Management Telling Us No More Cursing

[Dustyroads]

Here's just a hypothetical scenario: let's say there's a supervisor, or another employee that I don't really like, and they are prone to using vulgar language often while we are in the workplace. So, I sceretly bring in a recording device and tape record these outbursts on a dozen different occasions. Maybe I even ask them not to swear, and they persist or belittle me, on tape.

Assume I am secretly thinking of concluding my employment at UPS. After I have gathered my evidence, I file a complaint with the center manager and follow it the next day with a multi-million dollar lawsuit against UPS, along with a complaint with the EEOC, and my resignation, saying that I can no longer tolerate working in this enviornment.

UPS fires a couple people, settles with my attorney for $750,000; he and I split it 66%-34%, and I start collecting my pension, buy a boat, move to the lake.

It's really the liability issue that bothers UPS, not the language. Many supervisors and managers have the worst mouths of all.

In my many years with the company, I've never seen a driver terminated for poor production. However, in the last ten years, I've seen two fired for sexual harassment, in a rather small center.

 

[Catatonic]

In my many years with the company, I've never seen a driver terminated for poor production. However, in the last ten years, I've seen two fired for sexual harassment, in a rather small center.

So you're just figuring out it was never about equality of the sexes but about the women coming in and taking over and changing us males?

You must not be married!

 

[Dustyroads]

The reality is that the laws pertaining to sexual harassment in the workplace didn't exist when I was hired at ups.

As for your last statement, hoax, my marital status can best be understood with this little bit of humor:

A guy goes into the employment office and says, I need a job, I'll take anything you have. The man behind the desk looks through some papers and says, well, all I have is a job down in Florida picking lemons. Can you pick lemons? The man looks at the interviewer and says, can I pick lemons, I've been married five times!

 

[Dfigtree]

The First amendment was established to protect citizens from publicly speaking their objections to our government, not to give free reign to use any kind of language in public.


Here's the First Amendment (Ratified 12/15/1791) to the United States Constitution. It is generally considered to set forth the principal of Freedom of Expression. It is short and sweet. So, go ahead. "Express yourself."

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Of course, as Oliver Wendell Holmes pointed out, you cannot yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater. The First Amendment cannot protect you in this case.

 

[PassYouBy]

So, what words will you use to replace the curse words?

1. ******

2. *******

3. ***********

4. *******

5. ***********

6. *******

Me personally, I think I will try to keep it to a minimum...........



NAH.... **** IT!!!

 

[705red]

Doesn't UPS have anything better to do?

Yes they do, its time to sign up for United Way! If we are not allowed to swear anymore I will need help on how to tell them to go **** themselves!

 

[Mike23]

I'll stop swearing when they stop putting splits on my truck...That's my same deal for donating to united way

Also this is one of my biggest peeves about UPS. They just stomp on rights and freedoms given to us. Yes, it's a FREEDOM of speech and I've yet to find an employee in any work place who doesn't blurt out some form of colorful language.

It sounds like the flavor of the week though. Next week we won't be able to talk about having a REAL female dog at home incase it offends the opposite sex. The week after that we won't be able to talk about steroids in baseball incase it offends some dude in our work place who may have a steroid problem.

 

[swingstress]

Hi all.

I really don't know about the validity of this new code conduct, but I was just told today that starting next week, no one is allowed to speak any obscenities, while on the floor, and doing so can lead to termination. This puzzles me because management curse more than anyone else there. The same sup said that people have already been fired from Cach for this violation. I really hope this isn't true, but if it is, I'm going to ask for a list of words that aren't allowed to be used, AND I want these words brought up to everyone during PCM so there are no mix ups

Almost forgot, he also stated that the reason this rule was enacted was to provide a less intimidating workplace, apparently because they want to hire more women. Anyone else hearing about this?

At my station we curse in front of senior village idiot ie station manager

 

[stevetheupsguy]

At my station we curse in front of senior village idiot ie station manager

Train Station?

 

[upser_J]

its rather amusing since the other day our PCM was about stress and releasing stress! I guess we all need to go get doctor notes saying that swearing helps release anger and stress which is beneficial to my health! I can see the directions on that prescription, swear as much as u like before, during, and after a meal. Swear with or without water. Repeat when necessary. If irritation occurs, swear some more.

 

[over9five]

I dont swear at customers til I drive away.

Ha! Me too, and then I swear lots!

This is what makes us professional drivers!!

 

[Ms.PacMan]

We went thru this a couple years ago and our center manager cowardly used females employees as the reason. He went so far as to say he was doing this for me. Oh, no. I told him he wasn't going to hide behind me.

I've said this in another thread and I told my center manager that as far as I'm concerned we have very stressful jobs and blowing off steam by yelling and swearing might prevent someone from "going postal".

It was a flavor of the month but he gave a second PCM and said that even if the females were okay with it, wouldn't it be nicer if there was less swearing and we should all try. That went over much better and now you rarely hear expletives from supervisors, hourly, males or females in our center.

 

[Brownnblue]

Doesn't UPS have anything better to do?

No more phone calls, we have a winner! I agree 100% especially in the current business climate.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

No more cursing? Well, how about no more spreadsheets for management?

