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17
Feb
More than half of workers hear swearing every day, Harrogate law firm finds
More than half of workers hear swearing every single day in their workplaces, according to a new survey by a Harrogate law firm.
LCF Law asked 100 people across a range of industries and sectors how common swearing is in their workplace.
A total of 52% said they hear swearing every day, 26% said they heard it a couple of times a week, 10% said they hear it a couple of times a month, and just 12% – fewer than one in eight – said they never hear anyone swearing at work.
The survey was carried out following an employment tribunal last year, when the judge stated that swearing is especially common in the north of England.
He made the comment whilst judging that a delivery driver had been unfairly dismissed for swearing at a colleague when he called her a “f****** m***” during a conversation in the office.
Judge Shergill said: “Swearing should not be acceptable in a workplace,” before adding that it was a “common everyday experience, particularly in the North”.
He said:
The claimant had not been pulled up before over comments, and this likely led to a false sense of security in terms of it not being a disciplinary issue.
The free-for-all in the office suggested the claimant was the one who was without a chair when the music stopped.
There was a real sense of him being made an example of, which in the context of the free-for-all office and significant failings in process was unreasonable.
Employment law adviser Brendan Bah, from LCF Law, said the judge had also highlighted that the workplace was lawless and toxic, where swearing was the norm, and a dysfunctional team was led by managers who were part of the problem. And it was these issues that led to the dismissal being deemed to be unfair.
He said:
Our research clearly shows that many other workplaces could find themselves in a similar position where swearing and toxicity is deemed acceptable.
Crucially, it also reinforces the importance of not only having policies and procedures in place, but that when issues arise, they are dealt with correctly, so they don’t become the accepted norm.
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