Don't bring your vices to work, especially if you're in the habit of dropping expletives often, according to findings from a recent survey of more than 2,000 employers — if you don't, it could mean your job.

A survey by theladders.com, a search engine for jobseekers looking for work in the $100,000+ range, shows that 36 percent of employers have issued a formal warning for employees that use swear words while on the job and 6 percent of those bosses have fired employees for the same offense. And, more than 81 percent of employers "find working alongside a foul-mouthed employee unacceptable."

Other fireable offenses include excessive workplace gossip (36.5 percent), drinking while at work (35.2 percent), leaving the office without permission (33.6 percent) and too many personal calls (28 percent).

Though a large portion of employers reported that they would not like to work with someone who constantly uses bad language, there are a few that believe "allowing regular use of profanity builds staff unity," according to a recent article published in the Leadership and Organization Development Journal. The article finds that younger managers find this behavior acceptable as long as employees use the profanity to relieve tension, not create it in the workplace. "As long as employees are swearing, they may not be happy, but they are coping," the article states about employee behavior in high-stress jobs.

Does cursing hamper job performance? Would you consider it a fireable offense? Send your opinion on this topic to cfoster@safnow.org.

 --Cassandra P. Foster
cfoster@safnow.org

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