No cussing at work

Lady Slipper- Agreed that if it is company policy, than company policy must be followed. I'm assuming with a zero tolerence policy if one of your customer service reps slips (no matter where in the company he is as-break room, etc) that he is automatically terminated? I'm not sure how I feel without a due process. Namaste-Anora

Ladyslipper- Thanks so much for sharing your Due Process. I was hoping your company had one, as most do. It's very similar to what I've seen in my teaching field. Namaste-Anora

It does not mean once the employee was caught cussing at work she/ he gets automatically terminated. We have a due process for that. We have what we call progressive Disciplinary Action. Saying profanity is penalized by Termination. However, the immediate Supervisor should be able to furnish documents showing that the employee has been given lesser penalty before for the same offense. It's like this way: * 1st Offense: Counseling * 2nd Offense: Verbal Warning * 3rd Offense: Written Warning * 4th Offense: Dismissal The employee will undergo an Administrative Hearing and during the hearing the Notice of Disciplinary Action served to the employee which she/ he has signed showing she/ he was given above penalties should be presented by the Management. After the Hearing the Operations Management together with the HR Management will serve the sanction or terminate the employee if that's the decision. Our company is still obliged to abide to our country's Labor Code. The company does not want to risk getting sued by an employee for termination without valid reason or due process. That's why we are very careful when it comes to terminating an employee.

Jenny- That's a good point. Some people use profane language with those they are friends with, yet not in the work place. However, if you are friends with someone in the work place and swear in the break room, would that be breaking company policy? It's a good question! Namaste-Anora

I follow you. I guess, from the company side, it is still cussing thus breaking the rule. Some rules are ambiguous, needs a judge or a referee in the office.

I believe that it is best to encourage people to do good by giving rewards and incentives. And it is just as good to keep one from swearing by having a cuss jar. I watched Rachel Ray one episode and there was an actress who swore alot (of course, they bleeped out the cuss words(, and every time she came out with a naughty rate, she had to put a penny in the cuss jar. Might have worked better if she had to put in a hundred dollar bill, don't you think?

Suspenseful- Great thoughts! I agree that incentives for employees who were once daily users of profanity and now are only the every so often should receive an incentive to keep it that way. As a teacher I had a cuss jar which I used as incentive. I also had a candy jar for students who met with those requirements. Namaste-Anora

Scarlet- It's been my experience that kids are going to pick up things even if we don't want them too! LOL I suppose some poor mom though who has never heard her child drop a cuss word got the startle of their life! However, that's the job of us as parents right, to set our children straight? A friend of mine from England recently reminded me to not coddle my children because if we teach them how to respond to said things they will make the right decisions. Namaste-Anora

Dawn- I've often wondered that too. In a place I worked they had our every move tracked, so if I went on my own time after school hours to send an email from yahoo, they were able to track that and I'm not sure how that sort of advanced spying is legal. Who knows right? Thanks for stopping by. Namaste-Anora

That was how it was at my last job. Anything we wrote was property of the company.

CE- Agreed that it seems more rampant in some industries than in others, but none the less does set the tone of the company. I'm not sure of the legalities of emails, but I assume too that they would be considered property of the company as well. Namaste-Anora

Sudipta- Interesting point of view. I suppose I'm so used to my emails in the teaching field being school property that I never thought about it, or questioned it. I'm not sure though about your comments on "double standards". Just because we know it exists that teachers are expected to be sober and laborors allowed to cuss, why does that not make it a double standard? It seems the very definition of a double standard. Namaste-Anora

Pose- I suppose it may very well be "generational", though considering the F word dates back to the Victorian era, I find that difficult to fully be the blame. I will agree though that such language is far more accessible via our current technology, and such words have become second nature to us as a society. I have to say, even though I'm trying to cut back and end my use all together, I have heard even teachers swear. However, you have a point about monitoring emails. I used to send my mom emails from work and soon found I had to be very careful what I spoke about, because even if I was using a secondary email, there were programs on our system that allowed the principal to know exactly what we we were doing. A bit much when I did it after hours. Namaste-Anora

Dragon- It is definately sad when you see parents allowing their children to swear. We know our own children have used an inappropriate word because we used it, but if we hear it we stop them and explain to them why it is wrong, and why mommy and daddy should not be using them either. Now our oldest who is four tomorrow will stop us and say "That's not a nice word. You shouldn't use it". I also used the Bearenstein Bears episode where Sister bear says "Furball" as a teaching tool. And I know how difficult it can be to break. I grew up in a house that swore, well my mother did at least, and I know that is exactly where I learned it. It was more simply a part of the speech that it has been years of conciously working not to say those words that were a part of my entire 18 years at home. However, on the job I have only ever slipped once and with all respect it was because the fire alarm went right off by my ear and we were not given prior notice to the drill. Luckily, I taught high school, and simply dropped my monies into my cuss bucket. Namaste-Anora

Yugasani- I'm not sure why people would use it in their every day work language, other then if something really want wrong or they hurt themselves. Namaste-Anora

Smartie- The article focused primarily on those who work on Wall-Street or in the Money Markets where F-bombs seem to be used like "air". It wasn't that they were doing personal business on company time, they were emailing one another Fbombs when stocks fell, etc. I'm a teacher, and I agree it shouldn't be used, but I've heard it used in the past. I think at times some teachers (coaches) can have mouths as foul as sailors! Though, agreed, it should be saved for private moments. I'm still not sure if I agree fully with a fire policy, but I do agree that in the presence of others we should put our best foot forward. Thanks for stopping by. Namaste-Anore

Dora- That's a great point! I know that even I tend to think of construction workers or so when I think of those who drop the Fbomb at work. I never even thought about the possibility of the doctor doing so, and is anyone really going to fire him for doing so? Good point! Thanks for stopping by. Namaste-Anora

Silver- Well stated. Any new employee to a company would be wise to read through the company's handbook on day one. Namaste-Anora

ptower I agree, it's all in how we grow up and what we are exposed. I personally swear, though I'm trying to break it. I'm a lot better than I was, but I grew up with it. I do not swear at work though, it's unprofessional if you ask me. Thanks again for sharing. Namaste-Anora

Purple- I agree, I'm not surprised. I think though it would be difficult as you mentioned to curb the habit once you've been allowed to do it for so long. Thanks for the comments. Namaste-Anora