Do you gossip at work? You're not alone.

Employees' gossip over meal times and coffee breaks, and on chat over the Internet or via text messages.

But is gossip always bad, as is generally perceived? Not necessarily. Some psychology professors in the U.S. say that gossiping can be good as it helps people feel connected.

At the workplace, the key is to be part of the right kind of gossip.

Avoid the malicious type which involves back-biting or constant complaining and spreading rumors. These can hurt your relationships at work, and potentially your career.

But gossiping to exchange information informally has some benefits, so staying completely out of it isn't smart, say human resources experts.

Here are some ways gossip at the workplace can be helpful:

1. Bonding and networking: Informal conversations, about both work and non-work topics, helps colleagues know each other better and can help bring a team closer, say experts. It's a good way to learn about other people's experiences.

Gossiping can also help break the ice with employees from other teams and departments within your company. If you are a techie, what better way to get friendly with someone from the marketing division than to discuss a common interest like a recent movie or sports.

Such informal conversations can also benefit managers. 'Establishing a personal touch with team members helps get work done faster,' says Kaushik Srinivasan, managing consultant for people and change at PricewaterhouseCoopers India.

2. Avenue for hidden opportunities: Gossip can sometimes help you learn about company goings-on before they are formally announced, and you can exploit that knowledge to your benefit.

For instance,if you find out that an employee is likely to leave town and quit his or her job, you could approach your boss in advance and ask for more responsibilities. 'This will help take your career to the next level,' says Sudhanshu Pandit, director of human resources at technology firm Symantec Software Solutions Pvt.

Or, say you are planning to buy a new house and come to know that your office is going to shift to another location, 'you can plan accordingly, ' says Mr. Pandit.

3. Helps allay fear: Company-related gossip usually is rife when there is a lack of formalcommunication within the company, particularly at a time of uncertainty.

For instance, if your organization is going through a restructuring, and you are not clear about what's going to happen next, 'it helps to talk to people around you and know different views,' says Mr. Srinivasan. This 'can combatanxiety and fear.'

To be sure, this can work both ways. If you get only small pieces of information which may not present the full picture, you may end up getting more confused or scared. So, be careful to believe information only from a highly placed and trusted source.

Managers can also use the office grapevine to their advantage, by finding out if employees are unhappy and understanding the issues bothering them.

'It can be a great tool to gauge the mood of your team,' says Mr. Srinivasan of PricewaterhouseCoopers. If there is some misunderstanding, the manager can quickly clarify incorrect information and quell concerns.

4. Stress-buster: Gossip can be about sharing a joke with your colleagues, or stepping out of the office for a tea or a walk during the work day. All of these help break the monotony of the day, help the employees relax and generally lift their mood.

'It's thebest way for people to express themselves and take the burden off their chest,' says Mr. Srinivasan.

Discussing small problems about your work or with another colleague can help you vent and make you feel better.

But this doesn't mean you should be constantly complaining or back-biting, or listening to other people doing so. That can be a huge waste of time and pointless, say experts, so it's best to excuse yourself from such a serial complainer's conversation. If it's a serious issue, ask your colleague to approach the boss to resolve it.

5. Testing ground for new ideas: Informal conversations could be a good way to test out new ideas you might want to work on.

'In an informal one-on-one setting, people are generally more willing to share their thoughts as it doesn't follow the hierarchical set-up of an organization,' says Rahul Pandit, president and chief operating officer at Lemon Tree Hotels Pvt. You can simply put across your idea to the people around you and get instant feedback.

You can also 'reach out to people across functions and departments,' he says. This helps give you fresh perspective and perhaps highlight some flaws in the original idea.

Readers, what do you think about office gossip? Has it hurt or helped you?