1. 2012
Article of the Month May
Gossiping at Work
UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA DE TORREÓN
YOVANA MARIN DE LA FUENTE

2. Gossiping at Work - Types of Work Gossip
Talking About Your Coworkers Makes You Look Bad
Aug 28, 2007
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen
Gossiping at work - especially if you're talking about your coworkers negatively - can make
you look bad. The American Psychological Association published a study about the
"boomerang effect of gossip." It turns out that when you say something – for instance,
"He's a selfish, mean jerk" or "Her husband is cheating on her because she's an icicle in
bed" – your listener often attributes those qualities to you.
Researchers call this "spontaneous trait transference." When you're indulging in workplace
gossip, your words could be interpreted as a description of your own personality and
actions.
How Workplace Gossip Affects You
Perhaps you're aware that your words can crush, frighten, enrage or annoy people – but
what do they do to you? There are three types of stress-inducing words that can break your
spirit, sabotage your goals, and damage your health (even if you're working at home and
don't go to the water cooler!).
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Critical, Judgmental Words
Dodging a cold or flu virus isn't just about washing your hands or avoiding people who are
sick. Watch your words: "Did you hear they bought a powerboat even though they're still
paying for the Hummer? I heard they have to remortgage their house."

3. Talking about your coworkers negatively don't just spread negativity and make you look
bad, they affect your physical health.
Whining and Complaining
Though whining and complaining isn't always about workplace gossip, it does affect your
professional relationships and your health. "Maintaining a negative mood for a long time is
harmful to your health" says psychology professor Scott Hemenover (Kansas State
University). "The key isn't how stressed you are, but how long you are stressed. Staying
stressed for a long time can impair your immune and cardiovascular functions."
Learning how to cope with work stress and anxiety can improve productivity levels and
decrease depression.
Rude, Inconsiderate Words
Most of us deny that we're cruel – and we're probably right. After all we don't deliberately
spread malicious gossip at work, right? But there are "harmless" slips that can have the
same effect as negative gossip or stressful situations: snubbing colleagues, name dropping,
refusing to give appropriate credit. Those may not seem to be acts of cruelty…but your
body doesn't know that.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that floods your system when you're simply thinking about a
negative or stressful event. When you imagine throttling your colleague or secretary
(perhaps because they're spreading gossip at work!), your physical response can lead to
hypertension, depression, insomnia, fatigue, and gastrointestinal disorders. Your words
cause similar reactions. Sarcasm, pointed remarks, thoughtless comments or rude words all
cause feelings of disorder and chaos, which negatively affects your health.
Read more at Suite101: Gossiping at Work - Types of Work Gossip: Talking About Your
Coworkers Makes You Look Bad | Suite101.com http://l-pawlik-
kienlen.suite101.com/gossip-at-work-a29950#ixzz1uz50aUbj