Is Profanity at the workplace acceptable?

I work in a leading IT services company. We have a pretty relaxed work atmosphere. But, a lot of my team mates tend to forget that they are in a 'office' after all, and use cuss words pretty often.

This is especially true of our team, which is all male, and as you can expect we have more than our share of FU's and MOFOs floating about. Sometimes, i have had our women coworkers give us dirty (offended?) glances too...

My question is, should we take advantage of such a relaxed work atmoshphere with a sort of anything goes language? Could this get me into trouble? My team is definitely not going to change..but i am pretty sure that others take offence and could f**k things up for us/me! if they escalate this to senior management

OK, this is simple in concept, dating back to the bible in one of the books somewhere where it is said, "There is a time and a place for everything" or some such.

The Byrds wrote a tune, "Turn, Turn, Turn" based on a Woodie Guthrie tune which said this, there is a time and place for everything. The workplace may not be the place for profanity, but at times it just might be. I am a programmer and I think I have worked in places similar to where you work and never was profanity acceptable except for the occasional ****-up we all have from time to time. I used the word intentionally just to see if Yahoo! Answers censors certain words. In a past life, I was in the Navy in submarines for 21 years, an all male, macho environment, in a very closely confined space which tends to magnify things. Profanity ruled for the most part until some of us objected to the use. Yes, there were certain times when it was appropriate, but not as a rule. If you are twisting a wrench on a nut and the wrench slips and your knuckles get banged up, it seems "****!" is an appropriate expletive to use, but this is not acceptable in mixed company. and not exactly acceptable in the business workpace either. I use profanity, but on a very limited basis, appropriate to the magnitude of the situation. When my knuckles get banged up, sure, but never if there is anyone else is around. My use of profanity is limited to my personal space. As they say, an appropriate time and place.

Yes, I think you should speak up and express your dislike and ask they refrain unless the situation is an apropirate one for the use as I did in the all male, macho submarines I was in. Profanity IS appropriate in some circumstances, but not as a general rule. So maybe you have a "relaxed" workplace, but that is no excuse for being crude simply on where you work. "anything goes" is not an excuse for being crude or impolite. Manners count. And profanity for the most part is simply, bad manners.

profanity in a all male work place is more acceptable i.e armed forces fire brigade and the such...but in a work place where there are women then men should act like gentlemen and treat females as lady's Report It

I agree with rowlfe. Report It

Good for you. Nice answer. Report It

Awesome answer. While I do swear, I never swear in the workplace, and I have found that too much swearing leads to people forgetting other manners. All in all, I think it best to keep things as professional as possible. Report It

That answer is definantly worth its weight in gold. Being professional in an office can get you a long way. Having a relaxed atmosphere is not a reason to cuss.

Well done Rowlfe for an insightful and respectful answer. Report It

Don't let others change you. If there's nothing like it, profanities are a no-no always. You must learn to tell up your teammembers what acceptable, and what not. Of course, friends together can use profanities, but not as a SHOW_OFF. Report It

It is totally unacceptable in any form of the business world and shows high immaturity and ignorance to senior management.

profanity is not acceptable anywhere. It defiles the user as well as the hearers.

I would limit the use of profanity to when things go seriously wrong. You don't want to offend coworkers or clients. It can be easy to slip and say something really bad when it counts if that's the language you use every day. It's just better to not take chances. My ex lost a job because he used a profanity on the phone with a customer. He didn't even realize he had done it until they played the tape. It wasn't the only thing he did wrong but it was apparently the last straw and he was fired.

I say, if you're not comfortable then don't use profanity yourself...
We can't, after all, change anything that others do.
We can, however, change our reactions to them.

Xxx
D.

It's never good to be too relaxed. Women giving you guys dirty looks is proof of your dirtyness.
A conducive atmosphere is different what you meant from relaxed atmosphere.

Is Profanity at the workplace acceptable? Well is it worth potentially losing your job over?

I am far from censoring language but profanity is inappropriate in the workplace. I'm not offended by it but some people are. Aside from the fact that it's completely unnecessary in the workplace, we have to take others sensibilities in consideration.

Well...you obviously know it's wrong from your statements.

Try saying to your team....

"Hey guys....watch your language....I think we're offending some people and we really would look and sound more professional if we cleaned up our act."

Start a 'quarter' potty mouth jar. Whoever puts in the least amount of $$$ over the month....wins!!

And coming from a female.....
foul language does cause you to come across as immature.
anyone can swear. But it takes a lot of maturity and restraint to
act more professional than immature. Also, if customers are around or someone is on the phone with a customer....that is a great turn-off.

