What is workplace gossip?
Any kind of communication about coworkers that takes place within the workplace is considered workplace gossip. It can be positive or negative but often has a negative connotation. Gossip can be devastating to morale and create an environment of distrust. It can also lead to conflict among employees.
Workplace gossip often starts innocently enough. Two people may chat about a coworker during their lunch break. Soon, others join in, and the conversation starts to snowball. Before long, rumors and half-truths are being passed around, and the gossip becomes more harmful. Gossip is not always easy to avoid, but in the interest of preventing the negative impact it can have, it’s worth taking action to thwart it.
The negative impact of gossip in the workplace
While a few quiet words about the new employee might seem harmless, workplace gossip can become habitual. It can ultimately lead to an array of organizational problems that can make people feel uncomfortable, excluded and targeted. Here’s how gossip can negatively affect an office environment.
Loss of trust
Trust is an important factor in having a cohesive and inclusive workplace atmosphere. Gossiping undermines trust, and when people feel that others are gossiping about them, it can be difficult for them to view their colleagues in a positive, trustworthy light. This can ultimately lead to a vicious cycle of hostility that could damage organizational communication.
Hostility, bullying and toxicity
Gossip in the workplace can lead to unfriendliness and hostility among team members. While hostility itself is negative, it can also harm teamwork and collaboration.
In severe cases, gossip may escalate into full-fledged bullying. While this isn’t common in groups of mature adults, it isn’t totally unheard of. Bullying is a serious matter, and when it occurs in the workplace, it shouldn’t be overlooked, as it can lead to anxiety and lowered job performance.
The hostility that bullying gives rise to results in a toxic work environment, and in extreme cases, it can lead to employees taking legal action. Workplace toxicity is any organizational environment where employees find it difficult to progress in their careers due to a negative atmosphere.
Decreased productivity
When employees are concerned about what others are saying about them, it can lead to feelings of paranoia and anxiety. This can lead to employees withdrawing from their work and colleagues, resulting in lower productivity. Additionally, workplace gossip can also lead to absenteeism, as employees take time off to avoid being around those who are causing stress and spreading rumors about them.
Workplace gossip can also damage morale and motivation, as employees become discouraged by the negativity and lack of trust in the workplace. More than just idle chatter, workplace gossip can actually have a significant impact on productivity.
Loss of valuable talent
If harmful gossiping continues, valued talent may choose to find a healthier job environment. People prefer to feel safe and accepted at work, so if an office environment makes them feel targeted, they’re likely to leave. Losing skilled workers can be harmful to the business, and it may be difficult to recover from top talent leaving.
When should you take action?
When does coffee-break chatter turn into something you address? If an employee files a complaint or indicates they’re experiencing problems due to gossip, it’s past the ideal time to act. Dealing with office gossip before it starts is best.
How to prevent gossip at work
Here are some simple steps you can take to address gossip in the office.
Regular training
The best way to tackle gossip is by preventing it. This can be done by discussing gossip openly in your general employee training. If you brief your staff members on the negative impact gossip can have on a work environment and set the tone regarding it, they may be less likely to engage in it. People don’t want to work in a hostile environment, so educating them on how seemingly harmless gossip can transform into malicious behavior will make them more mindful of it.
It may be helpful to also require sensitivity training, which makes people more aware of prejudices and teaches them to be mindful of those when operating in a group. It can improve group dynamics and make people feel more welcome and safe in an office environment. Asking employees to undergo regular sensitivity training can prevent instances of gossip and hostility down the line.
Emphasize a diversity and inclusion policy
To prevent employees or groups of employees from being marginalized, consider adding and implementing a diversity and inclusion policy, which emphasizes the importance of an equitable work environment. This is one way to ensure all employees are aware of your expectations when it comes to respecting coworkers.
Team-building activities
Encouraging employees to engage with each other in positive ways can improve relationships, making them more productive and collaborative. When employees have shared positive memories, they’ll be less driven to speak negatively about each other.
Research also indicates that team-building activities can lead to greater work effectiveness in organizational settings.
Open communication
Creating an atmosphere where employees know they can speak openly to managers is also important. When supervisors are approachable, staff members will be more likely to report and act on gossip or other forms of disrespect in the workplace.
Open plan office
The open-plan office has become increasingly popular in recent years as companies look for ways to promote collaboration and creativity among team members. When employees are working closely together, it doesn’t leave many opportunities for them to speak behind their coworkers’ backs. Open plan offices can be a great way to promote transparency and trust.
HR policy
When conflict arises in the workplace, it’s usually up to the human resources department to deal with it. Having a policy in place to address instances of gossip in the office can be a good way to deter employees from speaking unethically behind their coworker’s backs. This is both a preventative measure and a way to deal with cases should they arise.
Creating an environment where employees thrive
Nobody wants to arrive at the office every day knowing their colleagues are talking about them behind their backs. Despite the negative consequences of gossiping in the workplace, it happens more often than employers might imagine. Considering the negative impact it can have on an organization and the employees within it, employers should take action to address it before it happens.
