My workplace is awash with jargon and it’s driving me mad. How can I stop it?

Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on workplace, career and leadership in her advice column, Got a Minute? This week: frustrations with office jargon, an untenable work culture and understanding unfair dismissal time limits.

Workplace jargon can be almost impossible to avoid, but you can minimise it.Credit: Dionne Gain

I’m really starting to get fed up with the amount of jargon being thrown around at work. Every meeting is full of people talking about “getting the ball rolling,” “thinking outside the box,” or “circling back.” Sometimes I have no idea what people are trying to say, but then I wonder if I am overreacting. Is there a polite way to stop the jargon without sounding like I’m being difficult? I really want to keep the workplace positive, but it’s getting harder when every sentence sounds like a corporate bingo card.

You’re definitely not overreacting – you’re just trying to future-proof your sanity while others are busy blue-sky thinking their way into oblivion. (Just helping with that bingo card!) I am with you: I really dislike the mumbo jumbo that seems to make no sense at all. One of my (least) favourites is being told to put a pin in it, or let’s circle back to that idea. I know what it means but to me, you sound like someone who has read too many MBA textbooks. Enough, please.

One simple way to push back is to lead by example. When you’re speaking, use clear, plain language. If someone fires a jargon phrase at you, it’s perfectly fine to ask for them to clarify (preferably in plain English): “Just to be clear, are you saying…?” And if they come back with something like, “Ping me, and we can run your idea up the flagpole to close the loop”, I’d run.

I landed a fantastic role a few months ago; it pays well and is very close to home. However, the office is made up of long-term employees who are proving extremely difficult to work with. One of them sits at my desk in my absence, looking through my work. They listen to my phone calls, continually ask me questions about my finances and personal life, and another made a comment about the street I live on. My boss seems scared to approach them and told me just to give it time. I am thinking about resigning as I cannot work in this environment. I asked about the culture in the interview too, and the manager said it was great and everyone got along really well. Should I resign now? I really don’t want to hang around and train anyone. To be honest, I feel like walking out.

Personally, I think I would last about an hour in your workplace, so you have done well to last a few months! This is not a workplace environment you should have to put up with. It might be convenient, but it is not worth it for the damage it will do to your mental health and wellbeing. Trust your instincts. If your gut is telling you that staying will just prolong your unhappiness – and it doesn’t sound like this culture is going to change any time soon – I would get out of there.

Rather than just walking out (and I don’t know if you mean that literally, since in your circumstances I can understand why you might want to), try to leave on a clean, professional note. That isn’t for them, but for you. I suspect the sooner you put this job behind you and move on, the better.

Five years ago, I suffered a breakdown at work and had a doctor’s certificate declaring me as unfit to return to work. After repeated attempts by my employer to get me to come into the office and “explain myself” to them, they sent an email terminating my employment. This individual has a forceful personality, and I didn’t feel capable at the time of subjecting myself to the intimidation I anticipated. Is this acceptable practice? Do I have seven years to act? And would a claim for unfair dismissal be likely to succeed?

This sounds like a traumatic experience on top of what was already a really difficult time in your life. In a nutshell, no, what your former employer did does not sound like acceptable practice. In terms of the length of time you have to take action, you should speak to an employment lawyer or a community legal centre, who, hopefully, will be able to advise you on your specific situation. My understanding is that an unfair dismissal claim generally needs to be submitted within 21 days from date of dismissal, but you can speak to Fair Work to clarify.

To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask. You will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited.

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