Profanity In The Workplace

I’ve been on Bozeman radio for almost 14 years. Before I started I did use profanity in the workplace, home, and sometimes in public with friends.

I'm not particularly proud of that but I think I should point it out before going further.

When I started radio I stopped profanity altogether. I didn’t want profanity to become such a habit, or so commonplace in my speech, that it would slip out over the airwaves without my even being aware of it.

Social Media Profanity

Social media has made it much easier to use profanity in public. More people will unfriend you on Facebook for your point of view than for your use of the “F” word.

It used to be against the law to use profanity in public. It may still be for all I know. But it’s obviously not enforced.

I see T-Shirts in public that proudly profess the owners point of view profanely with little to zero complaint from anyone.

An unpleasant look might be the extent of any disapproval of the profane message.

Workplace Profanity

If your CEO uses profanity and it offends you — what are your options? The most obvious — work elsewhere where the next CEO might be just as bad or worse.

What if a co-worker uses language that offends you? You can certainly complain and alienate that co-worker and possibly others.

If you’re a business owner then you owe it to your company’s reputation to always remain aboveboard — Inside and outside your business.

What you say speaks volumes about who you are.

Use of proper language can be made a condition of employment. Free speech is not any speech.

Some Final Thoughts

Smoking in almost every business is prohibited. Why? Because enough people finally objected to second hand smoke. There’s no smoking in public buildings or bars for the same reason.

While smoking has the obvious health issue attached a case could be made that profanity is unhealthy to your mental state.

If that’s your only way of expressing yourself then you’re going to have a rough time articulating your position to any audience. Unless you do it in a movie.

Where any and all language goes these days. Comments below.