Workplace Buzz: Today's Headlines

Scuttlebutt in the Computer Age
Office gossip, though rarely talked about or researched, has taken on new dimensions in this high-tech age, becoming a dynamic force that can build camaraderie but can also destroy work relationships or careers. The proliferation of instant messaging, Internet blogs and e-mail means rumors in the workplace spread faster and farther, and can do more lasting damage. USA Today

Workplace Errors
The title “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make that Sabotage Their Careers” gave me pause. Women are present at all levels of the corporate ladder, and most of them are courteous, professional career women. The author, Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., notes that her list of workplace errors by women is the culmination of nearly a quarter-century of experience as a coach, trainer, human resource professional and psychotherapist. Springfield Business Journal

How Muslims View the Workplace
After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, many American Muslims encountered increased hostility in the workplace, both overt and subtle. But that has changed in the last few years, as more corporations have become increasingly aware of the need for religious inclusion. Lina Sayed's parents didn't want their 24-year-old daughter to face ridicule fresh out of school at New York University (NYU). Their concerns grew stronger after Sayed decided she would wear a hijab at her new job with JPMorgan Chase, No. 9 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list. Diversity Inc