<p>I’ve had a few brick-and-mortar jobs, but when I work, I usually don’t socialize much due to my introverted personality. </p>
<p>However, I hear that people gossip frequently at most workplaces? From your personal experience, is that true? What do they usually gossip about?</p>
<p>And what can a person do to avoid being the subject of office gossip? Also, how can you tell if other people are gossiping about you?</p>
<p>Years ago I worked in an a office where gossip was rampant. And contrary to the stereotype, the men were just as, if not more gossipy than the women. It was also an office with a lot of happy hour partying.</p>
<p>The office I work in now is very non gossipy. Management highly discourages it and the people act like professional adults. Needless to say, I love it.</p>
<p>So, I think it depends a lot on the office culture.</p>
<p>I don’t feel our workplace is excessively gossipy. There certainly is some- and it really doesn’t bother me. It’s sort of the nature of the beast. Your workplace is like a family and you spend a lot of time together. There is going to be curiousity and interest in what is going on.</p>
<p>My last workplace was a den of gossip. Not surprisingly considering the kind of work we did. The no. 1 thing you can do to be the target of gossip is to fish off the company pier. Dip your pen in the company inkwell. Get it? Sleep with someone in the office. We worked long hours so there was plenty of gossip fodder. ;)</p>
<p>To avoid being the subject of office gossip, don’t gossip yourself. If someone starts a sentence with “don’t tell anyone I told you…” tell them to STOP and not tell you. Also great advice about having a social/private life that doesn’t involve work people. I find that being yourself and being the same with every person helps to cut down on the gossiping about you too.</p>
<p>Schools are amazing for gossip, among the staff, it has been incredibly intense at several schools I have been involved with!</p>
<p>Occasionally there is gossip around here, mostly about parents or former students who have gone on to get in legal trouble, etc. Admittedly, sometimes I get sucked in, but I really try to excuse myself when the gossip starts. The other day, while eating at a restaurant, my DH and I overheard a man (70+ years old) talking to his wife (I presume) about someone who had been “philandering”. He went on and on about this person until their dinner arrived, at which time he bowed his head, said a quick prayer, and immediately thereafter said, “And then he …” while continuing his gossip about this man. Gosh, I guess I just gossiped about that man. </p>
<p>“Well we’re not ones to go around spreaking rumors,
Why really we’re just not the gossipy kind,
No, you’ll never hear one of us repeating gossip,
So you’d better be sure and listen close the first time”
(As sung on Hee Haw years ago)</p>
<p>I think offices are hotbeds of gossip. I also don’t necessarily think that gossip is a bad thing. Some of it is mean-spirited and troublesome. That is unacceptable. However, real and important information gets shared by way of gossip. For example, I was at the coffee machine this morning and one of my colleagues mentioned picking another’s brain about something next week. I told him that the third colleague was leaving the firm as of today. That wasn’t confidential information, but for some reason this person hadn’t heard it, so I told him. The firm I’m at now has plenty of gossip, but it’s generally very supportive of each other and of the firm. The overwhelming consensus is that this is a nice firm populated by wonderful people. But there’s still gossip. My prior firm was one in which the director was sneaky and dishonest. His behavior almost forced people to negative gossip because we all knew we were being lied to regularly about everything large and small, both personal and totally professional. Gossip happens, but it’s up to the culture of the organization whether it will be positive or negative.</p>
<p>I think it’s just human nature to gossip.</p>
<p>The difference is the culture of the organization – those that support people and are respectful will generally have “good” gossip, and those that encourage or tolerate back-stabbing and sabatoge will have “bad” gossip.</p>
<p>SplashMom - thanks for bringing back a fond memory. My dad sang that song as a lesson to us not to gossip, one of many HeeHaw songs that are stuck in my head!</p>
<p>I always am the “last to know” person in the office - whether it be about someone getting a promotion, changing a marital status or losing a family member. The probable reason is that after 20+ years everyone knows that I am the last person that would initiate or spread gossip.</p>
<p>That being said - I work on many projects with men, and often we continue work discussions over lunch. On one project, a rumor started that a well-liked male colleague (and dear friend) of mine and I had to obviously be having an affair since we were going off to lunch together all the time. Geez Louise - we nipped that in the bud by starting to invite others to come along and hear the same “shop-talk” we would have between quick bites - “how did this test go?” “do we need to get any more requirements from the client?” etc. It was worse than middle school - the two that chuckled about it the most were our respective spouses!</p>
<p>I am the only one in my office, so I would have to gossip to myself! :)</p>
<p>I think gossip is sharing information to be mean-spirited about someone else.
I’ve worked in several offices where there was a very close atmosphere, and lots of talking about everyone and everything they were doing, but I saw it as supportive. I loved the office where six of us were pregnant at the same time…we had so much fun at lunch sharing the experience together.</p>
<p>^^ SLUMOM … heard anything juicy lately?</p>
<p>My office gossips so much at times that it’s practically like being in high school again!!</p>
<p>I know all about being gossiped about… It’s kind of funny because I <em>attempt</em> to keep my personal life to myself however I <em>do</em> date a co-worker who also <em>attempts</em> to keep his personal life to himself as well. We don’t swoon over each other at work or make out in the corner or anything however we do occasionally go on lunch break together. We did have a couple of friends in the office that we told but they didn’t repeat it. For awhile, nobody else knew… but then people slowly started to catch on… People ran into us outside of work and they once showed us on TV at a baseball game in the crowds, lol. Once one person knew, then 5 more people knew the next day, then 10 more, etc. Fast forward about 2 and a half years and they were having a daffodil days fundraiser at work. I ordered flowers for me and for him as well. The lady (an older woman whom works in my department) looked up at me and asked “Oh, are you two an item? You know, like, are you “courting” each other?” I just about fell over laughing. I assumed everyone knew and there’s this sweet lady asking if we’re courting each other. I told her yes and she asked for how long and she started laughing too… she was like wow what rock was I under!</p>
<p>Thirty three years ago, my now-DH and I worked for the same company and started dating. My boss was in my office once when soon-to-be-DH stuck his head in and said, “Oh, sorry; I’ll come back later.” My boss teased me and said, “Oh, are you two an item?!” I just responded in a very straightforward voice, “Yes, we have been seeing each other,” and continued with the work conversation. It took the wind out of his sails and he never teased me about it again.</p>
<p>My BF stopped by my desk one day about two and a half years or so ago to ask me what movie I wanted to see that night (he was pretty quiet about it) and my boss must of overheard (my desk was near hers) because she yelled over my cube wall “SHREK PLEASE.” Lol. He yelled back to her “Sorry but I can’t take you out to see Shrek tonight I am busy… Maybe next week?” She started laughing. When I came in the next morning I had a post it note stuck to my monitor that said " See me when you come in regarding blah blah blah… P.S. HOW WAS YOUR DATE? P.P.S. I won’t tell anyone!!" I don’t think she knew about us prior to that, so I thought the note was really cute.</p>