Is she in a position to be able to move up at some point in time? If so, then the behavior certainly needs to be squashed now.

I was editor of a small-town paper and I had one co-worker who worked the front desk who was always tattling. She would do things like call the publisher to tell her that I didn’t write a story that she (the co-worker) suggested. She would tattle that I came it 3 hours late… despite the fact that I worked an extra 5 hours the night before, well after she went home. It caused a LOT of tension in the office, not just with me, but with others who she gossiped to or who she tattled on as well.

I guess she thought it was the only way she could look good and/or advance.

I ended up quitting, pretty much because of her. I considered it back-stabbing.

Anyway, before you end up losing other “good” employees because of this woman’s behavior, you need to sit her down and explain to her that she is a good worker in her own right, and that she doesn’t have to put down or tell on others to make herself look better.

If she tries to tattle after you have this or a similar conversation with her, write her up! If you hear her gossiping, write her up!

If she comes to you to tattle, don’t listen. If you do, she’ll continue the behavior.