What to do about a toxic workplace

Q: My coworkers are the worst. They gossip 24/7 and rope me into conversations. Even when we’re not in the office, and on Slack and Zoom, they’re constantly talking about people behind their backs, asking me to comment — they’re probably talking about me, too! What should I do?

A: This is a sign of a toxic workplace and I feel your pain. You want to focus on work while building relationships — check that, healthy work relationships. You can do a few things: you can simply state you’re not participating in these conversations. Remove yourself from the situation. You might want to say something like, “I’m not getting involved in this, but let’s talk about Friday’s report that we’re working on...” Shut it down. Exit the building. Do what you need to do.

Outside the office, set boundaries on your social media feeds as well; be cognizant about what you’re sharing and with whom. Essentially, aim to limit their access to you unless it’s 100 percent related to work. You may gradually pull back or do it suddenly, but just be cognizant about engagement that occurs both online and off.

Also, you might want to align yourself with positive people in the organization, maybe find a new mentor or participate in volunteer community projects with people in other departments. Aside from your workload, you can build relationships with people in your company who behave professionally.

If the gossip escalates into bullying, you may want to involve your boss and/or HR.

Work environments, even remote ones, should be healthy where you can thrive

and feel inclusive, ultimately part of a positive culture. Gossip is a sign of a negative

culture and it’s not harmless especially if nothing’s being done to stop it. I’ve seen people leave jobs solely because of the gossip mill and they always felt a huge relief when they started their new jobs.

Q: I am re-entering the workforce after a short stint in retirement. I’m focused entirely on part-time gigs. I found one promising one that I can also work from home and create my own hours. But the application asked for personal information (my birthday and Social Security number).

Is this a scam?

A. Run, do not walk, away from this role. Whether you get an email request, a random link, or anything asking for this information, do not give it. Never — I repeat never — give anyone your birth date and SSN under the guise of employment. Unfortunately, scammers exist and when it comes to looking for a job, you may think it sounds legitimate and relevant to employment, and may not even notice it as a red flag. But since you’re questioning it, I’m confirming that your instincts are spot on. Hello, identity theft.

In a situation that’s above board, whether it’s a full-time job or part-time one like you’re pursuing, you will likely need to complete an official employment application that asks for pertinent information like your home address and SSN and submit a W4 form for full-time employment (W9 for self-employed contractors). Typically new hires need to complete this paperwork after accepting the offer and before starting employment so they can be properly set up on payroll mapped to their state and appropriate tax withholdings.

Again, if someone asks you for this confidential information upfront during the job search/job interview process, even if the company or person seem legit, do not give

it to them.