How can I prevent my employees from talking about each other behind their backs and gossiping?
A Reader Asks This Question:
I run a facility with about 30 employees….12 girls – 18 guys. Its a warehouse and frankly all the gossip is starting to get personal and I am worried it might be creating a hostile work environment. Some of them are even dating outside of work now and that is also bleeding over into the workplace causing jealousy and more gossip.
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3 Responses to How can I prevent my employees from talking about each other behind their backs and gossiping?
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You can’t prevent someone from talking behind someone’s back, but you should make it clear that it will not be tolerated on company time.
You MUST have a company employee manual that includes a chapter on respecting each other. The dating thing, I don’t think you can prevent something like that. You can’t dictate what people do off the clock.
Respect, along with sexual harassment, was mandatory training when I worked at a Fortune 500 company. In the manual you must also include a progressive disciplinary plan of action, like a 3 strikes law. For any violation in the manual, on the first strike they get a written warning that they are in violation of company policy as stated in the handbook. List the policy and what the violation was. This must be written to establish a paper trail. If there is a 2nd violation, do the same, but also include the warning that a 3rd strike means termination. On the 3rd strike, write it up and then fire them.
Only thing is, it must be EVENLY applied to ALL employees, including supervisors. If you make exceptions, then you’re going to have problems.
As an employer who wishes to stop gossip, you may find holding a meeting. It could help to include this portion in your sexual harassment information. When people are forced to see the downside of gossiping they generally understand that it can be hurtful and the company may be able to reprimand them for their behavior. If it is part of a company policy that gossip is not tolerated it could be considered at the very least a verbal reprimand for improper work behavior.
The downside to any coin is that if you say something to the person directly about gossip they may believe the story as true and give it more fuel than needed. Everyone should have their privacy so the best way to stop gossip is to keep your personal life and have your employee’s keep their personal lives separate from work.
To stop gossip at work you need to take the proactive stand. Make sure your employees understand that gossip is not warranted and how to stop it if someone is gossiping. There are always ways to help get the gossipmongers to stop. Often it is just a reminder that gossip can potentially hurt those involved by spreading half true or false rumors.
honestly i find that putting everyone in there place is in order….this is a WORK enviornment not high school. remind people that they are PAID to be there, that gossip is juvinal and hurtful that if they choose to indulge in outside relations they cannot make the rest of the staff suffer for they’re PERSONAL life decisions by bringing their problems to work..
this is a JOB not a social activity, having friends even relationships at work is perfectly fine if your a grown up and can handle yourself as such!