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!

Buy her a copy of “swearing is good for you”

@LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD I'm on the Sales team 😁 I love getting together with marketing. They're fucking wild.

AIBU to think she can’t police other adults language

YABU actually

all she needs to do is to point out the one time someone swore loudly whilst another team member was on the phone with a client, and that it's not acceptable.

I know sales team swear, and loudly, but when you start being overhead on the phone, it has to stop. I am not sure how you can defend your right to swear in an office to be honest.

Who is she, the Queen or something.

I bet the Queen swears like fuckery.

OMG I can't stand people policing swearing by other adults!! It's pathetic! I had a woman (the sister of another friend) comment on a facebook comment I had made in a conversation between me and my friend with "Language!". I nearly wrote" Mind your own fucking business!".

I think you should just swear as normal and if she says something tell her you don't feel comfortable being policed.

I work in a school office with around four others. Whilst we'd never swear in front of kids or parents there is no way we could go swear free. It's not like we're throwing cunts around all over the place but 'bloody hell ' 'for fuck sake' (generally at the computer) and 'that's bollocks!' are all pretty commonplace

I have never worked anywhere that people swore in the office with any regularity. A word might sneak out on extremely rare occasion, but that is like a once every few years occurrence. Swearing at work is extremely unprofessional. So who cares if there is a ban or not, act like a professional and speak appropriately.

My workplace is very sweaty. Had someone at my last base who "didn't like it". Everyone swore as usual and just said sorry at the end.

I still sometimes "fucking bollocks sorry".

I used to work next to a woman that swore constantly, constant stream of "fuck this, fuck that"
It was really unprofessional and horrible to listen to. She didn't even let up when there was visitors or clients in.
I wish we'd had a swearing ban there.

Do what my son does and think of words that sound like swear words but are not. So when I’m downstairs and my son say “oh fudging hell” he gets a shout up the stairs as my convinced he’s said ducking hell. He probably has and just tells me he says fudging but you could do the same.

I think there’s a time and place for everything but a potty mouth is not the end of the world.

Swearing at work is extremely unprofessional.

Not where I work it's not. We're a very hard working team with highly specialised skills, delivering a very professional service to our institution. The fact that I occasionally quite often say 'for fucks sake' doesn't mean I'm not doing a good job.

No one swears when we have someone external in the office, or in front of students, or if someone's on the phone obviously.

Tbh you'd have you check the Hr policy of behaviour in the office. If there is a rule on swearing you can't fight the woman.
But it is a load of shit and if I did swear and she said something like "language please" I would say I am an adult and will swear if I choose to.

I am damned if I'm going to tell my extremely senior boss not to swear, lol. I would have lost my head and my job. I don't tell other people that they must use certain words, or that they must not. I kind of expect them to respect my personal autonomy and adult privilege to the same extent.

I get why people would discourage swearing. Not everyone is okay with it and some people are offended. That being said, if you’re having a professional discussion with someone who doesn’t mind and you happen to say, “Nah, that’s shit”, and she butts in, I would have a word and explain that a professional discussion between two adults doesn’t need her input or oversight.

Surely you wouldn't swear at your interview so why would you swear once you've got the job?

Couldn't agree more bettys. It isn't about the ability to swear specifically, more the principle. If the colleague were to explain to OP that she really hates swearing and ask as a favour, that would be one thing, but allowing oneself to be ordered around by someone who has assumed authority they don't actually have is asking for future trouble.

She wins because really swearing at work isn't ok so you can get in trouble. Id be sacked, I swear a lot 😂

I’m happy to rein in cunts and twats and cocks and wankers. Could probably give up fuck.

But crap, bloody and damn?! Hell motherfucking no

Yeah, she is being ridiculous and controlling.

Actually, I did pull in the extremely senior boss on the cunts. Explained that pretty much everything else, people could accept on some level, but that one, for some reason, could make people break out in hives, especially the women who really should have taken her vows out front who was really lovely and would never say a word, and really could we just be a little bit kind there. (His wife thanked me for it. . .)

Surely you wouldn't swear at your interview so why would you swear once you've got the job?

exactly

I don't think you have any leg to stand on if you try to defend your right to swear in the work place, and prove how not offensive the language is.

Interviews are best behaviour. Not just the interviewee, but the interviewer. This person is not senior. She's just trying to impose her own personal preferences on her work colleagues.

Two of my colleagues are deaf, they have taught me and my boss to swear in British Sign Language. In your situation, I would learn it, your colleague would have no idea.