Obscenity rules: Swear to resist

What’s the big deal? Obscene conduct simply reflects today’s culture, right? People are less polite; language and behavior are coarser; and the penalties for profanity have seemingly vanished. As a financial advisor, why not just swear with the best of them? Because it erodes your reputation, pure and simple.

According to a recent Skillbuilder.com survey, 64 percent of employers said they’d think less of an employee who repeatedly used curse words, and 57 percent said they’d be less likely to promote someone who swore in the office.

In addition to those problems, James V. O’Connor of the Cuss Control Academy says swearing makes people unpleasant to be with. It shows they lack self-control or have a bad attitude. And it makes them come across as immature, ignorant and lacking in character. Add to those disadvantages the exacerbation of incivility and the corruption of the English language.

But perhaps the biggest negative argument is legal. Repeated profanity, along with ridicule or insults, can produce a so-called “hostile workplace.” When unprofessional conduct is directed at a member of a protected class such as women, minorities, or members of various religions, the targets may have grounds to sue under federal and state antidiscrimination laws.

So what to do about swearing at work? If you’re the boss, simply take steps to change the culture: 

• Prohibit all racial, ethnic, religious and gender-based slurs, as well as slang that describes sexual acts, body parts and bodily functions.
• Impose disciplinary measures against staff who break the rules.
• Be a role model by elevating how you express yourself at work. If you engage in vulgarity, how can you expect others to clean up their own acts?
• If you’re not the boss, tell colleagues swearing offends you and ask them to stop.

Bottom line: Highly-paid football players may get away with obscene antics, but today’s financial advisors don’t have that luxury. Athletes might get benched, but advisors will harm their reputations and potentially lose business as a result.  And who the @#&* needs that?