You Can Cuss Out Your Boss and Still Keep Your Job, Says NLRB

Think you need to wait until you quit or retire before telling your boss to “take this job and shove it”? Think again!

The National Labor Relations Board increasingly sides with employees who insult and curse at their employers, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In several recent cases, NLRB seemed to condone profanity and insubordination among U.S. workers, as it ruled in favor of those who were fired after cursing at their employers or supervisors.

On one case, the board sided with an auto dealership employee who cursed out the owner in a meeting to discuss compensation. The employee also insulted the business owner, called him “stupid,” and told him that nobody liked him and that he would regret it if he fired the abusive employee. After the dealership went ahead and fired the worker, the NLRB ruled that the business had violated the National Labor Relations Act. The NLRB said the employee’s behavior was neither “belligerent” nor “menacing.”

In a case involving Starbucks Corp., the Board again reinstated an employee who engaged in profanity-laced tirades against his manager. The first tirade occurred when the employee felt that his manager was slow to assist him during a busy work day. Instead of thanking his manager for providing the requested assistance, the employee said, “about damn time.” The worker then used foul language and told his boss to “do everything your damn self.”

The NLRB decided the employee’s behavior was simply a pretext that Starbucks used to fire him for pro-union views. S