Slaying work away: The legalities of Gen Z slang in the workplace

13 August 2026

‘I am not slaying. It’s giving menty b and not passing the vibe check at all. Like it is lit giving me negative aura points no cap. Today is cancelled, I’m finna just take the L’

Did you get any of that? No? Well, this is the slang of today. Gen Z have seemingly created a whole new language for themselves that only people in the know can understand.

Popularised by TikTok, these new language forms have become a major part of Gen Z’s vocabulary.

The strong presence of this slang is creating a new issue for employers who need to know how to keep the workplace professional without disenfranchising employees.

How can I enforce professional language in the workplace?

Employers are generally entitled to set expectations around appropriate workplace conduct, including how employees communicate with colleagues, clients and customers.

A workplace policy can set out clear expectations around professional communication. This is likely to be particularly important where employees are communicating with clients or representing the business externally.

However, employers should be cautious about introducing a blanket ban on slang. Not every informal phrase is unprofessional and what one person considers inappropriate may be entirely normal to another.

The focus should be on the context and impact of the language rather than the age of the person using it.

If the age of a person is the reason why there are mentions of enforcing professional language, this could raise a discrimination risk under the Equality Act 2010.

There is a difference between an employee describing a meeting as “not slaying” and an employee using language that is offensive or discriminatory.

What to watch out for

The main risk for employers is the way in which they respond to the use of slang, rather than the words themselves.

A policy that specifically targets Gen Z language could create difficulties if younger employees are treated differently from their colleagues.

Employers should avoid making assumptions about an employee’s professionalism based on their age, particularly where the same standard would not be applied to employees from other generations.

If an employer is making assumptions on professionalism due to age, they could be at risk of breaching the Equality Act 2010 as age is a protected characteristic.

Any expectations around workplace communication should be applied fairly across the workforce and should be based on the language being used and its impact, rather than who is using it.

After all, employers wouldn’t stop Gen X employees from saying ‘right on’ or ‘cool’. So why would it be appropriate for them to stop Gen Z from saying ‘slay’ or ‘rizz’ when it is their alternative?

Employers should also consider the distinction between internal and external communications.

A more relaxed approach may be appropriate when colleagues are chatting amongst themselves, whereas communications with clients and customers are likely to require a more formal tone.

There are also wider considerations around employees’ freedom to discuss matters affecting them at work.

Employers should take care that any workplace rules on communication do not restrict legitimate conversations about pay, working conditions or other employment matters, as those discussions may be legally protected.

How can we help?

Setting a blanket ban on slang may cause issues for employers. Instead, policies should outline general workplace language expectations.

Our talented employment team are here to support you with that. We can write clauses into workplace policies so that professionalism can be paramount, without causing discrimination and ensuring that it is fair to all employees.

Get in touch with our team today so your policies are giving slay rather than L’s.