To All The People Behind The Counter With Me,

I can't believe how busy we've been lately. I know things are getting stressful, but we are working here together! I appreciate your help and encouragement. You make my job so much easier. I am thankful for you when a customer is treating me poorly and you come to my aid. I am thankful for our laughs when we're on break and I am thankful for the mutual respect we have for each other.

However, I know that there are some of us who don't carry that mutual respect. I would just like to say that any strong words whispered behind our backs on break about how "poorly" you think other coworkers are performing, are best kept to yourself! They are detrimental to our work environment and our morale. I know we are all to blame for gossiping at one point or another, but we should take those moments and learn from them. We were all taught from a young age that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

I'm not sure why would you want to talk poorly about someone when you are potentially spending five days a week together. You should be encouraging each other and being helpful. We are all working the same job, and it can be stressful enough without adding unnecessary commentary. If you have a problem with the way someone is handling a situation, try to help or tell the boss. There's no reason to complain to another coworker. It makes things tense, and quite frankly, it's rude.

Furthermore, when the people who you were talking about hear the hurtful things you say, it's upsetting. I don't like cliches, but I want you to think about how that would make you feel. We are all part of a team. I understand that you might not be able to get along with certain people, and complaining might feel easier than being nice. We are all here for the same reasons, and none of us want to work in a place that makes us uncomfortable or upset.

I don't feel as though I am asking a lot of you when I just want you to be kind to others. It makes everything easier and much more enjoyable. I just ask that you take the feelings of others into account when choosing your break time conversation topics. With all of the busy times coming up, I know we can do better to work together and be a team.

Sincerely,

Your Coworker