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Beth from Astrology Explored continues her workplace series today with surviving workplace rumor mills and whiners.

Gossips, Snarks and Whiney Babies: Your Workplace Survival Guide

A friend told me a story of when a co-worker came to tell her that the rumor was she was getting fired! This coworker was her boss, and he wondered where the gossip mongers got their information since he had no intentions of firing her.

He told her this himself because he was concerned that if she got wind of this gossip, she might start doing something like trolling for a new job.

The people who started this rumor are classic cases of Gossips, Snarks and Whiney Babies. They have nothing good to say about anyone they work for or with, take pleasure in denigrating other people and whine constantly about how tough their job is and how management doesn’t care about them.

Not all of us are lucky enough to have a boss that cares about how we might react to work place gossip, so it is important for us to protect ourselves. There is always someone who engages in this behavior, and it is corrosive to the working environment. While you would like to stay connected to your co-workers and grousing is a common bonding ritual, it is important to know when to draw the line.

First, do not engage in gossip yourself. Remember, the person who gossips to you will gossip about you. If someone brings you a juicy tidbit, say something like, “That’s interesting, but I have to take care of this right now. We’ll catch up later, OK?” If later never comes, hopefully the gossiper will catch the hint. If they don’t, just say quietly to them, “I’m here to work. I really rather not discuss that. What are you doing this weekend?” When you refuse to gossip you show an integrity that your co-workers will notice and your bosses will appreciate.

Snark proof yourself. Restrain from making derogatory or sarcastic remarks about your co-workers. If you have nothing but positive things to say about the people you work with, people will look like idiots for saying bad things about you. If you must comment , target the situation the person is involved in, not the person themselves. “Its unfortunate the payroll arrived late.” Not, “That stupid Jane, she put in the payroll late and we’ll pay for it!” When you refuse to engage in snarky behavior you show you can get along with a wide range of people.

Whiney Babies are a special challenge as they waste your time and are difficult to break away from gracefully. Some of their complaints may even be valid. However, how they handle them are not. Any serious complaint should be taken up with the manager in charge. The rest fall under the category of “Life’s Inconveniences.” Here again, you need to be firm and beg off the conversation, using your duties as an excuse. By refusing to engage or enable whiney behavior you are displaying a maturity that is always an asset.

Read the rest of the Problems at Work Series:

The Bully Boss
Picked On or Constructively Criticized? Know the Difference
What To Do When You Make a Mistake
Ways to Get Fired

workplace issues, work problems, work strategies, office gossip