When you were younger four letter words were countered with threats of washing out your mouth with soap. For some people it comes naturally in a moment of stress or anxiety, for others with the maturity of a 5th grader, it’s their way to look cool amongst their peers. Much like the reprimands we received in our youth cursing can still be punished, only now the punishment is much more severe: getting fired from your job.
According to a CNN and Careerbuilder.com article, the workplace is a constant judgment zone in terms of your work performance and cursing is seen as an aggressive, unprofessional form of self-expression. Jobs that require more constant interaction with customers are particularly harsh when it comes to foul-mouthed employees but there are repercussions for every career.
The article sites four potential impacts of cursing on your job that could potentially lead to termination.
1. Unprofessional Attitude
We’ve all had jobs where the days are long and the nights are boring and cursing about it only brings you closer with your co-workers, many of whom are probably your age. But when starting up a career, this is not the first impression you want to give. Cursing gives off the impression that you are unprofessional and immature.
2. Prevent real communication
Though cursing may be commonplace for some, others are genuinely made uncomfortable by it. The extreme language of profanities may make it difficult for people to take you seriously and even more difficult for them to understand what you are actually trying to say. If you always curse your co-workers may be turned off to working with you causing serious problems for group or team projects.
3. Ruin your Image
It doesn’t matter if you work the hardest, achieve the most and show up early every day – cursing can still tarnish your good image. Curse words are seen as detrimental to building a professional image and can undermine your credibility amongst your superiors and your co-workers.
4. Human Resources
If you think your potty mouth is going unnoticed, think again. Reprimands can often sneak up on you. Though you may not be getting a flood of complaints about your language, Human Resources might be and could result in an official warning or even termination. Though sometimes it cannot be helped, cursing is better left out of the workplace.
