The EU bubble has a toxic workplace issue and we're all pretending it's normal

No, you don't need to be more 'resilient' to survive this sector.

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I was an intern when Covid-19 started. New to Brussels and with less than one years’ experience in the international NGO world.

I was a rookie - barely knew the difference between the European Commission and the European Parliament - and never took time off, in an effort to prove that I could hack it in this Fast Paced Work Environment.

Still, it felt a bit off that we interns had formed a little support group ‘for survival’. And that I was doing the same amount of work as permanent staff at a salary below minimum wage. And when I told other interns this, they said it was amazing this NGO even provided a salary given that many others didn’t.

brussels_affirmations

A post shared by @brussels_affirmations

(It was only last year that unpaid internships were banned in the Brussels bubble).

I didn’t have much confidence back then, so aware of my Newbie status and so unsure of what was normal. But when our office organised an online wellbeing session to check in on how we were doing during the pandemic, I was fried. We were a media team of two and my line manager had stepped down to 3 days a week to look after the kids at home.

In the call, I went against every overachieving bone in my body to speak up and say that maybe keeping up the same workload was a tad unrealistic given these slightly challenging circumstances.

The manager sighed and said, “This is the harsh reality of media work, Cass.”

Now look, I don’t blame them specifically for their lack of empathy. The entire EU bubble sector - NGOs, political institutions and business associations - struggles under the weight of underfunding, unrealistic workloads and constant urgency. It’s a breeding ground for toxic workplace dynamics.

You don’t have to be a bad person to end up contributing to a toxic workplace, and you don’t have to be a resilient “I thrive in stressful environments and look forward to Plux” employee to thrive in this sector.

Poll on my personal Instagram stories, May 2025, with about 30 respondents when this screenshot was taken.

We do need to start talking about it though. The NGO sector is full of people who embrace the need to move past productivity-obsessed economies and move into a society rooted in feminism, care and regeneration. And then in the same day we beat ourselves up for not achieving more, push through PMS to get everything done, and feel guilty for days off.

We’re prone to replicating the same capitalist and patriarchal dynamics we claim to reject. But ironically, rejecting urgency in the face of urgent polycrises is what we need.

Moving away from being in a reactive high-adrenaline work culture into a more reflective and long-termist mindset might finally grant us the space to do meaningful systems change work - and start to dismantle the frustration, competitiveness and exhaustion that drives toxicity in our workplace dynamics.

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• Brazil recognises gender-neutral identities in high-court ruling.

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Focus On… Toxic Workplaces

Cass Hebron talks to Shweta Kulkarni Van Biesen, founder of A Better Brussels.

My name is Shweta Kulkarni Van Biesen. I’m an Indian-American-confused-Belgian who’s been working in the Brussels policy making space for over a decade. I’m one of those people who used to proudly tell friends and family in India and the U.S. that Europe has its priorities straight.

But over time, that pride has dulled.

After going through toxic work environments, first in a company, then in trade associations, I spent too long blaming myself. I thought I should’ve set better boundaries, or spoken up earlier for others when it wasn’t yet my turn to suffer.

Eventually, I realised I could use my communications skills to do something about it. I wanted to name the problem. And, honestly, I was tired of hearing the same horror stories over every coffee catch-up with Brussels contacts.

So I started A Better Brussels to raise awareness of toxic workplace culture in this city’s policy making space.

Why does Brussels have a toxic workplace problem?

I wish I could point to a Brussels-specific study, but I think the broader research already tells us enough: when power and networks matter, power tends to corrupt, and people suffer.

Especially when people become managers simply because they’re subject-matter experts or because they have been there long enough, not because they actually want to lead others. In Brussels, management has become more of a mandate than a meaningful choice.

And no, this isn’t unique to Brussels. Any organisation where it’s crucial to control the story or spin the message, often at the cost of acknowledging people’s lived experiences, is fertile ground for this kind of culture.

The Brussels policy making space is just a ripe example.

Source: @brussels_affirmations via Parliament Magazine

How do I know if the issue is me or the workplace?

I get this question a lot, and I always find it telling.

Why do we feel the need to have our experience validated before we allow ourselves to believe it?

