How do you navigate a toxic and often hostile work environment until you can move on...

How do you navigate a toxic and often hostile work environment until you can move on...

I have worked at my current company for almost 4 years. I am the "OG" contracts manager because I have been there the longest; we had 25% turnover last year in my team within legal alone. When I started, it was a supportive and mentoring type of environment...3 years, twice as many employees and (almost) post-COVID, the culture has changed and it has brought out the ugly in so many people.

I am writing this today because a colleague of mine - someone that I have worked with at 2 other companies and spanning over a decade of working together - quit on the spot per an email that was sent out by the head of the legal dept. I sent my colleague a text message to see if she was okay, I mean, this is someone that is patient and generally unflappable, so it must have been bad. She let me know that a manager had been both hostile and aggressive with her and she said she wasn't having it.

She went to upper management who dismissed it as just ignore the person as their behavior is their issue and not a reflection of her and to go about her business. She told them that was not an acceptable solution and quit.

Her story is important because the same exact thing happened to me last September however it was a direct colleague (a woman, not senior to me) who had made a huge mistake and instead of correcting it, she wanted me to follow suit in my negotiations and I told her that the direction she was providing was in direct conflict with my supervising attorney's guidance (also her supervising attorney). She continued to talk over me and I continued to ask her to let me finish and once I got a word in, explained why the contract language needed to be worded a certain way. She began yelling at me and it was so loud that my husband heard it from the garage with the door closed. I had to tell her at that point that I was willing to discuss the matter further with the attorney and her together but that she was no longer to contact me on my personal mobile without a supervising attorney on the line as well. I went on to be very clear about her calling me (not the first time) made me uncomfortable and was no longer welcome (she laughed). I blocked her personal mobile from calling me on mine. I was shaking from the experience because it was gaslighting and when I didn't agree to it, she tried to intimidate me - very familiar with this as I had an ex that did the same. I told my boss about it... I was told to just ignore her. Not really a solution for me so I put time on calendar to talk to my SVP - the entire time I was detailing the incident, I couldn't stop trembling. I again was told to ignore it and "she didn't mean any harm and was trying to be helpful". No, she was trying to cover her mistake instead of telling the attorney she made a mistake...

2 years ago I was yelled at by a former boss that is no longer with the company - all over a misunderstanding in a communication apparently but it felt like it was more than that.

3 months ago when I was "voluntold" to take on another project, I told my current boss that as much as I like what I do, I am over the 60-70 hour work weeks and pointed out that my colleague (the one that yelled at me) has 60% less work and no projects, following up that we needed to address the need for more balanced work distribution. I was told that "we don't want people to think that you [meaning me] are not helpful" and that I should take it as a compliment. I was speechless.

Clearly, the toxicity is a top-down issue or it wouldn't be tolerated. I think my current supervising atty, who I happen to like and work well with, is managing as best she can and she tries to be supportive with what she has to work with, without compromising her professional development.

I am actively looking for another job at another company.

My question here is, between now and when I quit, what does self-care look like for me and how do I provide *healthy* support my fellow colleagues in the same boat?

Thank you in advance for your help.