My Workplace Is Killing Me - Your Guide to Surviving Toxic Tech, Bad Bosses, and Challenging Colleagues

What if the very things making you miserable at work aren't your fault — but a warning signal telling you it's time to take back control?

You're stressed, stuck, and running on empty. Some mornings, you can't bring yourself to open your laptop. And you find yourself wondering: ‘What is wrong with me?’

Nothing. It’s not you. It’s your workplace.

In My Workplace Is Killing Me!, organizational psychologist Dr. Michelle Penelope King reveals how modern work doesn’t just drain us, they erode our core human needs. Blending her latest cutting-edge research on toxic workplaces, Dr. King shows how the loss of agency—whether caused by bad managers, challenging colleagues, burnout, boring jobs, overwork, or algorithm-driven productivity demands—undermines motivation, engagement, and well-being.

Your misery at work is not your fault. It’s what happens when three fundamental needs—competency, connection, and autonomy—are stripped away. When those needs are restored, we can reclaim engagement and purpose—or recognize when it’s time to move on.

This book moves from awareness to action. You’ll learn to:
Break free from algorithmic management and restore your psychological agency. Recognize the hidden costs to your emotional health before it leads to permanent burnout. Get your needs met, even when your manager or teammates erode them. Know with clarity when it is time to stay and fight—when it is time to leave.
This book provides a step-by-step framework to survive technological acceleration without losing your mind. Bad bosses, challenging colleagues, and addictive AI are here to stay—but losing yourself at work is optional.