Exhaustion, anxiety, and dread are real signals. But too often, especially in Brussels, we’re taught to doubt ourselves:

“Maybe I’m just not resilient enough. Maybe I need to manage my time better. Maybe it’s me.”

Here’s one clue: if you're constantly adapting to survive, working around your boss’s moods, never feeling safe to say no, doing the emotional labour of holding the team together, that’s not burnout. That’s a bad environment.

Yes, high-pressure sectors can wear you down. But there’s a difference between hard work and harmful work.

A healthy workplace will meet you halfway, and support you in setting boundaries. A toxic one will punish you for even trying.

I wrote more about this here: “When is your work situation toxic or a mismatch?” It might help if you're trying to figure out whether to stay, push for change, or go.

How do I call it out without jeopardising my career or reputation?

Brussels is such a vibrant city, people come here from all over the world, bringing with them a wealth of cultural knowledge and lived experience. I wish more Brussels-based policy organisations knew how to harness that.

But instead, many choose to operate in a bubble, where outdated power dynamics thrive.

Calling out toxicity is no joke. I’ve been there. And even after getting out, I still struggle with imposter syndrome. So I won’t pretend this is easy or risk-free.

That’s why we’ve created tools to help people navigate this space:

• A report: “How can EU bosses do better?”

• Conversation starters for your next performance review

• A self-assessment: “Am I a toxic boss?” (including tips on how to bring it up with your boss)

These are meant to create entry points, small ways to open up the conversation without blowing everything up.

I wrote more here: “When toxic bosses post about authentic leadership: How to stay sane (and maybe say something)”

But honestly? Sometimes the safest option is to get out.

I haven’t yet seen a case where someone speaking up led to real change within the system they were trying to fix. And that’s part of the problem.

We’re in a country with solid anti-bullying laws, in a city that literally drafts legislation for Europe, and yet those laws rarely protect the people who need them most. Mental health still doesn’t register as a priority when competitiveness and strategic autonomy are the loudest policy goals.

But it’s not all bleak. More people are waking up. Some are quietly doing things differently. And those small shifts give me hope.

How can we support the mission of A Better Brussels?

A Better Brussels is about making Brussels work environments better. If you have an idea, I want to hear it.

Since launching, people have come forward with concrete suggestions:

• “Can we do something to spotlight good bosses?” → My answer, “Yes, go for it.”

• “Could we engage the LGBTQ+ community?” → My answer again, “Yes, go for it.”

Getting involved doesn’t require you to have it all figured out. It just requires you to care enough to make a dent. I try to “run” A Better Brussels in the way I wish more organisations were run, by letting people bring their expertise, energy, and experiences to the table, instead of getting stuck in approval loops that kill momentum.

If you’re interested, email me: betterbrussels@gmail.com

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By the way - a note for Italian readers

On the 8th - 9th June, Italian citizens will soon be voting on the reduction of residence time necessary to an immigrant to officially become Italian. The new proposed rules would lower the residency requirements from 10 to 5 years, and allow people to pass the nationality on to their children automatically - providing crucial protections for immigrant families. Information on the vote and how to participate is here.

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So Now What Do I Do?

LEARN SOMETHING

• Listen/watch: Shweta and Maya chat all things to do with Brussels workplaces on this Tea & Politics podcast.

• Read: I am not ‘girlbossing’ my way through a capitalist patriarchy: how to break sexist power dynamics in the workplace.

• Applications are open for the next online Masters in Degrowth! Closing 15 June.

DO SOMETHING

• What does it mean to see as a woman? Women photographers invited to submit their work to PhotoVogue by the 2nd June.

• UK: Youth-led environmental organisations invited to apply for the Roots & Routes fund by the 2nd June.

• Tune into the global plenary on climate change and human rights for the Right Here, Right Now Summit on 5th June (and all week in person in Oxford).

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Stay in the loop

You can follow us on Instagram @thegreenfix_ . Bluesky @thegreenfix.blsky.social and LinkedIn. Connect with Cass on Instagram @cass.hebron, Bluesky @casshebron.bsky.social and LinkedIn.