It’s a familiar image; colleagues gathered around the water cooler engaged in happy banter. In fact, ‘water cooler conversation’ has pretty much entered the English vernacular.

Unfortunately, it’s also where of lot of negative office gossip happens – and not just about Brad and Angelina.

Workplace gossip can be defined as “informal and evaluative talk in an organisation about another member of that organisation who is not present”. (Kurland and Pelled, 2000) It’s a broad definition because it encompasses two kinds of gossip – negative and positive.

Positive gossip can actually have positive effects in the workplace, like boosting morale, and encouraging and celebrating achievement.

Where it becomes negative gossip, according to Assistant Professor of Nursing (Weber State University, US) Kathy Sitzman, are in instances such as “discussing unfounded suspicions or criticisms regarding coworkers’ professional behaviours”.

Negative gossip, says Sitzman, “produce[s] negative outcomes, cause[s] mental pain to unsuspecting coworkers and amplifie[s] strained relationships or situations.” (AAOHN Journal)

Feeling ostracised and suspecting that colleagues are gossiping in your absence is a common complaint among injured workers re-entering the workplace after an injury- or illness-related absence.

This gossip might surround a disbelief of the seriousness of the worker’s injury; or a hostility based on other workers absorbing some of the injured colleague’s workload while they are only able to fulfil a portion of the tasks they could before their injury.

It is common that upon return to work after an absence an injured worker is already battling a diminished self-confidence, so this type of gossip can be particularly destructive.

Gossip is also a big waste of time. Productivity suffers when too much time is spent gossiping. Sitzman writes about ‘Jamie’, an occupational health nurse who, one day, “glanced up at the clock and realised that the morning had slipped away as a result of impromptu visits by employees wanting to discuss issues with coworkers.”

There is the argument that such gossip is in fact more simply communication and facilitates a bonding between workers as well as a means through which to vent stress; however, writes Sitzman “negative gossip can cause great stress and divisiveness”.

She draws attention to Herbert J. Taylor’s four questions to assess office gossip:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

If your answer to any of the questions is “no,” then, writes Siltzman, “do not participate and take measures to diffuse the gossip if possible. The approach is simple but can be extremely effective, even if enacted by only one individual.”

Her tips for reducing negative workplace gossip include:

• Set a personal example by not encouraging, listening to or passing along gossip
• Cultivate an honest and open work environment by discussing issues and concerns only when all parties are present
• When negative gossip occurs, pay less attention to the gossip and more attention to the conditions under which it occurred (eg ambiguity and lack of formal communication around a workplace issue or concern ten to breed gossip)
• Keep lines of communication open
• Promptly and publicly correct misinformation regarding individuals or general workplace issues