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Swearing and cursing
In certain professions, especial-
ly ones that are traditionally
male-dominated, foul language
may be more acceptable. If you
are new to a company, listen
how people communicate with
each other. If they swear a lot,
this doesn’t mean that you have
to. If, however, you like swearing
but nobody else seems to, it’s
probably best to put a sock in it
(die Klappe halten).
Moaning and groaning
Nobody likes a whinger (Nörg-
ler(in)). In most jobs, you can al-
ways find something to moan
or groan about. However, you
don’t want to be that person
who finds the problems. Instead,
be the person who provides the
solutions.
Ranting and raving
Most people lose their cool (die
Fassung verlieren) now and again.
When we’re under pressure or
in pain, it can feel good to let
off steam (Dampf ablassen) — by
swearing and complaining loud-
ly about something you need to
get off your chest (sich etw. von
der Seele reden). But if your col-
leagues and managers see you
lose your rag (die Beherrschung
verlieren, ausrasten) too often,
your professional reputation
will suffer. People won’t want
you on their team — or even in
the company.Telling off and
tearing into somebody
You need a very good reason to
tear into sb. in the workplace,
especially if you use swear
words to do it. Don’t do it in
public. In fact, don’t do it at all.
People make mistakes, things
go wrong and conflicts are often
unavoidable. It’s all part of doing
business.
Today, most companies have
a code of conduct (Verhaltensko-
dex) that requires everyone to
show respect to each other. The
last thing you want is to be the
person responsible for a hostile
(feindselig) or toxic (giftig) work-
ing environment. Understanda-
bly, it can get you fired.