Republicans, men, and millennials are more inclined to believe profanity is okay in some workplace situations
In a meeting with lawmakers over the issue of immigration, sources confirmed that President Trump swore when questioning why the US had to accept immigrants from certain countries. The expletive-filled comment reverberated throughout Washington D.C. and the public had varied reactions to the President swearing in an Oval Office meeting. According to a new YouGov poll, many believe that it’s “never okay” (44%) to swear in the workplace though some say there may be room for profanity in certain cases.
Research from YouGov Omnibus shows that slightly over a third of Americans (36%) believe cursing at work is “okay in some circumstances, but not others”. Less than one in ten (9%) remark that it’s “always fine”.
The President’s profanity and the larger issue of swearing at work might strike a different chord depending on party affiliation. Republicans skew the most from public opinion with more saying that cursing at work is “always fine” (15%) or “okay in some circumstances” (47%). They are also seventeen points less likely than the national average to believe that it’s “never okay” to curse (27%). Among political parties, Democrats that the least likely to put up with the swearing at work. Nearly six in ten (59%) say it’s “never okay” and just 5% say it’s “always fine”.
A look at the issue by gender reveals that women are less tolerant of workplace vulgarity. Just 5% of women think that cursing is “always fine” and half say it’s “never okay”. Only 38% of men say it’s never acceptable.
The workplace may hear a few more expletives as more millennials enter the workforce. America’s youngest adults (18-24) are slightly more inclined to say they would accept cursing “in some circumstances” (33%) than say it’s “never okay” (32%). The same trend persists with older millennials (25-34) with many (44%) believing it’s “okay” in some cases but not others. Younger and older millennials are also the most likely to believe that it’s “always fine” to curse at work (16% and 11%, respectively).
A majority of adults 55 and over (54%) believe that there’s never an excuse to swear at work.
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