Psst: Website Puts Office Gossip Online
Monday, 11 July 2011 | by Pat's Picks
Everyone seems to be talking about their horrible bosses these days. One Twin Cities man has capitalized on the trend, setting up a website that allows users to share their office gossip online. But be careful what you post. The catch, says the Minneapolis Star Tribune, is that employers can get access to the site’s information for a fee. The man behind the site says his intention is to give companies an “uncensored view of their business.” He says during his time as an IT consultant, he often heard employees soften their complaints when speaking to a boss. By creating an anonymous forums, the idea is to engender positive criticism.
But legal experts say they’re worried about the posted information coming back to bite people: “The biggest problem is that it’s a document, [which] makes very good evidence in litigation. It’s pretty much indisputable if it’s in writing or printed out.” Office Leaks says it protects the anonymity of its users and maintains no membership lists, except for people who’ve signed up for its email blasts.
Speaking of bad bosses, the LA Times looks at the three archetypes on display in “Horrible Bosses,” and explains, in scientific terms, why each is bad for our health.
