What action can be taken if....?

majormomma

Yes, they can, and should. When an employee gossips about senior management, they're showing disloyalty to the company and the director (reducing his effectiveness) and are causing a loss of morale within the organization, which, in turn, can cause loss of productivity for the company. Most companies would fire someone immediately if this became known to senior management.

Each employee should be a productive member of the organization and should contribute to it's economic status and morale. If an employee is gossiping about a director, he's undermining the organization and should work elsewhere, somewhere where he is a better fit.

I know this isn't the answer you probably want to hear, but if this has happened to you, please learn a lesson from this experience. Place yourself in the position of being a senior manager or owner of a company who discovered that your employees were gossiping and undermining you. I think it's pretty easy to see what a destructive thing the gossiping is and how you wouldn't be able to tolerate it in your company.

I once worked for a large organization and had to report directly to the CEO, a man that I suspected who was unethical at the very least and a possible crook at the worst. After much soul searching I resigned because I knew that if I couldn't be loyal to this man, then I was useless to the organization and my employees and wouldn't be able to look myself in face each morning. He was later fired, but I never regretted my decison to leave when I did.

Judy

You don't say where you are. In the US most areas are under something called employment at will, which means that unless you have a contract saying otherwise, they can fire you for any reason or for no reason, as long as they don't fire you because you are part of a protected class like gender or race.

Shane

You can be dismissed pretty much for any reason or no reason as long as there were no illegalities and in this case there wasn't.

ozzie

If what was said could be classed as slander a dismissal is far better than being taken to court .

BRAINS

Not for the reason you state but they may start finding other problems with your work.

Gentle Fox

Not for a first offence, the normal disciplinary procedures for most companies are as follows:
1. Verbal Warning
2. Written Warning for second offence.
3. 3 day suspension without pay for third offence.
4. Termination for fourth offence.
Each offence does not have to be for the same reason.

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