Gossip is toxic anytime but especially in a family-owned business where work and home overlap.
Owner Merrille: Well I know this program made a tremendous change in our business. It changed the relationships between myself and the employees, between myself and my family members, and among the employees themselves. And I always think of this one woman that worked for me. One of the big problems we had was the gossip. The gossip was terrible and I can still hear her say, “I plead the Judy Ryan on this one.” She would not engage in the gossip.