Employee Gossip Office Banning Talk People Work Business

Office gossip is often a problem for companies. "Gossip" is casual talk about other people and things that may or may not be true. Gossip can reduce "productivity" (how much work people do), and it is often bad for "morale" (people's confidence and enthusiasm). Anyone who has worked in an office knows how much time can be spent passing information or "speculating" (guessing without any facts) about other employees, and the effects of such talk on those co-workers.

Because of these "negative" (bad; not good) effects, some companies are banning gossip. "To ban" is to not allow something, usually by creating a rule or law. For example, in one Chicago company, the employees agreed that when an employee says something about someone else "behind their back" (without them knowing), that employee has to repeat the gossip to that person's face. The result was that one employee who was seen by other employees as being "unproductive" (not doing much work) got a chance to explain that she "negotiated" (reached an agreement for) fewer work hours because she was still going to school.

Another "rumor: (story that is often untrue) was that one employee was dating another employee. This wasn't true, and in fact, that employee had recently become "engaged" (promised to marry) someone else not working in the office.

The owner of the company said that since he "instituted" (started) this policy, business had improved "significantly" (a lot; greatly). He said that his employees were less "distracted" (thinking of other things) and could "communicate" (exchange information, news, and ideas) better with each other.