When the Story Becomes the Evidence: How Toxic Workplaces Erode Credibility from the Inside Out

Andrea Fryett
Jul 29
2 min read

Updated: Aug 27

It started with Max.

He was a skilled, motivated colleague sharp, impressively fast, and dependable. But one day, I overheard Sophie, our supervisor, say she was having trouble reaching him. She casually mentioned that Max was “unreachable” on Teams. At first, I didn’t think much of it.

But then she went further.

She speculated not based on anything concrete that maybe Max had Teams open on multiple devices, giving the appearance that he was online when he really wasn’t. The implication was clear: Max was pretending to work. She made this assumption despite knowing, as we all did, that Teams automatically switches to “away” when there’s no interaction on your computer or phone.

It wasn’t about tech. It was about setting a tone.

Soon, the critiques became more pointed. Sophie began making offhand comments about Max's demeanor suggesting he was "aloof," "unavailable," or even “disengaged” in meetings. She painted him as uncollaborative, possibly indifferent, and eventually, untrustworthy.

When the Story Becomes the Evidence: How Toxic Workplaces Erode Credibility from the Inside Out

These weren’t direct accusations they were little asides, said with a half-smile and a shrug. But they stuck. People started to view him differently. Even I someone who had worked well with Max and respected him began to wonder if something was off.

And yes, toward the end, Max did start missing meetings and showing up late. But now, with some distance, I think he was just done. Worn down by being subtly but persistently mischaracterized. Undermined in invisible ways.

Because once Sophie started that narrative, everything Max did was interpreted through that lens. Every delay was confirmation. Every silence was guilt. The system had made up its mind.

And then it happened to me.

The same vague concern. The same insinuation: “She’s not around.” “She’s hard to reach.” “Is she even working?” But I was there. I was responding. I was showing up. Still, no one stepped in to correct the misinformation even when I proved it false.

That’s the cruelty of narrative erosion: once the seed is planted, your truth no longer matters. Even your competence becomes suspect.

This is Narrative Seeding

It’s a covert tactic used in toxic environments to discredit employees without open confrontation. It begins with a subtle question, a hint of doubt, and evolves into a quiet dismantling of credibility and character.

You’re no longer being evaluated based on your work you’re being evaluated based on a story someone else started telling about you.

And often, the very symptoms of stress, disconnection, or burnout caused by the toxic environment are used as retroactive proof that the narrative was true all along.