Most people have done it at least once—venting to coworkers about a frustrating boss after a long meeting or a tough day.
Gossiping about the boss is usually seen as negative workplace behavior, something that can harm trust and morale. But new research suggests the reality is more complicated.
A study published in the Journal of Business Ethics found that talking about a boss behind their back can sometimes have unexpected social benefits for employees.
Rebecca Greenbaum, a professor of human resource management at Rutgers University and one of the study’s authors, says many workers feel conflicted when they gossip about their supervisors. On one hand, they know it may be wrong or risky.
On the other, it can feel satisfying and relieving in the moment. The research set out to understand why gossip creates these mixed feelings and how it influences behavior during the rest of the workday.
To explore this, researchers surveyed 202 office workers from various industries. Participants answered questions twice a day for 10 days about whether they had gossiped about their boss and how they felt afterward.
The team then repeated the study with another group of 111 workers. In the second round, they also asked coworkers to report whether they noticed any changes in the participants’ behavior after gossip sessions.
The results showed that gossiping often led employees to avoid their bosses later on. Many felt guilty, ashamed, or worried about being discovered, which made them less likely to communicate directly with their supervisors. This avoidance could potentially hurt productivity, especially if important work required close cooperation with the boss.
However, the study also uncovered a surprising upside. Employees who gossiped about their boss reported feeling more connected to their coworkers afterward. Sharing frustrations appeared to strengthen social bonds, making people more willing to collaborate and help each other during the day. In this way, gossip sometimes acted as a bonding activity that improved teamwork among peers.
The effect was even stronger when employees viewed their boss as emotionally or verbally abusive. In those situations, complaining together created a sense of unity against a “common enemy,” which increased feelings of support and solidarity within the group.
Despite these findings, the researchers emphasize that they are not encouraging workplace gossip. Instead, they say the study highlights how gossip reflects deeper human needs for belonging and emotional support. People may distance themselves from someone they criticized out of guilt, but they may also seek comfort from coworkers who share their experiences.
The researchers suggest that understanding these emotional dynamics could help organizations create healthier ways for employees to connect, express concerns, and feel heard without relying on gossip. After all, the desire to belong is natural—but workplaces function best when communication is open and respectful.
In the end, complaining about the boss may not be entirely toxic, but it is still a double-edged sword—capable of both strengthening coworker relationships and quietly undermining communication where it matters most.
