Cursing at Work Could Crush Your Career

Hey, this isn't a bunch of politically correct &%$#, so be careful what you say—and how you say it—or you could face consequences at work. Yet, even with the potential for negative outcomes, the majority of employees say they swear in the office, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder. They do this even though most bosses say such behavior, ahem, "speaks" badly and could lead to a missed opportunity to advance within the company—despite the fact that many of those same bosses admit to letting loose with profanities on the job. In addition to calling such behavior professionally inappropriate, many employers say they associate cursing with a lack of control and even a lack of intelligence. So the best rule of thumb remains: When in doubt, find a kinder, gentler way to express yourself. Nearly 2,300 U.S. hiring managers and human resources professionals and 3,900 U.S. workers took part in this research.