How to Cope with the Office Gossip
Office gossip is something that is going to happen no matter where you work. It doesn't really matter what the company policies are about gossip because people are born to talk. They might talk about the job, the people they work with, or just about why they are so cranky, but people are going to talk. How do you deal with people who are gossiping in the office?
The first thing to understand is that you can't stop it so why bother worrying about it? If it isn't about you then you don't really need to worry about it if you don't like to gossip. Just don't say anything and you will be OK. It is simple to deal with gossip that isn't about you because it doesn't really effect you too much.
What if the gossip is about you though, what do you do? Naturally, you might consider fighting back with gossip about whoever is talking about you. Don't do this because you are only going to be starting a war of words with someone and this will never make things OK in the long run. This will just lead to more gossip in the long run and it won't solve your problems.
The best thing to do is to simply ignore the gossip as best you can. Unless it is interfering with your ability to get ahead on the job, you shouldn't worry too much about it. If it holds you back socially at work it isn't that big of a deal because you should be at work to get the job done, and your social life should ideally come from outside of work anyway.
If the gossip does interfere with your ability to do the job, you should go to your boss or HR and make sure that they know about it. Make sure that unfounded rumors and other talking about you isn't going to hold you back from a promotion or a raise at work. This is unfair and it is illegal to hold you back for something the company can't prove. Don't take it sitting down and fight for your right to be treated fairly at work.
Gossip is a fact of life whenever people are in groups and it doesn't matter what the occasion is. Whether it be for work or for play, people are going to gossip and talk about others. The best you can do is ignore it if you don't like it, and be ready to stand up for yourself if the topic is yourself and it stops your from getting the most out of your career.
