SAYING the F-word at work no longer has the "shock value" it once did, a judge has ruled.
Use of the expletive is now "fairly commonplace" in professional settings across Britain so "lacks signifiance", it is said.
Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto made the ruling while presiding over a case about an account manager who complained her boss used the saying "I don't give a f***".
Hasmita Dadhania sued SAP (UK), a software development company, for unfair dismissal and discrimination.
The 61-year-old claimed the international firm's services sales manager Bruce Pell "belittled" her with unnecessary micro-management.
As part of her complaint, she accused Mr Pell of swearing during a meeting.
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The hearing in Reading, Berkshire, was told that the pair were discussing a deal which was being sponsored by a colleague, Shane Paladin.
A tribunal report said: "Mrs Dadhania contends that at the meeting on April 20, 2020, she was undermined and belittled by Mr Pell.
"The meeting was a day-to-day meeting. She states that it is unusual for Mr Pell to attend such a meeting, Mr Pell says the contrary.
"She states that during the meeting, Mr Pell said 'I don’t give a f*** that Shane is sponsoring it'."
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Mr Pell denied making the comment, but Judge Gumbiti-Zimuto said even if he did, it would not be rude.
"We considered Mrs Dadhania a believable witness and do not consider it is something that she is likely to have made up," the judge said.
"The words allegedly used in our view are fairly commonplace and do not carry the shock value they might have done in another time.
"It is in our view something that might have been said and is not recalled now by [two other colleagues] because of its lack of significance at the time."
The tribunal accepted Mrs Dadhania's description of Mr Pell's behaviour at the meeting as "aggressive".
The report said: "Mr Pell stated that he was not concerned that Mr Shane Paladin was the sponsor for the deal, what was important was that you did a good job for all customers.
"In our view, without the expletive, this comment chimes with the evidence given by (Mrs Dadhania).
"The meeting on April 20 is described by witnesses present as 'tense' and 'hard' but 'nothing personal'.
"We accept that the comment though made by Mr Pell was not intended to be offensive towards (her)."
Mrs Dadhania, who raised a grievance against the West London-based firm after she was taken off accounts worth millions of pounds, won her claim of unfair dismissal as it was found SAP (UK) failed to properly investigate the grievances.
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However, the account manager lost her claims of direct age, race and sex discrimination and victimisation.
Married Mrs Dadhania, who resigned in July 2020 after four years at the firm, will be awarded compensation for unfair dismissal at a later date.
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