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Gossip Over the Cubicle Fence
Gossip Can Tear Apart the Ethical Office
I wish every employee in the workplace could be the target of malicious gossip just once—just once, Nan, so they would know how hurtful it is.
—My hairdresser in Minneapolis, MN (with tears in her eyes)
Dear Nan:
I never thought this could happen to me. For some reason, the CEO’s executive assistant has never liked me. She has been with the company her entire career and perceives her position as one wherein she wields considerable “power” over many of the other employees. This has never bothered me personally; I can handle anyone’s ego. However, she recently started rumors about my having an affair with another employee. I’ve confronted her about it, but she denies having anything to do with the nasty stories (which are completely untrue). I’ve even talked to my boss about it, but he says he doesn’t want to get involved; I’m sure he doesn’t want to rattle any cages with his boss’s right-hand gal. Meanwhile, the rumors continue. What—if anything—can I do?
—Ginger in New York, NY
Iapplaud Ginger for sticking up for herself. She has done everything right so far; she responded directly to the person she believes to be the source of the problem, and even attempted to have her boss intercede. Unfortunately, this is probably all she can do for now. The more she fights gossip, the more attention she draws to it. Eventually, people assume that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
My advice to Ginger was to disregard ...
