Many types of harassment can occur in the workplace. Here’s what you need to know about rumors at work and harassment.
When used in the workplace, false words, spoken or written, constitute an act of malicious intent to harm the reputation or good name of the other employee. Defamation occurs when one person publishes a false statement that tends to harm the reputation of another person.
Is Spreading Rumors at Work Considered Harassment?
Spreading rumors damages a person’s comfort at work and is considered to be harassment. Workplace harassment may include but is not limited to the following:
- Sexual harassment
- Violence
- Discriminatory harassment
- Bullying
- Cyberbullying
- Third-party harassment
- Spreading rumors
- Discrediting
- Causing harm to social status
Understanding Defamation
Defamation at the workplace is when slanderous statements made by one worker create nasty rumors around the office which have no factual basis and have a direct purpose of harming the target. If the victim of the slander suffers harm, such as a loss of employment or other reputational injuries, they may have a valid case of defamation against the other party.
Understanding Libel
Written defamation is called libel. When used as a written form, it is libel, and it has just as much power to harm the reputation or good standing of the intended victim.
Understanding Slander
Spoken defamation is called slander. When a person utters false, malicious, and blatant lies about another person in a way to ensure others overhear or are in direct contact, he or she can slander another co-worker. If this happens in the workplace, it can increase the possibility of supervisors or managers learning something that is not true.
Proving a Claim of Defamation
To have a solid claim of defamation, a person must prove all of the following:
- Defamatory content
- Publication
- Reference to plaintiff
- Intent
- Harm or damages
Before the victim of defamation can seek legal remedy they must have strong evidence to help support the claim which may include specific words spoken, written, or shared. The damaging material can shed a negative light on the person, but most of the details supplied are false, however, sometimes, there is truth mixed in with the fake info. This proof should include the exact emotion put into the words and come in the following formats:
- Text messages
- Work message platforms
- Written messages
- Files are written in the office that can support the claim.
Commonly, there is an assumption of intent applied to the words as well when the perpetrator shares them with others. The evidence can speak to the intentional action to cause demotion, termination, or a flaw in the person’s character. If the evidence proves strong in backing the words of the target against the accused, then a solid case may be formed. A victim seeking to clear their reputation from damage and negative impact may seek legal remedy but this may include certain unforeseeable damages requiring compensation for demotions, terminations, or a lack of work because other employers avoid hiring the person.
Slander in the Workplace
Defamatory remarks can lead to demotion, termination, and sometimes a lawsuit for harassment. The person as the target may not learn about the slander until he or she no longer works for the company.
Related to: How to Sue for Defamation of Character
The Type of Defamatory Remarks
There are various remarks which count as defamation at work.
- The words should be divisive and disruptive to a positive working environment
- Have a negative meaning such as a person looking at the private areas of opposite-sex co-workers too much
- Touching others too much or acting in certain ways
When the company fails to stop rumors from spreading, it is up to the individual to take the matter to the Human Resources department to take some initial action.
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If you or a loved one would like to learn more about whether rumors at work could be considered harassment, get your free consultation with our Employment Attorneys today!