Young Workers Workshop – Gossip in the Workplace

Date: September 9, 2025
Time: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm, one hour for lunch
Location: Virtual via Zoom

This one-day online workshop is specifically for HSA young workers (members 35 and under).

This training will focus on understanding gossip and its relationship to the Respectful Workplace policy. Attendees will learn about gossip including why people engage in it, its impact on others and the organization, and how to address it. The workshop will also cover the responsibilities of both workers and employers when gossip is encountered in the workplace.

Information will be provided on several strategies to address workplace gossip in a respectful and supportive manner utilizing assertive and empathic communication skills.

In this course you will:

• Learn about gossip: what is it, and what is impact does it have on others?
• Understand the relationship between gossip and the Respectful Workplace policy
• Recognize the Drama Triangle and how to shift out of it
• Understand roles and responsibilities when dealing with gossip
• Create strategies on how to support colleagues
• Enhance your assertive communication skills
• Develop skills to shift from defensive to non-defensive responses
• Understand how to request a behaviour adjustment

Facilitated by Kerry Palmer, this workshop will help members deal with gossip in their day-to-day interactions with HSA colleagues and patients/clients. 

Facilitator Biography:

Kerry Palmer is a Metis citizen from the Red River Valley of Manitoba. For the past 23 years Kerry has operated Integrative Mediation Services, a consulting business in conflict resolution, mediation, facilitation, training, team support and executive coaching. Kerry is an instructor at Justice Institute of BC in the Conflict Resolution and Aboriginal Leadership Programs. He has been part of the JIBC faculty for the past 20 years.

Kerry worked as a child protection mediator working under the Ministry of Justice for 16 years, and as a family mediator for 12 years. Currently he is a mediator for the BC Public Service Agency.

Kerry has certificates from the Justice Institute of BC in Conflict Resolution and Family Mediation, and a specialization in Restorative Practices. He has also been a trainer with the International Institute of Restorative Practices in Family Group Conferencing. This training allowed him to work with the Penticton RCMP in a Youth Diversion Program where his role was in program development, as a trainer and facilitator. Kerry also has a diploma from VCC in Adult Education.

Another area of Kerry’s work is within First Nations communities. Here Kerry has provided training, facilitation, and mediation services to chief and council, professionals, and community members.

This workshop is open to all HSA young workers (35 and under) but space is limited. Members must be able to attend for the entire day.

Participants will receive wage replacement and pre-approved dependent care costs for virtual workshops in accordance with HSA Policy.

Members must complete a registration application by logging into My Events Registration using the prompts provided. Workshops are listed under Other events. Please select ‘create a login’ through the Event Registration and click on the ‘here’ to receive your member ID by email or call the HSA office at 604-517-0994 or 1-800-663-6119 if you do not know your HSA member ID number.