What if, as an employer, you implemented a new rule. The rule being, anyone caught saying anything negative about another employee gets a warning, and if caught a second time they are immediately let go. No third chances, no “I won’t do it again’s”. It’s the rule. The policy. Doesn’t have to be the CEO who hears. If anyone hears them slandering another employee, they are instantly reported.

What kind of an environment do you think this would create? Would it be a much more positive one because no one dares speak ill of other employees? Would it be an environment where everyone seems to always have a chip on their shoulder toward someone else? Would it create a tattletale system of false accusers?

I believe it would depend on what kind of company and in what way they implemented the rule. If it was put in with the idea of “you people are horrible and we want to catch you saying bad things about your co-workers,” then I can see it not working out so well.

However, I think that it has the potential to completely change the work environment for the better. Think of it this way, the punishment for murder is very severe. In some states, it’s even death for death. This is to deter people from doing it. Is it because they want to catch people doing it? Is it because they enjoy punishing people? No. Of course not, the government has this law because everyone has the right to life and their life should not be taken by someone. People deserve to be alive, so anyone who takes away that right should be punished similarly.

I believe the same in the work environment. Everyone has the right not to be slandered. Therefore, if someone breaks this, they should be punished in such a way that it deters them from ever even committing the wrong in the first place.

So many work environments are plagued by gossip and slander. From the bottom of the organization all the way to the top. If you could take that one aspect out, how much cleaner and better would the relationships inside the company be?

When I was in high school, I worked at a pool. During my second year working there, one of the long-time managers was retiring. She had worked there for over 10 years. At her going-away party, I’ll never forget what our boss said about her. She said “In over 10 years of working with Kathy, I’ve never, not once, heard her say a negative thing about anyone. Employee or supervisor.”

This stuck with me. I want to be Kathy. If your company could be filled with a bunch of Kathy’s, your teamwork and company culture would be better than any other company in the country.

Go out this week in your job and be a Kathy.