How do you deal with nosy colleagues ?

When I was working in the mental health field there was always employees that would be nosey concerning salary of other workers and job duties and such. It was always such a pain in the bum to get them to keep quiet about such things! The sad part is that some employees were stupid enough to share their salary amounts with other employees! We did have it written in our Policy and Procedure manual that this information was not to be discussed. Normally we would write up the employees that participated in it. Had to finally terminate one new hire for the breach of policy before her initial 90 day trial was up. (She was terminated for that violation, along with another more serious one). I hate it when people do that! It is amazing how some people think they are being sneaky about getting information from you as well. Good luck!

Hi ronaldinu, people will be people. Well I would sometimes laugh and turn it back at he/she. Or I will tell the person that it is none of his/her business (this has to be someone that I don't like his/her attitude though).lol

I have a hard time dealing with this aswell, I easily get tricked into answering them and don't realise untill later that I better shouldn't have directly answered that. You learn from these mistakes, but it's a pity you have to think twice about what you answer with certain people.

I think it is amazing how petty some people can be. I always had trouble getting along with people like this. I would usually just keep my nose to the grindstone though, and just let it eat me up inside. That has always been one of my biggest problems. Although, working so hard and ignoring everyone else unless it was just joking around, did get me ahead in life. I really think that if we don't let these people get to us, then we will move forward and they will be stuck in their own mud. :)

just ignore it and dont even look at his or her face.

Just smile and ask, "why would you want to know?"

If it will cause trouble I do not tell them either.

I would have done the same thing as you. I can be very vauge when I want to be. It's better than being short with people and causing hurt feelings.

I don't answer any question I don't want to. they can ask me several different ways but I won't answer.

I will share with them.. Be it they wanna be jealous over it, or envy me, it's their choice.. We cant stop them from complaining, and once they over do it, the head of department will start to take their complaints on deaf ears.. lol =D So instead of bothering with what they are gonna do, i might as well fulfil their curiousity and let them take all the actions they want.. lol =D In the end, they will end up with just more workload other than the present ones.. lol =D

I would try to be as vague as possible and not give a direct answer. I would jsut try to answer in a humorus way and give an answer that is not really going to let them learn anything about your situation. What else can you do? Some people are just nosy by nature I guess.

Hi ronaldinu, I would just tell him to go and ask the headteacher and I am glad you told him an indirect answer, I hope then he would leave you alone. Tamara

noncommittal remarks! Good job, sounds like you already circumvented the situation with one. These are the situations where I always think of the right response after the moment is over, usually along the lines of "that's none of your business". Also, a generic exclamation without any discernible words works too, like looking up and saying "Phew!"

I will tell her to ask anyone alse or go to the headmaster, I would not like to answer.

Nosy colleagues I don't have, but I do have nosy neighbors and family..But I understand what you mean. Like us kids when we were younger and given candy..if one had one piece more then the other we would complain and pout childishly until we too had the same amount.

There are alot of nosy people out there.....I just have a tendency to ignore them or to ask them.....why do you ask. Usually that puts them on the spot and they back off.

they are just being nosy & i never loike that . u are right they'd just get u in trouble if they could. people are so devious.

My stock answer, when someone asks a nosy question is, "Why do you ask?" Then if they say why I will ask, "Does it matter if you know or not? It will not change anything." Usually, that shuts them up!