for HOW to document in ways that feel safe.
Documentation and maintaining evidence are key to surviving a toxic workplace, and Jacquie and Deliliah's book is an essential resource and guide for not just survival but thriving in your career in the ways that you deserve!! As someone who has survived a toxic workplace (and still healing from that experience), I absolutely recommend it.
July 20, 2025
I was introduced to Jacquie Abram as a consultant by a former colleague. We had both been wrongfully terminated through the PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) process and wished we had come across Jacquie’s work months or even years earlier.
Although I knew I wasn’t her target market, I was still interested in working with her, as I remained in the fight for justice on the other side of employment. While exploring her LinkedIn page, I discovered that she was also an author. Initially, I wasn’t interested in her books since I was no longer employed. However, while considering whether retaining her services would be a good fit, I decided to read her first book for insight and to help gauge the alignment.
It was a Friday, and I had a consultation with her scheduled for the following week. For the sake of time, I chose to listen to the audiobook instead of reading it. My plan was to start listening on Monday, after returning from a weekend of solitude in the woods. To prepare, I decided to purchase the book that Friday so it would be ready to go.
While trying to purchase the audiobook, I discovered there were actually three books—not two—and I wasn’t sure which one to start with. I was looking for a “how-to” guide, so based on the titles, I chose Hush Money: The Cost of Being Black in Corporate America. Since I had a one-hour drive to my campsite, I figured I’d get a head start by listening on the way and then pick it up again on Monday.
Once I got on the road, I started the audiobook. The introduction mentioned that the other book should be read first, but I continued listening, thinking this was the book that would help me prepare for my consultation. It began by introducing the mother, and I was further confused when the main character didn’t identify as Jacquie. I assumed I had bought the wrong book. But since I was driving, I kept listening—I couldn’t exactly pull over to find and purchase what I believed to be the “correct” one.
Before the introduction of the mother was complete, I was hooked. The narrator’s voice was a perfect match for the narrative, and the writing immediately pulled me in. Soon, I found myself completely captivated, creating visual scenes in my head. I had assumed the book would be a straightforward manual, not a narrative based on Jacquie’s real-life experiences.
Her writing was so compelling, it felt like reading a New York Times bestselling fictional novel, deeply emotional and hard to turn off. I forgot this was non-fiction and even forgot why I had started reading in the first place.
That one-hour drive came and went, but I couldn’t turn the audio off. My entire weekend of solitude was not only hijacked by Jacquie’s second book, but I also purchased and listened to her first book, Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in Her Workplace and Kept Her Job. On Monday, I began reading her third and newest book, Surviving in a Toxic Workplace: Strategies to Help You Protect Your Career.
The way Jacquie has intertwined her story, her purpose, and her extraordinary gift for writing into this three-book series is far beyond masterful. I hate that her incredible gift of storytelling only emerged through the trauma of surviving a toxic workplace, but I am equally grateful that she discovered her purpose on the other side and is now thriving in it, helping so many of us along the way.
I’ve started gifting her books to anyone I know who is experiencing tactics from the corporate playbook. The character of Jacquie that’s echoes through the pages and audio of these books is phenomenal, but she is even more impactful when experienced in person as a consultant.
I am currently working with Jacquie, and while I remain hopeful that justice will prevail, I can already say that my experience with her has been deeply liberating.
Although I knew I wasn’t her target market, I was still interested in working with her, as I remained in the fight for justice on the other side of employment. While exploring her LinkedIn page, I discovered that she was also an author. Initially, I wasn’t interested in her books since I was no longer employed. However, while considering whether retaining her services would be a good fit, I decided to read her first book for insight and to help gauge the alignment.
It was a Friday, and I had a consultation with her scheduled for the following week. For the sake of time, I chose to listen to the audiobook instead of reading it. My plan was to start listening on Monday, after returning from a weekend of solitude in the woods. To prepare, I decided to purchase the book that Friday so it would be ready to go.
While trying to purchase the audiobook, I discovered there were actually three books—not two—and I wasn’t sure which one to start with. I was looking for a “how-to” guide, so based on the titles, I chose Hush Money: The Cost of Being Black in Corporate America. Since I had a one-hour drive to my campsite, I figured I’d get a head start by listening on the way and then pick it up again on Monday.
Once I got on the road, I started the audiobook. The introduction mentioned that the other book should be read first, but I continued listening, thinking this was the book that would help me prepare for my consultation. It began by introducing the mother, and I was further confused when the main character didn’t identify as Jacquie. I assumed I had bought the wrong book. But since I was driving, I kept listening—I couldn’t exactly pull over to find and purchase what I believed to be the “correct” one.
Before the introduction of the mother was complete, I was hooked. The narrator’s voice was a perfect match for the narrative, and the writing immediately pulled me in. Soon, I found myself completely captivated, creating visual scenes in my head. I had assumed the book would be a straightforward manual, not a narrative based on Jacquie’s real-life experiences.
Her writing was so compelling, it felt like reading a New York Times bestselling fictional novel, deeply emotional and hard to turn off. I forgot this was non-fiction and even forgot why I had started reading in the first place.
That one-hour drive came and went, but I couldn’t turn the audio off. My entire weekend of solitude was not only hijacked by Jacquie’s second book, but I also purchased and listened to her first book, Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in Her Workplace and Kept Her Job. On Monday, I began reading her third and newest book, Surviving in a Toxic Workplace: Strategies to Help You Protect Your Career.
The way Jacquie has intertwined her story, her purpose, and her extraordinary gift for writing into this three-book series is far beyond masterful. I hate that her incredible gift of storytelling only emerged through the trauma of surviving a toxic workplace, but I am equally grateful that she discovered her purpose on the other side and is now thriving in it, helping so many of us along the way.
I’ve started gifting her books to anyone I know who is experiencing tactics from the corporate playbook. The character of Jacquie that’s echoes through the pages and audio of these books is phenomenal, but she is even more impactful when experienced in person as a consultant.
I am currently working with Jacquie, and while I remain hopeful that justice will prevail, I can already say that my experience with her has been deeply liberating.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews