To tell colleague people are chatting behind her back

I agree

Another for not telling her. I accept that not everyone will like me but actually being told really hurts. Happened to me recently, one colleague mentioned that another had been talking about me and another colleague but refused to say what had been said. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Pointless and made feel quite sad and uncomfortable for a while.
It could also backfire and look like you're being a bitch for telling her under the guise of being kind.

Not sure what your point is. Colleagues have said things in front of me about my DH (also my colleague). Some people are brutal (particularly women) and do not care who is around when they say things!

I work in finance OP, are these women going to have any effect on your colleagues’s promotion chances ?

only tell her if they would. But they just made themselves look awful.

I've been in this situation (although I'm nowhere near as accomplished/ideal, don't have the modelling background etc).

So first off, she's probably had it happen to her in some context before, even if just at school.

And secondly, it doesn't make you feel any better when people tell you about it, because it makes you feel like shit.

So if you didn't feel comfortable saying something at the time, I would mention it to HR or just be extra nice to her - because even though she won't know why, you sound like a lovely person and it does make a difference when people are nice.

No! Don't tell her! It'll cause her nothing but distress.

This falls into the category of "what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

This^
dont tell her, I’m sure she’s aware by now that not all people are nice and kind.

I think it’s sad that women feel so bad about themselves when confronted with a young woman whose physical appearance draws a lot of attention. I am the same, I feel awful about myself when I see a conventionally beautiful woman and feel sad and resentful that I wasn’t as ‘lucky’. I would never be cruel to a woman though like that though, it’s quite horrible the things they were saying. I suppose dragging her down is an attempt to counteract the way she makes them feel but I doubt it has the desired effect. Probably makes them feel worse in the long run. Too many of us have this internalised belief that we are not good enough if we don’t look a certain way and it feels like years of internalised misogyny. I’m as guilty of this belief as anyone but can’t help thinking what a force for good it would be if women totally rejected it and championed ourselves and each other. It would be a very different world.

Don't tell her. There's no benefit to it. I would work on myself, being brave enough to stick up for her like the men did.

I must have a different definition of bullying to everyone else. This is bitching/talking shit, isn't it? Could just be a one-time isolated incident?

Bullying, to me, is long term and awful for the recipient. They're aware of it themselves.

I dunno. I would stay out of this if it were me. I don't like to insert myself into dramas and situations.

Most people don’t bitch about their colleagues behind their backs.

The only ones who do are jealous and bitter.

It doesn’t sound like this young woman has anything to be bitter or jealous about these other women.

Don’t tell her as that will make her feel bad.

But definitely report it.

I have a bitchy colleague too and it’s just pure jealousy.

As they say misery loves company and these women must have very miserable lives to be so vile about someone who is a nice person.

Yes it does really sound awful.

He's a question OP. What does SHE say about them behind THEIR backs?

Say nothing is my advice.

You'd only be telling her to make yourself feel better that you didn't speak up. It'll achieve nothing but make her paranoid or upset. There are bitches everywhere you go and those women just showed everyone who they were, it was obvious to everyone else they are jealous. Unless it ramps up or they are directly acting against her then don't tell her

Telling her will only upset her. What do you hope to gain from telling her?

If you truly feel what they’re saying is wrong, then you should stand up to them and stand up for her.

If I were you I would be questioning my own decision to work for an organisation that accepts the sexually harrasment of women as the “norm”

I note that all the men in this scenario are saints, and all the women are sinners

What you have here is a toxic, misogynistic workplace.

Why on earth would you tell her? I'd just avoid those jealous nasty bitches in social settings going forward.

Please don’t tell her people have been bitching about her. This happened to me once. I suspected it but a colleague and friend told me. It upset me and I did question the motives of the “friend” in telling me. It made me wonder how many times she had listened and been part of these conversations even passively. I didn’t trust her after that. I got another job as soon as I could and had no contact with anyone who worked there after that including “friend”.

As long as they aren't pretending to be her friends then I'd let it lie. She's probably put up with this shit for years

I wonder which city you are in as this doesn't sound like any sort of scenario that would be acceptable in finance etc the UK these days. I'm sure there are industries where it would happen but any HR person would have shut that conversation down sharpish in the finance/banking industries.

It's difficult to stick up for people in the moment bit perhaps you could talk to HR about leading some kind of company culture project since it sounds toxic.

I'd not say. Don't join in, obviously, be nice to her and let her sort it. She sounds as though she will quickly be promoted and the naysayers will have to put up with her being their boss eventually.

I see no reason to risk undermining her confidence. Unless you hope to drive her out of the company. Her female workmates are jealous and bitter and envious, two faced and gossipy.

I wouldn't tell her.
But the next time the bitching starts up, find your voice and tell the people concerned that it's not on.