No one likes a gossip, really

A recent poll from recruitment marketing firm Employment Office has revealed that most colleagues don’t appreciate the office gossip. The results revealed that the office gossip has taken their chatter too far for almost two thirds of respondents (63%).

According to respondents, office gossip has impacted productivity and caused them to resent the fountain of chatter. While the majority of respondents reacted by asking the office gossip to stop interrupting them, some admitted to resorting to aggression.

While it is important to build social relationships with colleagues, there must be boundaries, according to Employment Office managing director Tudor Marsden-Huggins.

“A manager needs to be in touch with their team, knowing just the point at which chat stops being something that energises the team, and turns into something that actually drains workers,” Marsden-Huggins said.

In addition, topics such as race, religion, sexual preference and politics should not be the butt of gossip, Jane Bartrum, HR business partner at Randstad, told The Age. “Unless you have permission to discuss these topics, any conversations along these lines need to be shut down,” she said.

“While we are all entitled to our opinion, you need to stay right away from these areas out of respect for others you work with, who probably have an entirely different view to you and don’t necessarily want to hear yours,” she added