It has been reported that the bite of the economic crisis is causing more and more US employees to eavesdrop and gossip about the impact on potential job losses. While the idea of killing time around the water cooler might seem like a fun way to spend the afternoon, there are fears that such gossip is breeding grossly negative opinions among colleagues.

The way around it? Well, experts say that transparency and communication efforts need to be bolstered so that any uncertainty is eased off. The report, which was carried out by the Society for Human Resources shows that nearly one-quarter of respondents said they’ve had to deal with an increased number of gossiping incidents in the last 12 months.

Steve Williams, director of research at SHRM says, “"What this clearly tells us is that we need to step up good communications in organizations. The more transparent you are, the less likely you'll get gossip around the recession and people lingering around other people's desks and offices, trying to hear something.

“We're seeing these incidents across the board, in all industries and in companies of all sizes, no company is immune. Fear is fear and gossip is gossip. It's happening everywhere."

So what do you think? Is this a chance for HR professionals to step up and really show its leadership; or is a good gossip just a healthy and inevitable part of the day?