While it’s true that a lot of gossip exchanged in the workplace is relatively harmless, some of the negative consequences attributed to workplace gossip can include:

• Lost productivity and wasted time
• Erosion of trust and morale
• Increased anxiety among employees as rumors circulate without any clear information as to what is fact and what isn’t
• Growing divisiveness among employees as people "take sides"
• Hurt feelings and reputations
• Jeopardized chances for the gossipers’ advancement as they are perceived as unprofessional
• Attrition as good employees leave the company due to the unhealthy work atmosphere

What can you do about it? There’s a solution that you might not realize is closer than you think.

Valiant’s Performance Review feature is a component of our workforce management software. It gives you the ability to add comments to an employee’s file at any time, thereby documenting an employee’s actions, reprimands, etc. This documentation can be accessed when you address salary reviews, promotion considerations, conflict mediation, and dismissals.

Valiant’s Performance Review feature can also be invaluable if your company is ever faced with wrongful termination litigation, since it can serve as a verifiable, documented timeline of employee behavior.

There is another approach to gossip that I’d also like to recommend-coaching. As a workforce management company, all of us here at Valiant and acutely aware of how challenging it can be to recruit, train and retain employees. So it makes sense to try and mentor workplace gossips with the goal of lowering the incidence of gossip and minimizing its impact on workplace morale and productivity. Coaching can take the form of one-on-one conversations, or even videos and booklets available online. Remember, it’s always better to rehabilitate than to terminate.

"He gossips habitually, he lacks the common wisdom to keep still that deadly enemy of man, his own tongue."

-Mark Twain