5 times you should never share office gossip with your boss

As a PA who is here, there and everywhere in the office, you’re bound to overhear comments that should be kept secret. While spreading rumours and repeating hushed conversations is never suggested, there are five pieces of office gossip you should under no circumstances tell your boss, according to HR specialist Liz Ryan.

1 Negative comments from your boss’s manager about his or her performance or that of your team. This should always be left to the higher ups, as it should never be your business.

2 Feedback you receive from other managers that isn’t of benefit to your boss, such as an executive commenting that you might someday be in charge of your own team. A boss never wants to hear through the grapevine that his or her trusted PA is being eyed for another position.

3 Comments made about other members of your team. You might overhear a colleague venting to another about a co-worker’s performance, or a manager having a chat with somebody about their productivity. You were most likely not meant to hear it, so don’t repeat it.

4 Details of an employee’s compensation or pay. Remember that this information is strictly confidential, so spreading it through office gossip is a particularly bad idea.

5 Speculation about organisational changes. This is one of the biggest office gossip topics, but businesses are always changing strategies and their structure so it’s no use getting people excited over something that will probably never happen.

Read the original article from Forbes at onforb.es/1XxfFGV