How do rumors affect the workplace?

How do rumors affect the workplace?

Unfortunately, rumors and gossip can spread in any workplace environment. However, rumors can damage reputations, waste time, create division, promote anxiety, and negatively impact employee morale. Rumors usually start when people try to fill in the blanks with their own interpretations of a given circumstance.

How do you deal with office rumors?

Eight Ways for Dealing with the Office Gossip

  1. Understand the difference between valid information and gossip. A friendly co-worker is perfectly within his or her right to give you a bit of background about others—so long as it’s professional.
  2. Nip it in the bud.
  3. Change the subject.
  4. Confront bad-mouthing people.

What are the negative effects of rumors to an employee and to the organization?

Some negative consequences of workplace gossip are: Erosion of trust and morale. Lost productivity and wasted time. Increased anxiety among employees as rumors circulate without clear information as to what is and isn’t fact.

Can you be fired for a rumor?

Here’s what you need to know: In at-will states, employers can fire anyone for any reason. But even in other states, gossip can be considered “creating a hostile work environment” and can lead to disciplinary action eventually leading to termination.

How do you deal with an employee who spreads rumors?

Follow up with the person if rumor-spreading continues. Remind her of your last conversation and say that the behavior has to stop. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to issue a written warning, or contact the HR department, if your company’s big enough to have one.

What is Rumour business communication?

Rumour is an “instinctual behaviour” arising at the workplace usually involving unverified information of uncertain origin transmitted by word of mouth. It arises in grapevine communication and usually spreads unauthentic information though, however, sometimes, the information may be true and accurate.

What is gossip backbiting and slandering in workplace?

Gossip is seen almost universally as a negative process because it can introduce falsehoods, rumours and slanderous statements into the ecosystem of work and cause conflict in interpersonal relationships. Many organisations have policies, often codified in the employee handbook, against gossiping.

What are the effects of rumors?

For instance, gossip and rumors can destroy a person’s self-confidence and affect their self-esteem. 1 It also can lead to depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, anxiety, and a host of other issues.

What are gossip backbiting and slandering in workplace?