Office Gossip Policies

Curtailing gossip is critical to maintaining a healthy workplace.

Office gossip can cause personal anguish and even destroy careers. The best way to curtail gossip is to define it, announce a no tolerance policy for it and establish better methods of communication that don't foster harmful gossip.

Good Gossip, Bad Gossip

Some gossip is good for camaraderie. Sharing stories of weekend activities or news of a coworker's promotion can bond peers and foster good working relationships. But when gossip is mean, hurtful and possibly false it has crossed the line.

Identifying Gossip

Effective managers will let employees know hurtful gossip won't be tolerated. Managers who are available for discussion on company actions can stop gossip before it starts. If gossip becomes pervasive, interferes with work and affects morale, putting the policy in writing signals the company takes gossip seriously.

Confronting Gossip

When harmful gossip is circulating through an office, the manager can arrange a meeting with each person involved and then arrange a meeting just for the two to talk out the problem. A good written no-gossip policy will include acceptable ways to communicate effectively.

References

• HRInfoCenter: Control Office Gossip With a Triangulation Policy
• The SideRoad: Stopping Office Gossip
• The Washington Post: Gossip Poisons Business: HR Can Stop It

Resources

• Forbes.com: Might Office Gossip Be Good for You?