Office gossiping - They did what in the stationery cupboard?!

Fact: Everyone gossips

Whether it's done verbally, via email or more recently via social media platforms like Facebook and twitter, it doesn't matter what form gossiping has. Gossiping in the workplace, especially when it is about other work colleagues, has all the negative downsides associated with the following words:

Tribunal
Harassment
Money

These are three words to make any employer jump to attention. Why? Because gossip usually becomes their problem after a fallout or incident. Read more about how inappropriate behaviour between two employees at a staff function became idle talk in the office and led to an employer landing claims of sex and pregnancy discrimination, harassment and constructive dismissal on his desk.

Does this look familiar?

Socialising and interaction in work is all part of fostering teamwork as well as building a culture of openness and transparency, but when rumours and malicious gossiping start to affect a workplace, it can become increasingly uncomfortable for everyone.

Here are our top 3 tips for businesses dealing with office gossip:

• Cut it out - Warn everyone that it won't be tolerated
• Make your staff aware of boundaries. You don't want all your staff to be robots - after all it's human nature to get things off your chest.
• Don't participate yourself!

'Blue Monday'

Producing a better workplace environment will increase productivity of employees. We've recently heard that workplace plants can ‘reduce depression, anxiety and overall stress’, as well as other suggestions like reducing the amount of the colour red within the workplace, and ensuring you sit so your back is not facing the entrance to your work.

These are all relatively minor suggestions to help employees/workers get over ‘Blue Monday’ - Monday 16^th January 2012 which apparently is the most depressing day of the year. After the highs of Christmas/New Year, people then tend to have a lull in emotions. Obviously this isn’t to be confused with depression.

Whether or not it will cost the UK economy £93 billion in lost productivity/absence is difficult to measure and imagine to be honest.

Having a physically better working environment as well as fostering a positive work ethic is naturally going to assist in the growth of a business and its’ personality too.

To give you food for thought, imagine if you worked here...

Health, happiness and prosperity for 2012 to all.

Anti Bullying Week 2011 “Stop and think – words can hurt”

This week is Anti Bullying Week, with the theme “stop and think - words can hurt”, a campaign that the HR Dept echoes.

Creating a policy to combat bullying and harassment is great down on paper, however it is the example set by management and proactive actions of all staff which will determine the success of any policy, especially in regards to action against bullying and harassing behaviour.

There have been several cases in the past accompanied by hefty compensation payouts for victims of bullying and harassment where is it is clear there have been fundamental failures in regards to dealing with incorrect behaviour. 

Being left out in the workplace can be a form of bullying

Bullying and harassment comes in many shapes and forms and is defined by the eye of the beholder. There is no exhaustive list stating ‘this is bullying or this is harassment’ but it comes down to not treating another human being with dignity and respect.

The ability of management to set an example but to also spot the signs of any incorrect behaviour in the workplace is crucial in order to deal with any issue promptly and professionally.

Delivery of your policy is fundamental and here is The HR Dept advice:

• Foster a culture of openness
• Zero tolerance on bullying - set this out from day one
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect -  this is your brand and reputation
• Investigate thoroughly any allegation of wrong doing
• Be aware of the rise of social media and actions of bullying/harassment can take place outside the actual work environment