Swearing In The Workplace

Swearing at Work: Where do you draw the line?

Swearing is relatively common in the modern workplace. Workers become frustrated over various things or at people, people get hurt, and anger sometimes occurs in the workplace.

Using some foul language is almost always part of the general workplace culture, but when it is deemed offensive enough to warrant termination? Where should employers draw the line?

Factors that affect swearing in the workplace

• The culture of the workplace – i.e. how common is swearing

• How is the swearing used – is it a verbal attack or used to only add colour to a statement

Workplace Culture

Workplace culture is often determined by the type of workplace. For instance, transport, mines, and factories are businesses

Smith, the employee, was terminated for swearing at his supervisor via a series of phone conversations. The commission found that his language didn’t warrant termination, though they acknowledged that it was unacceptable behaviour. The bottom line is that it isn’t uncommon for swearing to occur in that industry and firing him was deemed unfair by the Commission.

Verbal Attacks

In the Smith v Aussie Waste Management Pty Ltd case, the Fair Work Commission also deemed that Mr. Smith’s bad language wasn’t a verbal or physical attack on his supervisor.

When the swearing is part of a verbal or physical attack on another coworker or supervisor, then it is an acceptable reason to fire an employee.

• The Fair Work Commission was the Horner v Kallis Bros Pty Ltd case in 2016. In this situation, Mr. Horner used the f-bomb numerous times directed at his supervisor even after asked to stop swearing. Even though the Commission recognized that swearing is part of this work culture, they deemed Mr. Horner’s foul language as abusive towards his supervisor, which constitutes disciplinary action, which in this case was dismissal from his job. One of the determining factors was how the f-word was not used only as an adjective, but in an obviously aggressive manner towards a supervisor. Therefore, his was deemed fair by the