HR Expert Margaret Adong Faces Toxic Workplace Backlash in Uganda

Margaret Adong started her role as an HR practitioner with enthusiasm, launching an audit to shape her performance plan. However, she soon discovered stark mismatches between her job description and the actual workplace practices.

In management meetings, leaders focused on criticizing staff rather than reviewing reports, with decisions often made informally outside formal channels. Junior managers faced ethical dilemmas, while the environment was rife with abuse, harassment, and gossip from higher-ups.

When staff avoided meetings due to a drunken supervisor’s vulgar insults, Adong listened empathetically instead of issuing warnings. She learned some leaders were untouchable, bypassing labor laws to target employees.

Eva Lubowa, HR Director at PPDA, identifies toxic signs like poor communication, high turnover, bullying, and micromanagement, which harm mental health and productivity.

To survive, Lubowa advises setting boundaries, seeking allies, documenting issues, and separating work from personal life.

Adong pushed for board oversight, but it proved powerless. She educated staff on rights yet faced exclusion, undermining, and abuse herself as she challenged the status quo.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)