In one of modern moms' article, it was stated there that office gossip has become a common part of the 21st Century workplace. Gossip is making a derogatory, unverified statement about someone especially when s/he is not arround. It possesses very harmful effects to the victim of which the gossiper is very much aware of, but does not care at all.

Gossip causes people to be unproductive, and worse, to be destructive. When it is present in your workplace, expect no understanding, no respect of the other person's position, and no trust. It can break a company's vision of a smooth and harmonious relationship

Let me qoute the following from Scott Hunter, author of "Making Work Work" (Hunter Alliance Press, $19.95, www.THPAlliance.com).

How to Eliminate Office Gossip:

The key is not to suppress gossip or for people to bite their tongues, but rather for people to communicate their upsets and disappointments in an appropriate manner so that progress can be made.

Open, honest communication is one of the most important keys to building lasting relationships between co-workers and keeping gossip from invading the workplace. Here are six of Hunter's Top Workplace Communication Skills:

- Don't take another's comments personally

- Listen with compassion

- Give up the need to be right

- Look for the best in people

- Acknowledge people

- Communicate upsets

I, myself, have been a victim of malicious gossips here in my present workplace. Whenever I am out of the office, speculations are being raised by gossip mongers like what am I doing, where I am going, what I have just done....name it, they have ready information for you...But, when I am already inside the office, these people keep mum and they are very "good" at me.

I really do not like the set-up, but I have to live with it for the meantime. "They'll just get tired of it", I told myself. But, it seems that the people around me cannot live without this deadly habit of making derogatory remarks against people. So, I offered a prayer for them, asking in faith for their conversion and enlightenment. But still, they continue to stab me and other victims with their malicious gossips. Now, I do not mind them anymore. Instead, I let them feel that I am not affected of their no-truth-at-all remarks. I know and God knows that I am innocent of their "accusations". Besides, I am earning my living in an honest manner, and not through the expense of other people.