This is exactly my point. What makes you “uncomfortable” isn’t sexual harrassment IMHO. If you don’t like the way someone looks at you, tell them. If you don’t like their language, tell them that as well. Running to a lawyer crying “harrassment” because of looks or language just bring more frivilous law suits.
Too many people expect the world to revolve around them and their personal comfort zone. If you don’t like the mannerisms of the people at work, you have the right to work elsewhere. Why should others change for you?
I have to agree. Some people say there are times when the f-word is the only suitable expression to use, but I think that indicates a lack of creativity.
I believe there are certain basic expectations of behavior from people in certain settings. I agree that I am much more sensitive than most, but there’s got to be a line that represents the very minimum to expect.
When telling someone doesn’t change the behavior, then what? Endure it or quit? Why should I have to do that when the behavior is unacceptable and they are the ones who have messed up?
I’m talking something more grievous than the language I hear at work.
Profanity etiquette is a feature of company culture, different at every workplace and as noted often varying within small areas or departments.
I worked at a startup company where management was trying to grapple with the varying attitudes towards profanity and decided to officially discourage it by imposing fines at meetings, $1 per word. There were receptacles in every conference room labeled “FUCK CAN.”
We also fined each other $1 per minute for being late to meetings and those funds went into the same can. You could be pretty sure that when someone was a couple of minutes late and entered the room with everyone looking at the clock they would compound their debt with a verbal ejaculation.
Occasionally, when a meeting was getting heated someone would stand up, take out their wallet and peel off a twenty, walk over to the fuck can and drop it in, then come back to the table and express themselves.
The money funded some very extravagant parties, and everyone seemed pleased with the arrangement.
But isn’t that exactly what those who want to swear freely also think? That other should just put up with it, because it’s what the swearer wants to do? And the world revolves around what the swearer wants to do?
What happens if they get into the habit of using cuss words and then inadvertantly use one in front of a client (in a formal or informal situation)?
This is a business enviroment and swearing really doesn’t have a place. It doesn’t have anything to do with people being uncomfortable or whatnot. It is business. Do and say what you want on your own time, not on company time.
Gigi, I think you need to talk to your immediate supervisor about this. He or she would be the one to correct this problem. They may not even realize they are doing it all that much and a gentle prod may be all that is needed. And you are right about work being a fake enviroment.
Point taken, featherlou, and tell my sister I said Hi 
Walloon makes a good point. We are a society where we expect everyone to cater to us. We have no consideration for others. We are rude. And as much as people say it, we continue to be rude.
And THEN, if someone points it out after, say, you cut in front of someone in line, a blank look comes over their face as if to say “Who are you to say I am rude?”
The guys may come back with “Who are you to tell us what we can and can’t do? You don’t make the rules.”
I think it is a shame our society has come down to this.
You make some good points for a cow. Good thing they’re not MOOt.
(Ah, I slay me.)
(Jacob, I had to think there for a moment - “Sister? What? Oh, yeah.”)
In my workplace it’s not a matter of cow-orks getting offended, but that in a call center any expletive has a very good chance of being overheard by a customer, which is Not Good. Recently a couple of people on my team were getting a bit too exuberant and the colorful language was flying down the wrong headsets, oops. So I instituted the no swear zone and I’m bringing in a swear jar–five cents per syllable and f-bombs are automatically a quarter. The team is taking it in good spirits, as they usually do, and they’re coming up with some very cute and creative euphemisms… Of course, since I won’t let them cut loose I can’t do it either, which is all the better since I really ought to be setting a good example.
It’s a cultural thing–the words are nothing in themselves but as long as some of your client base thinks it’s bad you’ll have to refrain from using certain terms and phrases.
Agnes? Nipple! 
Sure. But society writ large sets those standards – you don’t, unless you own the company.
Again, sure there is. No walking around the office without pants. No urinating in the coffepot. No grabbing the cute secretary’s ass when she drops off you mail. But once again, you don’t get to set the standards; that’s society’s job.
Well, what behavior? People saying fuck? Yes. Suck it up or go somewhere more palatable. Because like I said, your preferences notwithstanding, it’s perfectly acceptable in a professional setting, within certain limitations. If you’re talking about something else, like your coworkers urinating in the coffeepot, then you have options. But complaing to HR or the EEOC because someone says a word you don’t like makes you a narc, a prude, and someone others aren’t going to be interested in working with.
I fell I’m beating a dead horse here, but you do not get to decide what things are unacceptable. You can decide with you find unacceptable, of course, and, if it continues, you can refuse to accept it – by leaving, if that’s the only thing that works. But behavior isn’t wrong because gigi doesn’t like it.
–Cliffy
And society write large says it is unprofessional to use language like that in a business setting. As the majority here have said.
Obviously, if it was not just acceptable, but “perfectly” acceptable, there would be no discussion here.
And it isn’t right just because Cliffy says it is.
My thinking is, that the less things you are offended by, the less power people will have over you.
If the OP confronts her co-workers, they will gain the power to offend her whenever they want and to know that what they are say is actually offending her.
You have to really think about whether it is worth telling people what annoys you and if telling them your weakness will really make them stop or just make things worst for you.
Interesting.
I work in the clinical research/statistics/reporting end of the pharmaceutical industry and at least in my immediate orbit nobody uses “fuck” or “shit” at work. Ever. Period. And this is in the middle of NYC.
Male to female ratio, I’d say, at my level it’s maybe 2/3 women maybe a little more. There are a lot of women in middle and upper management, too, but not as many.
It’s also a pretty international group, so that might have something to do with it.
Swearing’s just not part of the culture around here.
Just MHO, but I’d argue that it’s probably more your company culture. The profanity flies rather freely in my workplace in an entertaining variety of accents - my colleagues are mostly British, Commonwealth and American, and I’d guess that the male-female ratio is about even - but then I work in a newsroom.
Yes language is a beautiful and powerful thing, but we give it that power.
I don’t believe swearing shows a lack of creativity, in fact I know many creative professionals who swear all the time, and creatively so.
I also don’t believe that swearing is necessarily unprofessional, that’s a subjective call. It may be unsuitable for many professions, but not all.
However I do believe that no one should have to feel uncomfortable in the work place. Seems like there those who prefer either extreme. Common sense should dictate that swearing as outburt of frustration or pain is acceptable, but swearing in place of pauses between words spoken is just verbal farting and that stinks. “pass the fucking report” is offensive, as oppossed to “Fuck, someone help, SHIT! the copier is spewing toner everwhere!”, which IMO should be acceptable, if not very funny.
True enough. But I’m not saying it, I’m reporting it. And in my experience, four-letter words are a pretty standard occurance.
–Cliffy
Creative? How so?
I see nothing creative about using the F-word when you feel angry or frustrated.