Carl Jaskolski is out to clean up the dirtiest kinds of speech in the workplace. Vulgarity — not the occasional “hell” or “damn” — has no place in a professional work environment, says Jaskolski, a human resources professor at Milwaukee Area Technical College, Concordia University and Upper Iowa University. Nor does speech that attacks employees based on personal factors such as religion or national origin, he adds.
In January of 2000, Jaskolski drafted a language code of ethics policy, which he offers free of charge to employers around the country. The policy offers guidelines to employers on how to set up a tolerance policy regarding certain behaviors in the workplace.
“What this does for the employer is, it allows employers to protect themselves legally in the event that they fire someone for using too much profanity or offensive speech,” Jaskolski said. “Employers would have a policy in place that they could show employees right off the bat, saying ‘we do not tolerate this.’ If the policy is disobeyed, the employee may be disciplined or fired.”
Scrutiny of profanity is more crucial in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Jaskolski said.
“People of Arab or Muslim descent have been verbally attacked at work, and a language policy could help prevent that,” Jaskolski said.
Cari Dominguez, chairwoman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a statement several days after the attacks, calling on employers and employees to promote tolerance and guard against workplace discrimination. “We should not allow our anger at the terrorists responsible for (the) heinous attacks to be misdirected against innocent individuals because of their religion, ethnicity or country of origin,” Dominguez said.
Federal laws already prohibit sexual harassment and discrimination based on factors such as race, religion and national origin. Jaskolski’s policy enforces what the laws say and adds that vulgar speech also is not tolerated.
Employers from 26 states have requested copies of Jaskolski’s policy, including about six Wisconsin employers, he said. However, Jaskolski said he is not aware of any Wisconsin businesses that have adopted the policy. But he said he knows of some businesses in California and Texas that have made his policy part of the greater employee policy.
While the popular image of profanity in the workplace might be that of a trash-talking factory worker, Jaskolski said the worst vulgar speech often comes out of the management board rooms.
“Language policies are a good idea for any type of business,” Jaskolski said. “And they need to be enforced at all levels of the company. If managers are going to talk the talk they have to walk the walk.”
Jaskolski’s crusade against cursing began in the late 1990s, somewhat as a result of a nearly-fatal automobile accident he survived in 1997. Following the accident, Jaskolski had a self-described “spiritual awakening,” and one day as he listened to a preacher talk, he was struck by the preacher’s encouraging words.
“I thought about the way I talk to people, and I wasn’t happy about it,” Jaskolski said. “I realized we need to take a hard look at the way we talk to people and the language we use.”
A workplace language policy should be considered part of the employee handbook or manual, Jaskolski said.
“This is no different than having a dress code policy,” Jaskolski said. “You want your employees to look professional, but they also must sound professional.”
Event set
MATC professor and private industry HR director Carl Jaskolski will lead a workshop on the issue at MATC on Oct. 17. The workshop, “Language in the Workplace,” will run from 6-10 p.m. at MATC’s downtown Milwaukee campus. Space is limited, so interested persons are asked to sign up for the workshop as soon as possible, by calling 414-297-6970. There is a fee of $139. The college’s Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development is sponsoring the workshop. For more information or to request a copy of Jaskolski’s language code of ethics policy, e-mail him at carljazz@execpc.com.
Oct. 12, 2001 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
