People gossip. This isn’t anything to be surprised by, but it all takes on a whole new dimension if you’re a victim of workplace harassment because of the office rumor mill. This is almost never a desirable situation, so you’re going to want to avoid it if at all possible. Thankfully, that might be easier than you think; the following tips will help you stay out of the office gossip crossfire and let you concentrate on doing your job.
Play It Close to Your Vest
There’s such a thing as “too much information,” and it should be your goal at work to refrain from giving away too much about yourself. If you were considering discussing marital problems, relationship trouble, financial issues, or anything else that you would consider “private” in nature, think about the potential consequences first.
Those consequences, of course, are having those details spread like wildfire, as you become the focal point for all sorts of office talk. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to refrain from all conversations with co-workers, but at the same time, you don’t need to let them know you’re considering calling up the best divorce lawyer in Tulsa to help sort out your marital issues.
Don’t Explode on the Job
Even if losing your temper and blowing up on the job doesn’t get you fired immediately, it’s still liable to make you the subject of some spicy rumors around the office.
Think how much you and your friends talk when you see someone throw a fit in public? Now imagine how that might play out when you lose your cool at work. It’s all the reason you need to stay calm at all times.
Watch What You’re Wearing
While you may be of the mind that your clothes shouldn’t define who you are as a person, the reality is that within an office setting, people are going to talk.
If your outfits are pushing the edge of what’s deemed acceptable, even just once or twice, you can be sure there are co-workers who will comment on that. Save yourself the trouble and dress work-appropriate attire at all times.
Keep Your Relationships Professional
Few things fuel gossip like rumors of co-worker romance. This is one of those cases where you don’t even have to utter a word to one of your fellow employees — they’ll draw the conclusions all on their own if they detect the right “signals” that indicate you and another co-worker have started to get close.
Your best bet is to keep all your relationships on the job strictly professional so as not to risk co-workers gossiping about you and a potential workplace partner. Barring that, though, the very least you can do is to be discreet so as not to alert suspicions.