How do i deal with people at work who gossip too much?

Question

What should i do about workers who talk bad or gossip about me because im new and i know my job but just barley gettin the routine down?I can handle it for a while but a person can only take so much..wheres the respect at?

Answer 1

You probably don't want to hear this, but ignore them. People are always talking about new employees. They seem like they're intimidated by you and the only thing they can do is talk about you. Focus on learning your job and excelling at it and just be nice and friendly until you get to know the other people there. If they start to see that it's not bothering you they may just leave you alone and find a new target.

Answer 2

Bling,

I'm not sure how old you are and how long you have worked full time. But I get the feeling you're a younger person starting out or not all that experienced yet. It's because gossip and politics exist at every workplace. How much can vary enormously. But there is always a certain amount.

Politics and gossip are really part of human nature. We all have an opinion of someone else or what's going on. We all have an agenda and where we want to go. That necessarily equates to politics and gossip. Not all of it bad although when it gets excessive it can really poison the atmosphere at work. In some cases it can kill a company. Nonetheless, it exists so fighting it or hoping it will go away is futile and a waste of time. You need to learn to accept that a certain will always be there, no matter where you work.

So what happens when it gets excessive? Basically, it means you're not fitting in or you're hypersensitive. There have been some places I've worked at (and never again!) because the politics and gossip was so bad I couldn't enjoy working there. In the latter case, sometimes it's not the level of politics/gossip, you just are too hypersensitive. Why? It's because I was like that. My doctor diagnsoed me with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD.) My obsession is to worry that what I'm told is absolutely true and my compulsion is to seek excessive reassurance that's it not that bad. Long story short, I got on the right med and my life turned around. Now, when someone badmouths me or confronts me, I evaluation the situation and react accordingly. If it's some gossipmonger, I ignore and go back to whatever I was doing. If it's my manager, then I ask why he/she thinks that and try to straighten it out. I don't worked up about it anymore. Not saying you have OCD but if you find that at every place you work at, you're having trouble handling politics/gossip, you might want to see if you have a problem.

Best,
-- Liam

Answer 3

That is a tough one. I've been there before. I can only tell you what I'd done and that was to try to have a neutral (calm tone) talk with the source of who is spreading gossip or talking bad about you. Perhaps if he or she sees that they would at least have to think of a response, they will think twice about doing so. If it continues, perhaps you can talk to the supervisor about it or if you are in a position to do so, resign. That is usually a last resort of course though especially since one doesn't want gaps on their resume.

Answer 4

Get a notepad and keep a very detailed account of everything that is said, by whom, and the date and time. After you've collected enough info, take that to your supervisor and tell them that they are creating, "a hostile work environment", which is illegal. If they fire you, or you have to leave, hire an attorney and file a workplace harassment suit.

Answer 5

Ignore them. Some people don't know how to shine unless they are throwing (poo-poo) on someone standing next to them.

However...lol....I found it neat to do this: If you walk in on people talking who immediately shut their mouths, laughingly ask if you should come back later after they are done talking about you.

I notice when cowards are confronted head on by someone who has guts and backbone the tend to either:

a. crawl back under the rock they came from

b. try to gain that person as one of their allies

Good luck on getting down that routine and try not to be distracted by the clowns on the sidelines.

Answer 6

Protect yourself. Document the gossip. Tell your supervisor that it's making it hard to focus on learning your job to worry about people snickering about you.

Answer 7

Ignore em

Answer 8

If I tell you what to do, then I'll be telling you to do the wrong thing. get them in trouble for harassment