AIBU: swearing ban at work

[JammieJones]

We’ve all recently been moved around offices and I’ve ended up in an office which has a swearing ban. I’d been there 2 hours when I was told by member of staff that she doesn’t like swearing and doesn’t want it in her office. I hadn’t sworn she was just letting me know.

We are the same level at work and after asking other members of staff who’ve worked with her for a long time she really really hates swearing and pulls people up on it.

Fair enough she doesn’t want people screaming fucking cuntbadger across the office but crap, damn and bloody are also on the banned list.

I realise I’ve come into “her” office but AIBU to think she can’t police other adults language (especially as we are all the same grade). I don’t particularly like the egg sandwiches she eats every day but I’m not going to ban them!

DS worked at a news desk too. I was watching glengarry glen ross and thought it rather tame.

Am a sweary Irish descended colleagues and swear a bit less at work than when with mates but agree with pp that it's the intention that matters entirely. 'This printer can get to fuck' is way different from 'you can get to fuck'. I couldn't help notice that the one or two colleagues over the years who have tried a 'language' ban were also kinda mean and prissy had sticks up their arses and spent loads of time being bitchy in corners about their colleagues. I think swear words can happily co-exist with amazing customer service standards and sometimes no other words are a good enough substitute for the daily frustrations of work life!

well swearing is hardly professional is it

well swearing is hardly professional is it
In moderation behind closed doors then it's probably not the end of the world, but routine use of more coarse language in any non-client facing area is the sort of thing that feels unnecessary in the workplace in my opinion.

I like a good swear as much as the next person but do find the over use of swear words to be tiresome .

I hate it when I see the C word on mumsnet.

It's pretty much the only place I see it. I frequent several predominantly male forums, British, Australian and American, and it isn't used at all on those. In my experience, the language used on MN is worse than anywhere else on the internet or real life

Sorry OP, I agree with other posters, I'd swear even more, and next time she very patronisingly says 'language' and say 'fuck off' in exactly the same tone.

Sake I work in open plan office in NHS. And if I cannae call some situations fucking cunts then how will my colleagues know the seriousness of the situation?

People saying it's hardly professional. Well neither is standing about chatting having a cuppy. Or standing outside your work having a fag. Or wearing something quite laid back for work as opposed to a suit, dress etc.

So no, it's not professional to swear in the rise tinted glass world of "working" but reality..is very, very different.
I don't understand how people can't fathom what type of work place you'd swear in.
I work in an office of engineers and planners...there's alot of swearing. It doesn't mean they are any less of a good worker than people that don't swear.

Where I live, swearing is part of the local lingo in certain parts. My MIL swears more than anyone I know, but it isn’t ever offensive. It’s just part of how she talks. DH is the same. It’s totally normal.

@CustardySergeant, thank you, I love gruntfuttock, my mum used to use it and I've been introducing it to my family over the last few weeks, and I had no idea where it came from.

This would make me want to swear more... I'm that grown up.

I can't upload pics at the moment but my friend had a similar dictator in her office and her work mug simply said "I'm not feeling very talky today, off you fuck."

She'd just hold it up and point at it in protest occasionally.

Two words: fuck that.

I can't imagine the mindset of someone who would try to dictate how other people speak.

Whisky2014
There's always a bit of judgement involved on the workplace.

Personally, mild profanities not in front of clients should be ignored because otherwise its just up tight like the woman in the OP.

For more coarse language, it's a bit more grey. Personally whilst I like a good strong, I find coarse language in every other sentence to be awful and pointless (vs coarse language for meaningful emphasis or humour) and think that in the workplace or elsewhere. When overused it's just dull and unimaginative, so I would struggle not to roll my eyes if I had to work with someone who said 'morning it's Friday, I fucking need a cup of fucking coffee before I have to meet a cunting cunt' every 5 minutes.

I'd start swearing in another language just for the sheer hell of it.
If she's offended by even the mildest swearing I think she's got problems.
I think you all need to start swearing and lots. If one of you does it then she can pull them up on it but if it's everyone she'll find out she's outnumbered and will just give up. If she tried to report the whole office for it to your superiors they'll think she's a nut case. As long as it's not in front of the public or customers who gives a.....!
It kind of reminds me of the Monty Python sketch about words not allowed on the BBC. "Semprini?" "OUT!"

Yeah I would totally obey the rules on actual swear words that I don’t normally use you know the worst ones. But things like bloody and crap and damn? She can sod it. I would tell her that of course I respect her up to a point and won’t go saying fucking shitting cunt in the office but saying damn and crap is going to happen.

If you are asking this questions on this forum you clearly are looking for support fir you own swearing as you will have seen in the early responses on here it's full of swearing. Is it really necessary for you to swear, practicing a little self discipline you might find helpful. Do you best to respect her request when you fail apologise.

YANBU. But I don't swear in the office as it's unprofessional (and our office is rather quiet). Just my choice.
She must be a prude with her idea of swearing including those mild words

I'd take up cross stitch at lunchtime if I had to work with someone that uptight www.facebook.com/profanityembroiderygroup/

I mean, fine not to swear AT people in the office, and fucks and cunts are obviously not welcome everywhere, but not to be able to Bloody Hell when you staple your finger? That can fuck right off.

I work in a very large open plan office. Swearing would be considered very unprofessional and nobody does it. The odd 'bloody' might slip out but that's it. I do swear a bit under my breath though. But I don't know anyone in my life who uses the word cunt and I'd hate to work somewhere where it was said often.

Not rtft, but when she goes 'language' just reply 'English' or if you want to really annoy her 'f-ing English'.

Stock up on sweary mugs!

There’s a place in wales where the common greeting translates to roughly alright cunt or hello cunt.
Sone of you should for sure avoid 😂

But some situations need swears.
What does she do then?
What a poor and dull life she must lead.

DocusDiplo

* What type of places do those of you in sweary places work in out if interest?? *

Probation. We swear a lot. And talk about octopus porn.