Call to apply strict laws against UAE gossipers as country rolls out its happiness movement

  ABU DHABI – As the UAE rolls out its happiness movement with the newly established Ministry of State for Happiness, focus is being shifted towards eradicating negativity, according to a report in the Ministry of Interior’s 999 magazine. “It’s high time that people and companies realise that negativity would cripple any organisation. The UAE has strict laws and stiff penalties against spreading rumours and creating panic in the community, and companies should apply the same pattern in the workplace,” said Lt. Col. Awadh Saleh Al Kindi, Editor-in-Chief of 999. Al Kindi said that negative personalities in the workplace hurt a team’s overall productivity and adversely influence work performance. He cited office gossip as an example, saying it “should never be tolerated because aside from causing distress to a person being talked about, it lowers the morale of the whole organisation to a great extent”. Al Kindi added: “While it is necessary to weed out the bad apples, it is more important to get to the bottom of the issue and understand how some people develop such unpleasant traits.” “Don’t let people throw a dark cloud of negativism hanging over your head. It is important that we identify these naysayers amongst us and learn to deal with them; failing to do so can have a serious impact on our productivity at work or even relationships at home,” he said. MFD/Expat Media