Creating a respectful workplace is key to fostering a healthy environment for employees. Inappropriate comments can damage this culture by violating professionalism. These remarks can take many forms, including derogatory statements, discriminatory language, or inappropriate jokes. Understanding when these comments become unacceptable and how you can respond appropriately will be essential to maintaining this respectful workplace. Keep reading to discover 10 common examples of inappropriate comments you might encounter at work.
What are Inappropriate Comments at Work?
Inappropriate comments are verbal or written remarks that make you or your fellow employees feel uncomfortable or hurt. They may violate professional codes of conduct, disrupt your workplace, and damage that important trust you build with your fellow coworkers. Even innocuous statements that you brush off can compound over time, which could lead to harmful workplace culture. While such comments might not always be illegal, if they involve someone’s age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or disability, they may constitute discrimination or harassment under Australian anti-discrimination laws, turning what may seem like an offhand comment into a breach of law with serious implications.
10 Examples of Inappropriate Comments at Work
Here are 10 common examples of inappropriate comments to look out for in the workplace:
- Derogatory remarks: Statements that are intended to demean or insult a fellow employee. These comments are particularly common in high-pressure workplaces, where derogatory remarks are often normalised. However, it’s important to be aware that these comments can negatively affect an employee’s mental health. Examples of derogatory remarks include:
- Insulting someone for a mistake
- Verbally expressing a low opinion or a lack of respect for an employee
- Jokes and innuendos: Inappropriate jokes and innuendos can be a common form of workplace bullying. Although humour can be an important part of building team morale, when taken too far it can easily cross professional boundaries. Especially when jokes target an employee’s gender, racial identity, or religious affiliation. Note how these comments make you or others feel uncomfortable, and consider consulting management if they get too much. Examples of these jokes or innuendos may include:
- Mean-spirited comments are intended to elicit a response
- Targeting the misfortune of fellow employees
- Racist language: Racially motivated comments with the potential to cause significant pain should never be tolerated anywhere in the workplace. Examples of racist comments include:
- Racial slurs
- Making assumptions about who is best placed to perform specific tasks based on their race
- Discriminatory comments: Making unfavourable comments that target someone unfairly because of personal characteristics, including their race, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Discrimination in the workplace can also present itself in hiring, promotions, or other workplace decisions. Examples of discriminatory comments may include:
- Comments about appearance, gender, religious or cultural practice
- Assuming a lack of ability or knowledge of a coworker because of their background
- Sexual harassment: It can occur when behaviour of a sexual nature is expressed verbally. These comments can include telling inappropriate jokes, innuendos, or commenting about an employee’s appearance, body or sexual preferences. Examples of sexual harassment comments include:
- Making jokes about an employee’s body
- Asking an employee on a date repeatedly, even after they said no
- Spreading rumours or making false statements about an employee’s sexual activity or private life
- Belittling comments: Comments that attempt to disparage an employee as unimportant or irrelevant can hurt their emotional well-being and disrupt workplace morale. Belittling comments may include:
- Comments about an employee’s lack of understanding
- Demeaning their role within the workplace
- Inappropriate questions: Questions that intend to reveal details about an employee’s life may be inappropriate. Particularly if they put someone on the spot, and make them feel singled out or uncomfortable. Questions that delve into the following topics may be potentially inappropriate to ask your coworkers:
- Questions regarding Politics, Religion, Drug / Alcohol Use
- Gossip and rumours: When aimed at employees, gossip has the potential to spread false information, as facts can often get warped or misinterpreted. Persistent gossip or rumours can facilitate an unwelcoming environment with negative discussions about employees. Examples of gossip and rumours include:
- Spreading salary information
- Discussions over an employee’s personal life
- Revealing personal information: Discussing personal details, without an employee’s permission, can be both devastating and embarrassing for the victim. Many people want to keep their personal and professional lives separate, and discussing these in a demeaning manner can be damaging. Examples of this can include:
- Disclosing an employee’s health concerns
- Discussing their financial situation
- Using technology like emails or text messages: Inappropriate comments aren’t just limited to on-site. Discussions over email or text can lead to unprofessional discussions. Particularly because there is often a lack of context during messaging, which can easily lead to misunderstandings. Examples of writing unsuitable comments over email or text include:
- Slandering fellow employees over email
- Sending messages with inappropriate language
Impact of Inappropriate Comments in the Workplace
The potential impacts of inappropriate comments can hurt both your fellow employees and the broader business itself. These may include:
- Damages employee mental health: Comments that undermine someone within the business can leave an employee feeling stressed, insecure, and burned out. It can make them feel more negative, eroding their self-confidence which damages their mental health.
