I work for a small marketing firm and there are 2 employees who love to gossip about everyone in the office. I hear them all the time. One of them is our marketing manager and he’s the most straightforward with insulting people and talking crap behind their back. When I started, I hear him gossiping about me…how he always sees me doing my hair and putting on makeup in the car so my boyfriend or parents must not let me get dolled up at home. He’s a real snake.
Then there’s the HR lady who is influenced by him. I openly hear them discussing what the employees make as a salary and disclosing information to each other that really shouldn’t be talked about. Like “Did you know Kate makes $55k? That’s more than both of us make”. I don’t know all of the laws surrounding salary information but it seems unethical at the very least, considering the employees have no idea and didn’t bring it up. A good reminder never to share too much information though, your coworkers can’t be trusted most of the time.