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Introduction

Gossipers are everywhere, and sadly can even be found in the workplace. Rumors tend to make employees feel anxious, decrease their work productivity, and ultimately eliminate trust between one another. If you are a manager or team leader dealing with rumors being spread around the office, here are some key tips to halt the rumors immediately.

What Counts As A Rumor?

Workplace gossip can be defined as any remarks that negatively discuss another coworker, whether it be about personal matters or workplace issues. This sort of behavior can stem from one specific employee to a group of people who sit around and talk about others. Ultimately, the gossip distracts from using time effectively at work to complete tasks and collaborate with others about work.

Does Gossip Only Have To Be Verbal?

No, gossiping can occur in other forms of communication. It can be seen through note passing, emails, or texts. You may notice two employees on their devices looking at one another and laughing, and you can see other employees around them are uncomfortable. As a manager or leader within the workplace, it is your job to make sure all your employees feel at ease and do not have to worry about workplace gossip directed at them.

How Does Gossip Affect the Workplace?

Gossip in the workplace can cause the following consequences:

Coworkers can lose trust in one another
Decreases in productivity
Employees feel uncomfortable and anxious at work
Team unity is lost as employees take sides on gossip
Can become a permanent part of the workplace culture
The workplace environment is no longer pleasant

Useful Methods to Deal With The Gossipers

Here are some tips to handle workplace gossipers and improve the work environment in the process:

Lead By Example

Not giving into work gossip will show employees that this behavior is not accepted in your company. When you are speaking to others and they begin to gossip, use the following phrases to demonstrate your leadership:

“We should only speak positively about one another in the workplace.”
“I don’t want our work environment to be negative, please don’t speak about others in this way.”

Institute a No-Gossip Policy

If you notice many gossipers in your workplace, you can add a no-gossip policy to end their behavior. You can add this policy to the workplace handbook and meet with your employees after the addition to explain the meaning of the policy. Allow the employees the opportunity to ask questions about the rule and elaborate on the benefits it will provide, such as increased productivity and a more welcoming workplace.

Indicate the Behavior on a Performance Review

Using ManageBetter’s ReviewBuilder, you can quickly and effectively create a performance evaluation using some of the 3,000 phrases within the software. You can acknowledge within the review that the employee engages in excessive gossip and indicate the effects it has had on their work. Doing this can present the gossiper with written feedback on their performance, which can make them aware that you, as the manager, know about the behavior. Reviewing How to Give Good Feedback at Work with Examples can help you prepare how to present the feedback.

Meet With the Gossiper

Sometimes the behavior will need to be addressed in a private conversation. Ask the employee to meet with you, and use this conversation to understand why the employee gossips. Use phrases such as the following to explain how this will be beneficial to the employee:

“As your manager, I believe that it is in your best interest to stop gossiping as it is affecting other employees and decreasing their trust in you.”
“You will be much more productive during the workday if you stop gossiping; I am not sure if you understand how much it has affected your recent ability to complete tasks.”
“If you continue gossiping about others, I will have to reconsider your ability to remain a part of my team, since it is harming your coworkers.”

Conclusion

Gossip can be toxic to the workplace culture. As a leader, it is important to look out for the well-being of your employees. In doing so, you can address gossiping in the workplace, which can truly demonstrate your care for the employees and their success.