Swearing Is Good For Your Soul
Here’s some good news: British researchers recently released a study claiming that profanity in the workplace can “boost morale and esprit de corps.”
“The study observed workers at a mail-order warehouse in England, which employed 14 people, and six focus groups of 10 to 20 people, two in England and six in the USA,” according to the Eastern Daily Press. “They included full-time and part-time workers in a variety of organisations, ranging from restaurants and retail, to a bank, nursing home and hospital.”
Yehuda Baruch, professor of management at the University of East Anglia, adds, “For some people, the use of profanity is a way to create collegiality. For others, it’s a way to relieve stress.”
The study’s other shocking revelations include the fact that young people tend to swear more often than older folks, and that some people find swearing offensive – Baruch himself, actually. He’s quoted as saying: “Personally, I detest the use of profanity. I don’t use it myself and I think it’s something terrible to do.”
Hmm. If he finds it so appalling, why did he conduct a study on it? In any case, journalists got a little giddy in their coverage of the report; here are a few headlines, courtesy of USA Today:
F-Yeah! Swearing At Work Is OK, Study Finds
Office Expletives: H— Yeah!
That’s for $@#! Sure
What the …? Workplace profanity boosts morale: study
Hey-ho.. It’s eff to work we go
