No gossip, no cry

I heard today on the radio about a PR company in Chicago, Empower Public Relations, which has made office gossip a sackable offence.  When Sam Chapman started his small company, Empower, it was partly because he left a company where vicious backbiting was an epidemic.  He felt it damaged careers and morale. I whole heartedly applaud them as they have lit a beacon in the far too self important PR world and should cut out this cancer that’s totally demoralizing. I know gossip exists in other business sectors, but without a shadow of a doubt, PR does seem to harbour more of these negative traits.  I won’t tolerate it in my business and I wish English employment laws would allow me to walk someone out of the door if I detected any of this behaviour. If I hear anyone being negative or revelling in another company’s downfall, I’m quick to denounce them. This industry needs to promote its best points rather than the clichés that define it to the outside world.