As immature and trivial as it is, office politics are a reality, and according to a recent study that appeared in the the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, employees who are subject to ridicule may be bringing it upon themselves.
According to the research, employees who fear others are talking behind their back will irritate other staff members by asking about it, opening themselves up to further ridicule. While it is natural for employees to worry about what others think about them in the workplace, the best way to combat any problems is to just be nice to everyone.
“It may be best to ignore impulses that tell you that you’re the victim of office politics,” said Karl Aquino, professor at the University of British Columbia and lead study author. “However, our research shows employees should do their best to keep their interactions positive and ignore the negative. As the expression goes, kill them with kindness.”
Unfortunately, some problems in the workplace can escalate beyond repair and employees will have to be let go. By investing in business insurance policies, employers can seek protection from lawsuits from former employees.