 

[Dfigtree]

So, what words will you use to replace the curse words?

There are no curse words except in the eardrum of the beholder.

Of course you can follow Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart who may be best known for a quotation, or a fragment thereof, from his opinion in the obscenity case of Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964). Stewart wrote in his short concurrence that "hard-core pornography" was hard to define, but that "I know it when I see it."

Maybe you cannot define a curse word but you know when you hear it.

In other words, you can say any friend-in' thing you want if you willing to spend the time and money to get yourself out of the self righteous morass that you have fallen in.

 

[soberups]

We went thru this a couple years ago and our center manager cowardly used females employees as the reason. He went so far as to say he was doing this for me. Oh, no. I told him he wasn't going to hide behind me...

What a cowardly, chauvanistic attitude on his part...to imply that your posession of a uterus requires you to be "protected" from language that would be otherwise unoffensive to someone who lacks said uterus.

We had a guy with an obnoxious potty mouth once who constantly made offensive, sexual comments. One of our women drivers finally called him out on it...right in front of a bunch of guys. She got into his face and told him in a loud, clear voice that he made his stupid jokes because he obviously want getting laid, that he must have a tiny di%$ to be compensating for thru his vulgar humour, and that he needed to grow up and knock it off because she was getting sick of it. She tore him a new one, embarassed him in front of everyone, and put him in his place. She didnt play the victim card or hide behind some corporate PC rule...she took the guy on man to man and verbally kicked his ass. She was 100% in the right, and by handling it herself she earned the respect of all the men there and got the loudmouth to shut his trap for good.

I will admit that in my past I too had some chauvanistic tendencies due to my upbringing, and this incident was a real eye-opener for me personally and forced me to reevaluate my own flawed behaviors and attitudes towards women. That woman did more to straighten out my own wrong thinking than any corporate PC "language police" policy ever would have.

 

[bluehdmc]

Doesn't UPS have anything better to do?

NO!

I guess it will be alot quieter around the NJ Meadowlands building now.

Some people will be practically speechless.

While I admit to saying a few friend**s etc. I really think it is unprofessional, and was kinda shocked when I first came to work here and heard some managers whose every 3rd word was friend* this, getting these friend*ing trailers off the doors, so we can get the friend*ing mother boxes on, etc, Certain NJ dispatchers also come to mind.
I've found personally, if I start talking like that at work, I talk like that in my off time, so I try to avoid that kind of speech.

Really is swearing constantly really necessary?
If you got in the habit of it, would you like someone talking like that around your children? Having a child years ago helped clean up my language.
It also helped clean up my mother's, she was watching my son, and I guess had gotten frustrated a few times and would say, smile**!
When her grandson started saying it, (maybe he was 18mo old), she stopped, LOL.
I used to frequent a bar with a no swearing policy and cuss cup, they had a sign over the cup that said,

"Swearing is an ignorant person's way of expressing themselves forcefully."

 

[KidUPS]

No more cursing? Well, how about no more spreadsheets for management?

*Shutters. How dare you! (jk).

A PCM was given a few months ago with my work group about watching the language while working in our operation. Now the work group consisted of just about every type of UPS employee. Young and old part timer, new combo employee, the grizzled combo veteran, former drivers, etc and a few females. The work area and job basically called for everyone being in close quarters with each other for roughly the whole shift. So it was stressed that everyone just be away of their language.

Months went by and a few times we had to let an employee know to be careful with his language. Most times they would laugh and apologize and that would be that. Every so often someone would let out a few curse words in frustration and we would let it go but not without giving them a little look.

I must say now, that cursing in our operation is very, very mild. I believe the way it was told to the employees, about being respectful and trying to lead with integrity, really put them in the proper mindset and made them aware of the other people around them who might take great offense to their foul langauge.

I do believe, however, that if the foul language is used towards any other employee, be it management or hourly, or if directed towards the company, then the supervisor/lead has every right to document this with the employee and a steward. I think reviewing the Code of Conduct with the employee once after an incident would really open his eyes to how he speaks when around other people.

And in regards to the management team in my operation cursing. Our lead let us know where he stood on cursing. So we rarely, if ever, curse in front of our employees and every so often let one slip when talking amonst each other.

 

[BrOwN_PrIdE]

EASY WAY TO CALC NUMBER OF PACKAGES? I'm a preloader and I look everyday to see how many packages I'm getting on the computer. I add the 4+ cars I get together and that gets me my number. is there an easier way to see how many packages a preloader is getting that day?

 

[UnconTROLLed]

There is a big difference between using poor language and obscenities towards people to be harmful and/or verbally abuse - than using an obscenity out of something happening (cutting yourself, banging an elbow, etc).

I personally have no problem with someone saying "****!" if they hit their funny bone on a metal bar, but if someone calls someone else a "****** *****" and is constantly demeaning or using the words as weapons, then it is different usage.

Also being aware of the words in your vocabulary and the amount you use them is important. It is offensive to me and probably others if someone has a potty mouth that runs rampant. The vulgarity is used without discretion and becomes offensive that way.

Varying degrees of evil.