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Ilkley firm's survey finds the air is blue in most workplaces

Tuesday, 11 February 2025 16:00

52% said they hear swearing every day in the workplace

A survey by an Ilkley law firm has revealed that more than half of workers hear swearing every single day in their workplaces.

LCF Law asked 100 people across a number of industries and sectors, how common swearing is in their workplace. A total of 52% said they hear swearing every day, 26% said it’s a couple of times a week, 10% said they hear it a couple of times a month and 12% reported that they never hear anyone swearing at work.

The survey was carried out following a recent employment tribunal where 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.

Employment law advisor, Brendan Bah (pictured above), from LCF Law, explained: “The tribunal last November ruled that the employee was unfairly dismissed and could be entitled to compensation.

“However, as well as suggesting that using the F-word is common in the North of England, the judge also highlighted the workplace was lawless and toxic where swearing was the norm, with a dysfunctional team led by managers who were part of the problem. And it was these issues that led to the dismissal being deemed to be unfair.

“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.

“It’s important that managers and HR teams have the knowledge and support needed when dealing with complaints, disciplinaries and grievances. This is why we launched LCF Works, an expert employment law and HR advice package that assists companies with employment issues whenever they arise, providing unlimited telephone and written advice as well as support with drafting and implementing policies and procedures.

“For businesses that don’t have a dedicated HR provision, it’s still important that they can deal with issues when they arise, and external support can often be required. As such, our experienced team are also able to offer in-house support, including conducting meetings and hearings on our client’s behalf, or running bespoke training sessions for managers, ensuring that straightforward issues don’t become a costly and time-consuming headache.”

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