1.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]“If we all said to people’s faces what we say behind one another’s backs, society would be impossible.“ These are the words of French writer Honoré de Balzac, clearly a man who understood the importance of gossip. Gossiping is something many of us have done — although we may not admit it.[/responsivevoice]
2.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]In the workplace, jobs website Indeed describes it as “informal communication that people share” about colleagues or bosses. And, it “typically involves information that is personal or private.”[/responsivevoice]
3.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Gossiping is natural, says Megan Robbins, who teaches psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Others go further, saying it’s important, useful and even good for our mental health.[/responsivevoice]
4.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]But that depends on the type of gossip. In a 2022 study, researchers separated gossip into two categories: positive and negative. They found that positive gossip — which could include speaking admiringly about a colleague — can be good for our mental health. Meanwhile, negative gossip has a negative effect.[/responsivevoice]
5.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]However, a 2019 analysis by Robbins and a colleague suggested that three-quarters of our gossip is actually neither positive nor negative. They also found we gossip for an average of 52 minutes a day! Neutral gossip, say experts, can be useful because it contributes to office camaraderie.[/responsivevoice]
6.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Others say gossip can help us find out who we can trust — and this can make groups work better. But with many teams now often working from home, we get our gossip in different ways — often online.[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”](1) Do you often get together with colleagues after work hours?
(2)Which of your colleagues do you trust the most? Do you work well with them?[/responsivevoice]
7.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]“More bad things can happen more quickly” when we chat online, warns Frank McAndrew, a psychology professor from Knox College in the US, speaking to the BBC. That might mean a colleague sharing a private message you sent them, or even the employer monitoring online communication.[/responsivevoice]
8.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]The safest thing to do, then, is to avoid negative gossip, wherever you’re doing it. While we can learn from positive or neutral gossip, when it’s negative, says Robbins, “no-one is benefitting.”[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”](1)Do you find it surprising that gossip can be good for our mental health?
(2)The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them. — Will Rogers. What are your thoughts on this statement?
(3)If you could hire anyone in the world to join your team, who would it be?
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