[Vivienne]

I heard on "Newsbeat" yesterday morning about "no gossip zones" in an American Company in Chicago, whereby, if you gossip about your colleagues, you will wind up being fired!!

What do you think about this? Personally, I've always enjoyed a bit of gossip at work, providing it's not too vicious, as it's a good way to find out why certain people you may not like, for example, act in a certain way.

To stop people gossiping/networking at work is just plain ludicrous, I think.

[foot-loose]

Gossip is dangerous and always seems to end up causing problems.

[Vivienne]

Not always foots. To ban it is simply unrealistic, IMO.

[Console]

It's not unrealistic to ban it, although it is extremely unrealistic to expect people to follow the ban. People chat and gossip it's what they do.

I heard on "Newsbeat" yesterday morning about "no gossip zones" in an American Company in Chicago

Are you saying that there's particular areas (or 'zones') within the the company building (like the meeting room, or the janitors closet) where gossiping isn't allowed, or is the entire building/company a 'no gossip zone'?

[Vivienne]

The entire company is a no gossip zone. Must you always be so cheeky.

[claradooblue]

Who would police it anyway and how?

[Console]

The entire company is a no gossip zone. Must you always be so cheeky.

I wasn't being cheeky, but you said that there were 'no gossip zones in an American Company'; I thought it would be a little odd to only have specific areas where gossiping isn't allowed, but it's also a little odd to try and ban gossiping.

[MK Chris]

I think discouragement should be the way to do it, rather than an outright ban. If the gossip turns to bullying, then would be the time to take disciplinary action.

[foot-loose]

It may be unrealistic to ban it, but I don't understand why people gossip about each other anyway. If the person being gossiped about finds out, they tend to be hurt and angry.

If someone came to me and told me a load of stuff about someone else, then I wouldn't tell them anything personal because I wouldn't trust them to keep their trap shut. I've never seen the facination in what someone elses private life is like. If they want me to know something, I'm sure they would be able to tell me themselves.

I always felt that the people that enjoyed gossip must have pretty boring lives themselves that they get so excited about someone elses.

[Vivienne]

Sometimes it can be an interesting way to pass the time, if you're bored. plus, it's interesting to learn who your MD is sleeping with, I think.

[claradooblue]

It's not fun if you're the subject of the gossip however - or even worse, if you know you've been gossiped about, but you don't know how much the gossipers know. Then you risk incriminating yourself further when you talk with them
(bitter experience!)
I still like the idea of gossip police. They could paint flowers on their faces like the wee police at Glastonbury.

[Vivienne]

You've got a point, Claradoo. There was a place I worked at where I wound up being the centre of gossip. It wasn't a very nice place, and everyone was quite nasty. Anyhow, I sat the IT guy's sandwiches out on the windowledge, he was trying to get them back, and he fell out the bloody window into the back garden/shrubs. People were gunning for me after that.

He wasn't hurt, incidentally, it was on the ground floor.

[foot-loose]

Anyone I label as a gossip I keep at arms length and watch very closely what I tell them about me or someone else.

[Yudster]

It wouldn't work in this country without a fairly drastic change to employment legislation.

In the past I have been greatly harmed by what the people gossiping thought was merely harmless fun. It can be very dangerous. I wouldn't say I don't gossip at all, but if I am told something in confidence, I will keep it in confidence, And if I'm not sure, I'll assume it is in confidence. I don't want to inadvertantly do to anyone else what was done to me.

Look, I did paragraphs!

[Vivienne]

Like you, yuds, if I am told something in confidence, I can keep it a secret too.

[Yudster]

It's a good job I can, bearing in mind some of the stuff you lot have told me!

[ladbroke]

Gossiping at work is great I love it!! It's a massive part of my workplace, and there are certain members of staff who will 'top up' the story just to make it even more salacious.............. Having said that where I work is pretty rough and ready, and there aren't too many courtesy's extended to anyone. In my experience the person being gossiped about very rarely finds out about it anyway. I do however think there is a massive difference between bullying and idle gossip. To bully is to set out to let somebody know that you dont like them, and make their life difficult/unpleasant. Gossip on the other hand is more like unofficial workplace news. I've found that men are far worse gossips than women. If I didn't want to be gossiped about then I'd keep my life outside of work private, and never attend after work drinks/parties. That isn't going to happen though......! If I do something foolish (as is sometimes the case....) at the party, then it will be front page office news. Quite rightly too!!

[Walter Sobchak]

At my place of work the management prefer to keep way too much secret, and sometimes someone will pick up a bit of information that will affect the team, that way we can foresee the problems and set up a way of dealing with it before we actually get told (usually on the same -very busy- day).
Ideally there would be a better line of communication, but we don't have that luxury.... yet!

But sometimes Gossip can be very malicious, and totally wrong, I like to hear gossip, but I can make my own mind up as to whether their is any truth or not.

Some time ago one of the staff had had a bereavement which she didn't want anyone to know about, although I indirectly knew about it. some malicious gossip was started because she was having time off seemingly at random, including "shes been temporarily suspended because she hit a child" when the gossip reached me I told the perpetrator that that was wrong," I know the reason, and you will regret spreading such a malicious rumour when you eventually find out".

If its malicious its bullying, even if its indirect, and its anyones place to either set the record straight, or to question the validity of the gossip imo.