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YOUR BO
HOTO
DRESS.
B.VIY GET NEWATAN
S.IIN
IEASBEOMMO
MPLETELY UNNECESSARY.
SUCH POLICY LANGUAGE CODE
OF ETHICS AND HAS BEE
PING IT AROUND TVARI
T
LAGT --ROFESSNAL,URULEE
SSES CAN BE MORE
D ININTHEIRESCT
WORKPLACE.
>> Reporter: THE CODE IS
SIMILAR TOARASS.
TIAG
PNI
ALLOW
EMPLOYEES, EMPYE
GR DISCIPLINEWIS
CAN CESOLICE
SPEECHT WORK?
LABOR ATTORNEY JEFF HIEMS SAYS
CH CHEOU
WHEN THEY ENGAGE I
L
CLEAR-CUT LINKAGE TO WORK
SOME COMPANIES,
STEAD TRYINGT P
COATL ACAMY ANDA,
T
MPSSEOE IN
YOUR
MATURITY, YOUR PROMOTEBILY
THE WAY YOU SPEAK.
>> Reporter: SO'CNOTHREE SIMPLES
CUERD
PRACPA."ND LE
orND PERHAPS BY
COPI■cqó,fóCNG
GAMES.
BUT FIRST, HERE'S RUSS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JULIE.
>>> YOU MAY SOON NEED TO START
WATCHING WHAT YOU SAY AROUND
THE WATER COOLER.
IN LIGHT OF RISING COMPLAINTS
ABOUT OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE
AT THE WORKPLACE, MORE AND MORE
COMPANIES ARE INSTITUTING
A "LANGUAGE CODE OF ETHICS,"
A POLICY WHICHANS SWEARING
AND OTHER CRUDE LANGUAGE.
IN CHICAGO, JAMES O'COORS
THE F "CUSCONTROL: THE
MPTE BOOON HOW TO CURB
YOUR CURSING."
GOOD MORNING, MR. O'CONNOR.
>> GOOD MORNING, RUSS.
>> IS THERE REALLY ANY HARM IN A
FEW FOUL WORDS AROUND THE
WORKPLACE?
>> WELL, THERE CAN BE.
AND IT OFTEN DEPENDS ON WHO[.xt(
SAYING THE WORDS, WHY AND WHO
HEARS THEM.
E IRPUTERAUGHHEN YOU HEA
BUT DONAUGH WHEN THEY
SWEAR AT YOU.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT
SITUATIONS.
>> WHY YOU TO THINK THE
WORKPLACE ANTI-CUSSING
REGULATIONS ARE POPPING UP MORE
AND MO?
>> I THINK THE SWEARING IS
LEADING TO LARGER PROBLEMS, SUCH
AS *** HARASSMENT AND
VIOLENCE AND EVEN
DISCRIMINATION.
Y'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE
CAREFUL NOW.
>> A RECENT SURVEY FOUND THAT
43% OF POSTAL WORKERS REPORTED
BEING CURSED AT THE WORKPLACE.
THESE DAYS, JUST HOW COMMON IS
CURSING ON THE JOB?
>> WELL, INMEPANIES IT IS
SO COMMO IHINK IF
FOR A JOB THERE, YOU BETTER HAVE
SWEARING ON YOUR RESUME.
IT'S GOTTEN OUT OF HAND IN
CERTAIN PLACES.
IN OERS, IT IS GRADUALLY
CREEPING INTO THE EVERYDAY
CONVERSATION AND ALSO
REPRESENTING A REALLY NEGATIVE
ATTITUDE IN MANY CASES, A LOT OF
ANGER, FRUSTRATION, IRRITATION,
HOSTILITY AND BELLIGERENCE AS
WELL.
>> NOT EVERYONE SUPPORTS THE
ANTI-CURSING POLICIES.
IN ALBANY, NEW YORK, TIMOTHY JAY
IS A PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR
AND THE AUTHOR OF A BOOK CALLED
"WHY WE CURSE."
MR. JAY, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> I'M DARN GLAD TO BE HE.
>> YOU ARE NOT A BIG FAN OF
THESE POLICIES.
WHY NOT?
>> NO, I THINK YOU SHOULD -- WE
SHOULD LOOK AT WHAT IS IT ABOUT
J IS CAUSING PEOPLE
TO BE ANGRY OR STRESSE OUT.
