Have you ever worked in an organization that proudly called the team a family? On its face, this seems like a positive thing. Family culture means respect, empathy, caring, and a sense of belonging. But ‘family’ culture within a workplace simply means ignoring boundaries and extremely high expectations of employees to go above and beyond for the sake of the ‘work family.’ In most cases, you’re part of your family for life, no matter what. This is not true in the workplace. You can be fired or punished for one mistake. This week, we explore why ‘family’ culture in the workplace is problematic and what instead should be focused on to create a respectful, healthy, and productive work culture.

The Toxic Effects of Branding Your Workplace a “Family”

We spend approximately one-third of our lives at work. So it’s no surprise that we become close with our coworkers. These relationships can serve many functions. They can help us grow in our career and provide emotional support and friendship. It makes sense that the organizations’ culture and the relationships you build at work mirror those you find within a family context. And while there are some positives, this is actually quite harmful. Family ties can be binding and anything that’s binding isn’t ideal for growth. Learn why branding your workplace as a family is harmful and three things to do instead.

Why Having a ‘Work Family’ is Actually Hustle Culture at Its Worst

At the heart of hustle culture may be that those at the top don’t want their employees to have a life outside of work due to a view that this will make workers inferior at their jobs. Positioning the company as a ‘family’ and cramming the office with cool things like a bar, snacks, ping pong tables, and video games keep people at work and perpetuate the always-on hustle culture. Equating work relationships with familial relationships dangerously blurs the lines between professional and personal boundaries. Calling work teams families in the context of an “always on” culture may be the ultimate gaslighting, preventing employees from having the permission to be full human beings with wants and needs, which have no connection to their work.

‘I Don’t Want to Be Like a Family With My Co-Workers’

In this Ask a Boss column, read a real life example of the ‘Family’ culture at play. In this letter, the writer highlights how they have established firm boundaries at the workplace and are too busy to attend the extra social activities due to workload and the desire to protect their personal time. And this may be a reason they will not be promoted. They’re not being a ‘team player.’ Read the full letter and the response, which dives further into why a ‘family’ culture at work is so problematic.

Is a ‘Family’ Work Culture Toxic? 16 Ways Employers Can Set Healthier Expectations

We’ve established that a ‘family’ work culture is not a good thing and the negative effects it can have. What should be the focus instead? There are strategies leaders can develop to create an effective work culture built on trust and respect. In this article, hear from 16 members of Forbes Human Resources Council on how to shift a negatively perceived “family” work culture to a more positive, productive one.