- Breaks down team dynamics: Successful businesses are often built on the foundations of teamwork and group dynamics. A healthy workplace cultivates an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and valued, with inappropriate comments potentially breaking down any trust and morale within your team. This can reduce productivity, increase absenteeism, and lead to a higher turnover.
- Tarnishing reputation and legal consequences: If inappropriate comments are left unaddressed, this may lead to a toxic working environment, which can significantly harm your company’s reputation and its ability to attract or retain employees. Without clear policies and safeguards, this can also result in legal liabilities under the Fair Work Act.
How to Deal with Inappropriate Comments at Work
- Process your emotions: If possible, take a moment to reflect on how the comment made you feel and why it upset you, before addressing the issue. This can help you produce a calm and professional response.
- Consider your position and response: Understanding your responsibility within the company may inform your response. For instance, if you are in a position of authority, you will be required to take action. Whereas if you are a junior employee, you may feel more comfortable reporting directly to human resources.
- Address them privately: If you feel comfortable, addressing them politely and professionally may resolve the issue. Allowing for a thoughtful dialogue on why the comment affected you and focusing on solutions to resolve the issue may be beneficial, particularly if it was unintentional.
- Take alternative action or escalate the issue: You may feel more comfortable taking an alternative response if private dialogue is inappropriate. This could be due to the severity of the comment or because it was made multiple times. Every business should have clear guidelines for reporting inappropriate remarks safely and appropriately, such as reporting the issue directly to your manager or the human resources department.
- Document incidents: Try to keep detailed records of inappropriate comments when possible. This should include records of dates, times, the nature of the comment and any witnesses present.
- Following company procedure: Each business should have clear policies and procedures for addressing any inappropriate comments, harassment or discrimination. This should be incorporated with a system that allows employees to feel safe and comfortable reporting harmful behaviour confidentially. This helps to foster a positive workplace, where everyone can feel supported, with adequate training and policies that are easily accessible and communicated to everyone.
What Protection are Employers Required to Provide?
Employers have a legal responsibility to take proactive steps to cultivate a safe and inclusive workplace This means providing information and training to employees about the importance of preventing inappropriate behaviour. Employers should also implement clear policies and procedures, encouraging an open-door policy where complaints are dealt with seriously and promptly.
If your employer fails to provide adequate protection, they may find themselves liable. Particularly when handling matters relating to workplace bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination. Unless the employer or company can prove they took all reasonable steps to prevent these actions, this may result in fines or legal action under Fair Work.
Employers also have a positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act to eliminate the following behaviour:
- Discrimination on the grounds of sex in a work context
- Sexual harassment in connection with work
- Sex-based harassment in connection with work
- Conducting a workplace environment that is hostile on the grounds of sex
Regardless of their size, all businesses across Australia have an obligation to satisfy the positive duty. This means focusing on preventative action, rather than waiting for a report to be made. Detailed information on employers’ responsibility to the positive duty can be found by visiting the Australian Human Rights Commission.
By identifying inappropriate comments when they occur, you can feel best prepared to prevent a toxic working environment from escalating. Unprofessional comments can present themselves in various forms, including: belittling conversations, racist or discriminatory language, in addition to gossip and rumours. You should also understand the rights you have as an employee and how you can deal with these remarks. To learn more about inappropriate comments and your rights and obligations, contact our team at Positive Duty.