That happened to me a few years back when I paid for and subscribed to a new local magazine at a home improvement show. Never got the magazine and kept getting bills for the mag that I paid for at the show. When I called the magazine and related the problem, the person I was speaking to turned to another in the background with the problem who responded with "f**k her, she's not getting the magazine till she pays for the invoice". I calmly asked who it was that had said that......and was told the name who ended up being the 'publisher' himself.
I calmly said, "Mr. So-n-so will be hearing from me again." I filed a police report, sent a letter to the State's Attorney's Office, notified the BBB and every year that I go to the Home Improvement Show and see their stand....I tell people headed for their booth exactly what happened and not to sign up. And....I got a refund for my payment at the show.

So....you never know who will hear you or how it will affect your career.

I think you guys should clean up the language.

Its unprofessional and impolite. It shows lack of respect for the possibility that other people don't want to hear it.

I was in a convenience store in line, and some young guy and his pal were having a conversation with every other word an off-color word. It was just kind of offensive that they didn't even care that they were around someone older and of a different gender. It just kind of crosses some boundary when people don't limit that kind of talk to within their own, private, little, group of peers in a non-work setting.

definitely not

absolutely not

Foul language is never acceptable.

I don't think it acceptable to use profane language in the workplace because you may be offending someone and not know it. I swear alot on my own free time but I have learned to zip it up when I am at the 9-5.

It is absolutely unacceptable to use profanity, especially in the workpace. Some coworkers (and not just women, there are men out there that care as well) may find it offensive to have to listen to that all day. In addition, what happens if a client comes in? It makes you all look completely unprofessional, and definitely uneducated - not the impression you want to give to a client.

There was a man where I used to work who used disgusting language all the time, he thought he was so much better than everyone else. He ended up getting passed over for a promotion, because TPTB felt they couldn't predict what was going to come out of his mouth, which isn't what they wanted "upstairs." The guy who got the promotion? I never heard an offensive thing out of his mouth, profane or otherwise. Very professional, very kind.

Think about the impression you want to give people.

Best Regards,
Holly

IN the office, NO, its not acceptable.

Only a **** would answer yes to that question

Yes if it is mild swearing and not aimed directly at someone. Ie if you stub your toe and say "f*ck". However, don't call someone a "B*tch" as they may take this as being offensive.

It is not professional to curse in the workplace. People should remember they are at work and should behave as professionals. Just be professional yourself and don't worry about what your co-workers are doing. If you are in charge of them, tell them to cease immediately and follow through with disciplinary action if necessary to curb it.

Hi - be very, very careful about who you use what words to. Aside from being unacceptable - it is a firing offense and can even wind you and your company up in court.

Not worth it.

A

It is not with all the three characters capital. While some informality among equals is understandable it should be considered as the 'in thing' and others who would rather not do it considered prudish. The danger of unconscious spill-over is a real and present danger. The habit may become a second nature. One of my friends unconsciously let a mild profanity slip our of his mouth in a market place and had to pay a very heavy price for this indiscretion.

If it's not necessary- it's not professional. You got where are are by using your BRAIN, not your mouth. If your language skills are so limited that all you can use are 4 letter words to express yourself- you're obviously are NOT ready for "prime time". If you have to worry about your choice of words in a mixed crowd of professionals- then you don't belong there.

Cursing doesn't make you look anything but stupid and no one wants to be around foul mouthed people, and I say people because I am including women in there too. There's nothing more ill mannered then someone cursing.

Joseph II has the idea.

nope

you have a short pointed question -- but a long explanation to back it up. not needed, in my opinion.
the answer to profanity is a NO, NO. how to get rid of it -- do it by "inviting a managerial type man/woman amongst yourself to straighten up the mess you are in". that is one solution. the next solution -- and they are as many as the answers you will read on this site -- another practical solution is to bring -- a big box --locked one -- and it has a small hole on the top -- clearly mark FOR CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE --every time a guy spills profanity -- he puts min. 25 cents/quarter into that box.
end of the story. hope you collect a good fund for the charities.

no it's not ok. It is a habit. A bad habit. There is a difference between an occassional darn it.....and gross profanty. **Try your best to not get wallowed up in the habit....if you're around it alot sometimes it can rub off.

No it isn't!! Many people have a gross lack of vocabulary and don't even know the proper words to use, therefore, they resort to profanity or "street language". This reflects their education, their lack of pride and lack of respect for people around them.

I grew up "wanting" respect and some people, now days, try desperately hard to deserve NO respect at all. Pops

Do you work in the US? Because they are walking a pretty fine line.

That is not acceptable behavior. Someone could get offended, file a lawsuit and make that company look REALLY bad.

Sounds like HR needs to do some training with your group.

I often swear at work. I think that if no one is offended by it then there is no problem.

For me it all boils down to productivity. If I hire a staff to produce and they can do just that, make me a ton of money and keep the business growing, I do not care (as long as they are not working with public) if they nickname each other vulgar and disgusting words, I do not care if they have a vocabulary limited to just cuss words, The question here is can they do the job? They are after all, just words. I personally do not use a lot of profanity, nor does my husband. He has a law degree, but many of his clients use vulgar language. Especially after they get his bill.