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Original poster

Cursing in the workplace

36 replies

asblindasabat · 03/10/2022 18:06

Is this the norm nowadays? There’s one woman I work with and she’s always swearing about something.

this morning she walked in, her computer was slow or something and she just blurted out “this bloody piece of shite”

I mean, we all have days like that. I curse myself but I try not to outside my home.

It doesn’t offend me but it does get a bit tiring listening to it when it’s “fuck this, fuck that” quite regularly.

anyone else’s workplace like this?

OP posts:
TidyDancer · 03/10/2022 18:07

Mine is worse than that. It doesn't bother me.

Yesthatismychildsigh · 03/10/2022 18:08

Do you mean swearing? I had a vision of a colleague putting a hex on you.

JudithHarper · 03/10/2022 18:09

Seems to be the norm. Just a sign of the decline in standards and poor grasp of language.

Really does devalue people.

DappledThings · 03/10/2022 18:15

Sounds normal to me. And sounds like something I'd say.

WeakAsIAm · 03/10/2022 18:17

Blue blooded murder of the English tongue, now where's my pearls? Grin

purplecorkheart · 03/10/2022 18:17

I haven't come across it in my own workplace but have noticed it outside of work. I was on a voluntary committee for a local charity and notice some of the committee members cannot say a single sentence without a swear word and genuinely do not seem to notice.

Vapeyvapevape · 03/10/2022 18:21

I have a colleague who starts every sentence with 'fucking' . Fucking went out for a meal at the weekend. Fucking got to go to a meeting now. Fucking going to lunch. It's habitual and makes them sound a bit dim tbh.

lannistunut · 03/10/2022 18:22

People say it matters but why - why does it matter?

I try not to swear at work for fear of offending the pearl clutchers but if I am honest, I'm not bothered either way. I don't like the word bitch but a bit of bloody shite wouldn't register.

IndiQ · 03/10/2022 18:24

Eeek.

I work in a school office (far from children!!) and the language is unbelievable.

Doesn't offend me and of course we can all be very polite when needed.

But a good swear here and there gets us all through the day.

JudithHarper · 03/10/2022 18:24

lannistunut · 03/10/2022 18:22

People say it matters but why - why does it matter?

I try not to swear at work for fear of offending the pearl clutchers but if I am honest, I'm not bothered either way. I don't like the word bitch but a bit of bloody shite wouldn't register.

It just sounds coarse.

I liken it to dropping your pants in the high street and curling one out there and then.

Original poster
asblindasabat · 03/10/2022 18:25

lannistunut · 03/10/2022 18:22

People say it matters but why - why does it matter?

I try not to swear at work for fear of offending the pearl clutchers but if I am honest, I'm not bothered either way. I don't like the word bitch but a bit of bloody shite wouldn't register.

I honestly don’t mind people who swear - I do it often myself at home when I’m with my immediate family as they do it too so we all understand each other.

But I try to keep it to minimum outside of my house - that’s just the way I was brought up.

I don’t mind people swearing in work, I’m not the type to be offended by it, but whilst it doesn’t offend me, it is irritating hearing it In every sentence someone speaks

OP posts:
MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 03/10/2022 18:25

I only swear at work with certain people, because I know they won't be bothered by it. There are other people I would never swear in front of, because I know that they are the type to shocked or judgemental.

I honestly can't understand why some people get so hung up on swearing. It isn't a big deal as far as I'm concerned... they're just words.

Original poster
asblindasabat · 03/10/2022 18:27

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 03/10/2022 18:25

I only swear at work with certain people, because I know they won't be bothered by it. There are other people I would never swear in front of, because I know that they are the type to shocked or judgemental.

I honestly can't understand why some people get so hung up on swearing. It isn't a big deal as far as I'm concerned... they're just words.

I agree but there’s no need for it In every sentence.

i only swear if I’m anxious/stressed out/really annoyed about something and even then I try to do it when I’m at home.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 03/10/2022 18:35

Surely it doesn't count if you're swearing at computers or other hardware like printers?

Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 03/10/2022 18:36

I swear sometimes - but try really hard not to, as I find it crass. If you cant express yourself any other way, you are not trying I think.

cakewitch · 03/10/2022 18:47

Work in a kitchen. The worst curses wouldn't even register with you within about a week.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 03/10/2022 18:48

Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 03/10/2022 18:36

I swear sometimes - but try really hard not to, as I find it crass. If you cant express yourself any other way, you are not trying I think.

See, if it's the only way in which you can express yourself, then I agree, you need to expand your vocabulary.

However, I don't see what's wrong with using swear words as part of a wider repertoire. I honestly don't see what's crass about a particular combination of sounds/letters that have arbitrarily been categorised as swear words. They are just words like any other.

DoraSpenlow · 03/10/2022 19:33

Vapeyvapevape · 03/10/2022 18:21

I have a colleague who starts every sentence with 'fucking' . Fucking went out for a meal at the weekend. Fucking got to go to a meeting now. Fucking going to lunch. It's habitual and makes them sound a bit dim tbh.

I know what you mean. Used to work with a guy who was very clever, Oxford University, and from a very well to do family. He couldn't utter a sentence without at least two fucks in it (although he managed not to do it in front of customers) and we all knew him as "the oik".

Mojoj · 03/10/2022 19:43

They're only words. Who cares?

HaveringWavering · 03/10/2022 19:44

YABU to call it "cursing". Do you also refer to alcohol as "liquor"?

drpet49 · 03/10/2022 19:47

Not the done things where I work. Would be frowned upon

Luredbyapomegranate · 03/10/2022 19:49

Yep

Depends on the industry I think, but mine is full of fucks.

I don’t mind myself.

Are you from the US? (you said cursing), in which case the UK is a lot swearier. I jokingly called a colleague a cunt on a conference call not realising our US clients were already on the line. Mercifully they thought it was funny.

ChaToilLeam · 03/10/2022 19:50

Very unprofessional. I can understand if the odd swear gets out when the photocopier is playing up or the computer crashes but a constant litany of swears isn’t appropriate at work.

MrsTimRiggins · 03/10/2022 19:50

I guess it depends on the workplace a bit. When I worked in a school office, I wouldn’t have dreamed of swearing at work, lest a pupil or even a parent were to hear, whereas I’m the first to admit my language was fucking (sorry, couldn’t help myself!) appalling once I’d been working in a builders merchants for a while! There was absolutely nothing any of us could say in that yard which would’ve raised an eyebrow from colleagues. Even then tho, you’d gauge it a bit on your audience. Dave, the customer who comes in every week and stays for the social, not going to care about swearing. Mrs Bucket, a lady who’s come in to look at tiles, probably going to be upset by a c-bomb.
i don’t think I could get wound up over someone sort of swearing at their computer.

SlatternIsMyMiddleName · 03/10/2022 19:52

I work in a very respectful type profession, but when the clients can’t hear us we swear like troopers.