Psst… did you notice –

You didn’t hear it from me, but –

Not to sound super judgmental, but –

Look, we all engage in some gossip from time to time. And often, we feel guilty about it. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all, the old adage goes, and yet we can’t resist the occasional snide comment… followed by judging ourselves for stooping so low. That’s especially the case in the world of work, where it’s just so easy to notice when someone’s social loafing or make a frankly hilarious observation of your boss’s mannerisms. 

While we can’t give a free pass to the seriously nasty stuff or gossiping to such excess that you create a toxic work environment, what we can reassure you of is that a little bit of light-hearted gossip in the office is no bad thing. In fact, according to a new bit of research, workplace gossip might even be beneficial. 

How? Chatting about your boss with your colleagues helps with social bonding. You’ll likely have noticed this yourself: when someone at work is being annoying, everyone is brought together by complaining about them. That’s obviously not very nice for the annoying person, but it’s a great form of social connection for the gossipers. 

That social connection could make up for other frustrating parts of the job, meaning you’re less likely to quit. 

But here’s the thing: more benefits come into play when work gossip isn’t critical of other people. A study from Binghamton University, State University of New York, explored the power of ‘positive gossip’, ie the sharing of information that colleagues might not be privy to, or perhaps balancing out your moans about your manager by mentioning a lovely thing they did last week. This sort of gossip is a great thing and should be encouraged, said Jinhee Moon, who conducted the study along with a team of other researchers. 

How to encourage this type of gossip, rather than the negative type? Easy-peasy: bosses just need to create positive workplaces. 

“Organisations should be aware of the impact of positive gossip because turnover can be a very important factor in dictating an organisation’s success,” said Moon. “To make employees participate in positive gossip, the organisation should do the right things by treating their employees well, and being aware their behaviours can show they care about their employees.”

The research surveyed 338 health workers in South Korea about both positive and negative forms of workplace gossip. They were asked whether, for example, they would talk to colleagues if they felt management was mistreating them, and if they ever praised or criticised the organisation when their manager wasn’t around to hear. 

As you’d probably guess, positive gossip was far more valuable for the organisation, but all gossip played an important role in social gains for the workers. Those who participated in the survey were keen on gossip regarding information they could use to enhance or maintain their organisational status; so again, using gossip to find out helpful information was more useful than simply bitching about a coworker. 

Following the study, Moon also recommended using positive gossip as a way to up your contentment at work. “It can be very hard just to quit your job, and if you’re experiencing difficulty where you work, maybe you want to participate in positive gossip with your colleagues and talk about some of the more bearable aspects of the organisation,” she said. “Eventually, that can help you gain some personal power. It’s a very convenient way to reduce negative feelings toward your own workplace, which can help you more in the long run.”

In short: the next time you feel like complaining about someone at work, feel free, and don’t feel too guilty. But perhaps pepper some helpful information – your manager seems to be in a good mood on Tuesdays, for example, or there’s a hot tap you can use for your tea on the fifth floor of the office – into your gossip for benefits beyond the release of venting. 

Images: Getty