I’ve always suspected a co-worker of mine listens in on my conversations, and now I know it for a fact.
It enrages me, but I honestly don’t know what to do about it.
What would you do if you discovered you were being eavesdropped upon?
Make up rediculous rumors.
I’ve thought about having fake phone conversations where I talk about how she’s going to get fired soon, but that might be a bit mean. 
I’d just be careful what I said when she was around to overhear. Starting rumors could backfire on you. (Tempting though it is.) She might just be nosy/lonely, or she might be looking for tidbits to pounce on so she can make trouble. It’s hard to tell from what you’ve said what her motives might be. In any case, why get yourself tangled in it? Just mostly go on about your business, being careful not to say things that can be misconstrued or taken out of context if she’s around if at all possible.
Nothing at all because work isn’t a place where I talk about things that others can’t hear.
She’s eavesdropping on work-related conversations, things like salary discussions, hiring/firing conversations, discipline, sales meetings, etc.
Is it eavesdropping or overhearing? We need to know more about the situation before any kind of valid reaction can be made.
I work in a cubicle farm. The walls are only about 3 and a half feet tall. I can hear everything that is said in most of the office. I don’t want to, but I can.
If you are having conversations, private or business, that you don’t want other people to hear, it’s up to you to take measures to insure that. Close the door, speak quietly, or move to a location where you know you will be alone.
If she is hunched over with her ear against the keyhole, all of the above is negated.
How exactly did you find out that she is indeed doing this? What happened?
How is she hearing such things? Why aren’t these conversations being held in private, behind closed doors?
Background: My office is separated from hers by a sliding door. I close that door when I’m on the telephone or in a meeting. I have very good hearing and I cannot hear conversations said in normal volumes on the other side of the door.
There have been a couple of incidents. In one, I was speaking to a customer on the phone. The customer always orders 18 units of material. For years, that’s been true. This time, the customer already had a purchase order submitted for 18 units, but was amending the PO to be for 12. At the same time, she was submitting a new PO for 18 units for the next week.
Co-worker sees PO for 18 for the next week and goes to my boss and says, “Shouldn’t this be 12?” Since I had yet to tell anyone that it was to be 12 for the current week, she had no way of knowing without listening at my door.
Next incident: I was firing an employee via telephone. The firing was not publicized yet. My boss was the only other person aware of it and she wasn’t in. About an hour later, coworker asked me when the terminated employee’s last day would be. I asked how she knew, and she said my boss told her. I asked my boss the next day and boss said she hadn’t told anyone yet because she was afraid the rumor would get around to the terminated employee.
The most recent: I made an appointment at the doctor. I still haven’t told anyone that I will be out that morning, but my absence has already been noted on the yearly calendar we use to keep track of daily staffing.
Overhearing stuff is one thing. It can happen from time to time. Repeating what you overheard is another thing altogether and should not happen. Your co-worker needs a major ass chewing in my opinion. You should let your boss know that you are aware that she has overheard conversations and has been repeating or commenting on them. Your boss should follow-up with her on the inappropriateness of her behavior.
-swampbear (The boss who has chewed ass because of this very thing)
I would shut my door, call my boss, and tell her what you’ve told us.
Maybe your co-worker will get the hint. The absolute bloody nerve.
One thing you learn quickly in cubicle hell is to keep your mouth shut about what you may overhear.
I think swampbear is dead on! You need to make your boss aware of what’s going on and let him deal with her. I think it’s ok that she might be overhearing your conversations but she definitely should not be repeating them… especially when it concerns the firing of an employee!
Wow, your co-worker has no sense of office etiquette AT ALL. Yes, we all overhear things at times, but we certainly don’t do what your co-worker does with them. It’s time to talk to a mutual supervisor. Co-worker needs a lesson in “keep it to yourself if you happen to overhear something.” In other words, what Swampbear said.
You don’t think she is actually listening with her ear to the door, do you? Cause she really needs an ass-chewing then. That is completely inappropriate. And kinda stupid, too.
My boss has declared that I am making too much of it and am exaggerating and unreasonable. I’m afraid it started to devolve into a “she said this and this and this” sort of conversation, which honestly made me sound (and feel!) extremely petty.
Well in that case, you must get one of those hand-held air horns, and blast it where you think her ear is. You know, when yopu are about to generate some juicy gossip that she’s just gotta hear.
That’s what I’d do. But then again, I can be a mean, vicious bastard at times.
Well, I wouldn’t use an airhorn, but can you station a TV or a radio somewhere close to the door, to help drown out the noise?
Document things you know she’s overheard. I do not agree with your boss. She is invading your privacy. Asking you about a terminated employee is hugely inappropriate.
Can you call her on this stuff? “Why is this day marked off on the vacation calendar?” “Her last day? What are you talking about?” “12 units? Where did you hear that?”
Play dumb, and force her into more lies.
Pick up the phone right now. Don’t call anyone, but initiate a conversation with your boss.
“Hey, listen, remember how I told you that Sue was eavesdropping? She’s still doing it, and it’s fucking getting on my nerves! Sorry, but it is!..So after that, what will HR do about it? … Okay … So do I need to write down every time I think she’s doing this? … okay, and I’m guessing date, time, all that, right? … Heh. I’m tempted to just start making shit up to make her look foolish … no, no, of course I won’t … Hey, thanks, I appreciate this; I was really woried you were just going to tell me I was making too much of things. … see you at the staff meeting tomorrow? … Bye!”
Daniel
I wonder if something like this would scare her off or just make her less obvious about it.
Of course, if she had been less obvious about it I wouldn’t be aware of it now and life would be good. Apparently ignorance is bliss.
Now that I see the details of what she’s done, I’ll amend what I said previously to agree with swampbear and everyone else. I’d document everything and consult HR with this situation. She’s out of line, and you could get in trouble because of her behavior.