Gossiping At Work?

[nonesuche]

I regret the ad on the front of this video but I think it represents something worthy of debate.

http://video.aol.com/video/being-fired-for-gossiping/1911368

[Artcolley]

I regret the ad on the front of this video but I think it represents something worthy of debate.

http://video.aol.com/video/being-fired-for-gossiping/1911368

Hmm. I think they should NOT have been fired.
This is just more chipping away at our freedoms. I shudder to think what is next.
I guess we are being "primed" for when we will have absolutely NONE of the rights guaranteed us by our forefathers.
Sad, sorry state our country is in right now on many levels.

There are other legal remedies to handle gossip if it does, indeed, injure one's standing in the community. THIS is NOT the way to handle it.

I am apalled, but not a bit surprised. Nothing surprises me anymore.

[2NJSons_Mom]

I'd seen this story & read about it.  Funny, while reading this thread, have Jeopardy on....question mentioned something that could be gossip as mentioned in a Marvin Gaye tune....What is grapevine?  Talk about coincidence.

Anyway, who's monitoring the town council, manager, police force, etc.?  (I'm sure they've not gossiped ever)  Morale?....I once worked for a President of a private insurance consulting firm.  2 or 3 times a week he'd be out to lunch with the lovely, younger VP of Finance.  We were expected to lie to clients, spouses, bill collectors....after a while it got old, and we'd say out to lunch, and you can imagine how many times the caller would remark about the length of the lunch, especially if it was nearing 5PM....we never really knew whether their relantionship was more than business, but the behavior was distracting, disturbing and did not promote a stable business environment.  The account reps, mature & honorable, thought it was an embarrassment.  Not saying it's right to comment about others, but when does a comment, complimentary or otherwise, become gossip...

[mrs. red]

I agree with Art... we are only being primed for the taking of what is left of freedom of speech...

already, IMO unless you are one of the "special" groups... you aren't allowed to say anything...

one example... as much as I disgree with don imus's statements....

unfortunately, he had the right to say them... and we had the right to change the channel....

I quite frankly NEVER listened to him, Howard Stern or anyone else that makes that kind of statement....

in fact I keep wondering why as a hetrosexual, God believing, subruban living  American that completely supports our troops and knows that 911 was caused by terrorists, not our Government... I can't sue Rosie O Donnell for offending me on a regular basis..  

[nonesuche]

MRS I'd join you in suing Rosie  

I found it all interesting for this would never have happened in a metro area, I suspect this town manager is a home boy? he's got connections for sure to make this one happen  

I really don't like office gossip but I've been on the receiving end of it before, yes back in the day when my first GOOD boss and I were very close. nothing inappropriate ever happened but when a senior architect started the rumor it had well it did humiliate and hurt me. Being older now I would have just outted him publicly over it and humiliated him !  

I think this case in this video is surely some home town cooking and I suspect with the national coverage those ladies will get their jobs back. It's concerning IF they truly did only discuss this at lunch and away from work as well? Who was listening?  

[MuffyBee]

I agree with Art-they shouldn't have been fired.

[pdh3]

I have heard it all now. Fired for gossiping?
Rumors around the water-cooler have been a part of office life for many, many years. Is it kind, or even desirable behavior? Not really, but people do gossip, and we live in a culture where gossip has become entertainment.
Maybe a reprimand was in order if they contributed to damaging someone's reputation unfairly, but firing capable employees was worse than the offense they committed.