THIS IS FOCUS ON PEOPLE AS IF
THEY'RE DEFECTIVE IS WRONG.
AS IF WE WANT ALL OF OUR WORKERS
TO BE PASSIVE, OWE BAD ANT
WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE --
YESTERDAY WAS THE FOURTH OF
JULY.
LIFE, LIBERTY, THE PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS.
I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE LAWS IN
PLACE FOR HARASSMENT AND
DISCRIMINATION.
AND POLICING PEOPLE'S'S MOTIONS
AT WORK IS ONLY GOING TO MAKE
L YOU THINK, YOU
HAVE SPENT SE 30 YEARS
STUDYING CUSSING, IF I CAN SAY
THAT.
WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE CURSE AT
WORK?
>> WELL, IT IS THE WAY WE
EXPRESS OURHAT WE
EXPERIENCE JOY, FRUSTRATION,
ANGER AND THESE THINGS CROP UP
AT WORK.
AND THIS LANGUAGE -- WE'VE
EVOLVED TO RATHER THAN EXPRE
OURSELF PHYSICALLY BY FIGHTING
AND BG AND SCRATCHING PEOPLE
THIS LANGUE ALLOWS US TO VENT
THOSE EMOTIONS, YOU KNOW, IN
KIND OF A HARMLESS WAY.
>> YOU SAY THERE IS SOME
BENEFITS IN SOME RESPECT?
>> YES.
PEOPLE TELL ME -- I HEAR THIS
ALL THE TIME, THAT PEOPLE FEEL
BETTER WN THEY VENT.
AND I THINK IT IS BETTER TO GET
THESE THINGS OUT AT WORK EVEN IF
YOU'RE ANGRY AT SOMEONE AND YOU
EXPRESS THAT AND THEN RESOLVE
YOUR ISSUES, IT IS BETTER DO
THAT THAN TO TAKE THAT OUT INTO
THE CAR OR TAKE IT HOME WHERE
YOU BLOW UP AT YOUR FAMILY.
>> JAME OWES CONNER -- LET ME
BRING HIM BK INTO THIS FOR A
SECOND.
ONE POLICY PROHIBITS THE USE OF
UNWANTED, DELIBERATE, REPEATED,
UNSOLICITED PROFANITY, CUSSING,E
OR CRUDE LANGUAGE.
THESE RUL MORK THE
COTAIL PARTY O YOUR
GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE BUT MAYBE
WHY DO YOU THINK SOMEONE SHOULD
LOSE THEIR JOBS FOR SLIPPING UP
NOW AND THEN?
>> I DON'T THINK IT IS A
QUESTION OF SLIPPING UP NOW AND
THEN.
IT IS REALLY EXCESSIVE PROFANITY
THAT IS THE PROBLEM.
REPEATED PROFANITY THAT IS
DISRUPTING THE OFFICE OR MAYBE
STERS ARE HEARING IT.
AGAIN, THERE IIFFERENT TYPES
OF SITUATIONS.
IT CAN BE VERY RELAXED, VY
CASUAL LANGUAGE, BUT IT CAN ALSO
BE VERY HARMFUL AND DAMAGING.
AND TIMOTHY JAY SAYS PEOPLE ARE
VENTING THEIR ANGER, BUT I THINK
SOME PEOPLE ARE VENTING
SOMETHING WITH EVERY OTHER
SENTENCE.
I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SCREAM BE
STREAK BECAUSE THEY RAN OUT OF
STAPLES.
AGAIN, WE'RE OVERDOING IT.
THAT'S THE ISSUE.
>> MR. O'CONNOR, GIVE ME TWO
TIPS ON HOW YOU STOP PEOPLE FROM
CUSSING.
>> THEY SIMPLY HAVE TO LEARN T
COPE AND NOT CUSS.
THAT'S PART OF IT.
THAT TAKES WORK.
YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME.
YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE, ALSO,
THAT IT DOES DO SOME DAMAGE TO
THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND TO
YOUR OWN RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE
PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH
>> AND MR. JAY, DO YOU THINK
THESE POLICIES ARE GOING TO
WORK?
>> NO.
WE'RE EMOTIONAL, PASSIONATE
PEOPLE.
AND YOU DROP SOMETHING ON YOUR