Great article and interesting comments. I have learned from these comments that I will obviously have to leave this organisation, shame I have been here 11.5 years. It hasn't always been this bad, until we go a new dept manager approx 2 years ago and he started to apply his version of company culture (and rewarded those below him who also held these views), things were OK. In actual fact only a matter of months prior the company was sold and I was paid a reasonable amount to stay with the company as I was considered to be a 'valuable asset'. Now however, whenever my current manager gets the chance she offers me (very nicely of course) the chance to leave. How does that work??!!

The deal is that the new manager does not understand the business and its a little like the 'emperor with no clothes', no-one has either the balls or the intelligence to see that he is naked. I have given up being the toxic asset and have zipped my lip as I was threatened with performance management. Will put my resume out in the new year and see what happens. As I said, shame about that.