Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is it ok for a manager to swear at you?

33 replies

Letelegraphe · 14/07/2026 07:19

I know everyone has off days, but I don't personally find it acceptable. He didn't swear at me specifically, but at the team. Over something trivial admin-wise, he said "Can you all just do this properly, JFC!'.
I was shocked, I am leaving soon anyway, I've never experienced that before. Would it be ok for us to swear at management? I doubt it.
I'm finding that they've got their senior management on their backs and constantly passing the pressure down to us, another reason I'm out.

OP posts:
Original poster
Letelegraphe · 14/07/2026 07:45

Credittocress · 14/07/2026 07:37

So there was a trivial (easy?) task you needed to do and not one person on the team bothered to do it correctly?

And you know that it was easy/nobody did it do you, you were there? And that still makes it ok to swear? Right..

OP posts:
Credittocress · 14/07/2026 07:37

So there was a trivial (easy?) task you needed to do and not one person on the team bothered to do it correctly?

NotAnotherScarf · 14/07/2026 07:36

Depends on the situation and the relationship. I worked for 20 years for an insurance company and bad language was rife, male and female managers swore...but not at me. More a "oh fuck what's gone wrong now" type of way. I had some managers again mald and female who joking would call me dick etc.

Plus the use of "bad" language has changed and swearing is more accepted than it was. You only have to watch TV to see the change.

If you are that upset tell them and explain you don't like it. I worked with a Christian woman so didn't blasphem as it upset her

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 14/07/2026 07:36

Letelegraphe · 14/07/2026 07:32

He didn't acknowledge it or apologise either. The week after I joined the team he'd messaged everyone saying 'Sorry for being a miserable c* this week' which was concerning

Show quote history

In this case (drip feed), why didn’t you complain about his swearing then and there? Were you afraid of repercussions if you did so? Is he one of the reasons you’re leaving?

HermioneWeasley · 14/07/2026 07:34

It’s not ok, but he didn’t swear “at” you, he made an exclamation. He didn’t call you a “fucking idiot” or similar.

I’d focus on the team doing your work properly and then he’d be less frustrated

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 14/07/2026 07:34

Rocknrollstar · 14/07/2026 07:31

You know the answer to this. It isn’t acceptable to swear at anyone and particularly in the workplace but it does sound as if your manager was particularly exasperated

This. In this scenario if the team aren’t pulling their weight and the manager is exasperated then it’s not the worst thing in the world to say.

Anyway, you’re leaving. Are you going to put in a complaint to HR if so? I personally think that’d be a petty thing to do. If it was directed at you personally then I’d complain to HR.

Original poster
Letelegraphe · 14/07/2026 07:32

Rocknrollstar · 14/07/2026 07:31

You know the answer to this. It isn’t acceptable to swear at anyone and particularly in the workplace but it does sound as if your manager was particularly exasperated

He didn't acknowledge it or apologise either. The week after I joined the team he'd messaged everyone saying 'Sorry for being a miserable c* this week' which was concerning

OP posts:
Rocknrollstar · 14/07/2026 07:31

You know the answer to this. It isn’t acceptable to swear at anyone and particularly in the workplace but it does sound as if your manager was particularly exasperated

Swipe left for the next trending thread