One afternoon late last week, I headed out for my afternoon run. While stopped at a busy NYC street corner, three young men, who were in deep conversation, approached. Within a matter of seconds, each one of the young men dropped the F-bomb. Each uttered it in a manner that was audible to me as well as to several others, including an elderly woman, who was certainly old enough to be one of the gentlemen’s grandmother, and a child in a stroller.

 

I’m no prude. I know what the F-word means. And I know how to use it in context.  I’m simply alarmed at how thoroughly this word now permeates our daily discourse.

 

Ironically, the F-word, which once carried with it some shock value, is now so thoroughly over-used that it rarely shocks anyone. It does, however, further coarsen our work worlds and the communities in which we live. 

 

For managers, there’s an additional reason to limit the use of obscene language within your office. According to one employment lawyer, virtually every discrimination case includes a claim about foul language in the workplace. The employee who casually drops the F-bomb at work potentially creates a “hostile work environment.”

 

Let’s all put a stop to its use now.