Men who chat about colleagues around the office may pay a steeper career price than women who engage in the same behavior. New research from the University of Iowa and the University of New Mexico finds that workplace gossip damages perceptions of competence and leadership readiness more for men than for women.
The study, led by Trevor Spoelma, an associate professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, included three separate investigations. The researchers first observed 272 undergraduate students working in five-person teams on a class project, then ran two online experiments with roughly 450 U.S. workers.
Across all three studies, people who gossiped received lower competence ratings. The penalty, however, was consistently larger for men.
Why men face a harsher judgment
Spoelma said the double standard has deep historical roots. The word gossip took on a negative meaning around the 16th century, when it became linked to women spreading rumors. Because of that association, gossip is seen as more consistent with traditional expectations of how women behave. When men gossip, they can appear to violate norms of masculine behavior, even when the content is harmless.
That finding is notable because men often receive more leniency than women for other behavior that breaks social norms, Spoelma said. Gossip appears to be an exception. Men are judged more harshly, not less, for talking about people behind their backs.
Not all gossip is destructive
The researchers distinguish between negative and neutral gossip. Negative gossip includes questioning a colleague’s abilities, criticizing their work, or sharing an unflattering story. Neutral gossip can mean complimenting a coworker or passing along a harmless anecdote about someone who is not present.
Both forms can strengthen workplace relationships. Psychologist Scott Lyons previously told Fortune that gossip can create a sense of being inside a trusted circle. You suddenly become part of that inner circle, he said. You feel special. You feel like you matter.
That sense of connection may be especially valuable as hybrid work reduces face-to-face contact. Informal workplace conversations can also help address a broader loneliness crisis among men by giving them a way to build relationships with colleagues.
What business leaders say
Despite any social benefits, several high-profile business leaders have taken a hard line against gossip. Richard Branson, the billionaire co-founder of Virgin Group, has said he simply leaves the room when he hears people speaking poorly of others. He called the practice not good and tied leadership to how people treat one another.
Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, has argued that talking behind someone's back is counterproductive. He said too many people discuss what others are doing wrong without speaking directly to those people. That approach, he said, prevents both sides from being heard and makes teams less productive.
Dave Ramsey, the personal finance radio host, has gone further. He made No Gossip one of the 14 core values at Ramsey Solutions and has said he will fire employees for spreading negativity. Workplace disagreements are inevitable, he acknowledged, but employees should raise concerns with leadership rather than venting sideways or downward. Handing negatives down or sideways, he said, is gossip.
The takeaway for workers
The research does not suggest that all workplace conversation about colleagues is harmful. It does suggest that men may want to be more aware of how gossip is perceived when they participate in it, because the same behavior is interpreted differently depending on gender.
For organizations, the lesson is more nuanced than a blanket ban. Gossip can build trust and belonging, but it can also undermine reputations and productivity. The challenge is encouraging the kind of informal connection that helps teams bond while discouraging the negative talk that damages careers.
