Tongue-Wagging Britain

The average office worker spends an average 27 minutes and 27 seconds a day gossiping with colleagues, according to a recent survey. The poll of 2,000 office workers, commissioned by Mars Drinks Office Connections, also found that HR professionals are “the worst for personal chat in the office,” spending more time chatting with colleagues about non-work related subjects than other professions.

Popular topics include the weather, celebs, food, relationships, money and health. Half the respondents expressed a preference for face-to-face chats, a quarter for chats via email, an eighth by phone.

Thirty-four percent of UK office workers have shared a secret with a colleague. Again, HR workers are the least tongue-tied in this respect: 38 percent of them have confided in a colleague.