💬 The downsides of workplace gossip are broadly acknowledged — gossiping destroys trust, reduces morale, and can lead to bullying. Though it’s generally discouraged, a study by professor Rebecca Greenbaum at Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations highlights how gossiping about your boss can actually strengthen bonds between colleagues… and increase cooperation.

The real tea…

The study surveyed hundreds of participants who reported that they had gossiped about their boss, asking how they acted afterwards. Unsurprisingly, employees reported experiencing feelings of guilt and shame, and were likely to avoid their boss. The twist came when the employees also reported feeling an improved sense of belonging with their colleagues.

Disclaimer: This is not your cue to go and bad-mouth your boss behind their back. The study only provides one explanation for why employees can feel inclined to engage in gossip, Greenbaum said in a conversation with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Where it works best is when employees find “a common enemy” in an undiplomatic boss, with gossip helping to foster emotional closeness and a shared sense of survival. At the same time, talking badly about your boss may stir up negative emotions that serve to protect us, but could ultimately harm productivity — prompting Greenbaum to urge employees to heed these feelings and “course correct.”

Positive gossip?

A 2023 study from the journal Group & Organization Management supports positive gossip, with researchers surveying South Korean nurses and finding that they largely appreciated talking positively about their managers and employers. According to the study, this type of workplace gossip can be empowering for employees and could lower voluntary employee turnover rates while increasing an employer’s effectiveness.

Verbal or emotional abuse takes the cake as the type of boss behavior most likely to push employees toward gossip as some form of relief. The Rutgers study finds that abusive bosses enhance employees’ willingness to support one another and bond through gossip. While they may harbor negative feelings toward their boss, the upside is that workers are more collaborative as a result, which “increases team cooperation that could aid in other important tasks.”

Daniel Boscaljon, co-founder of workplace wellness program the Healthy Relationship Academy, also underscores the positive role of workplace gossip, noting that in “overly controlling and chilled environments, the presence of any communication can be healthier than none at all.” He further explains that “unofficial or back-channeled communication about employees” can lead people to support a co-worker who is having a difficult time.

This collaborative spirit carries over into more casual interactions between workers. Called in sick on the day of an important presentation? A coworker is more likely to step in for you. Need a fellow co-worker to bounce creative ideas off? They’ll be more than happy to help. This shared sense of connection and bond helps minimize counterproductive behavior, paving the way for stronger teamwork and more seamless cooperation. One way to get there? Taking a glass-half-full approach to an inevitable workplace behavior — gossip.

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