Lawmakers look at ‘English only’ rules
August 29, 2008 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Discrimination, EEOC, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, State Law
As debate rises over whether or not employers can ban foreign languages from the workplace, one state has decided to weigh in.
The Virginia Legislature is currently considering a bill that would allow companies to ask all employees to speak English at work.
So far, federal courts have ruled that blanket language policies are discriminatory and English can only be required when there’s a business necessity — for example, when workers have to communicate with English-speaking customers, or to improve employee safety.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II, says its purpose is to allow companies to fire workers who don’t learn English without having to pay increased unemployment taxes.
The bill has a lot of opposition, and even if it passes, it wouldn’t protect employers in Virginia from federal courts and the EEOC.
We’ll keep you posted on the bill, and the activity of similar bills in other states.
Tags: bilingual employees, Discrimination, EEOC, English-only, Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, national origin
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:31 am
Pass the law, while in other countries you are expected to speak their language so why not in the USA. If you can not speak english, why should I be forced to learn your language.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:08 am
I agree with Rick 100%. Pass the law and pass it quick.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:38 am
Amen to that, Rick!
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
English is the official language of the United States. English should be spoken in workplaces like restaurants and other “public” locations unless one is assisting a non-English-speaking patron. It is extremely helpful when newcomers and visitors come into a business if someone there speaks the visitor’s language, but for day-to-day operations English should be spoken. This also applies to small groups who may speak a non-English language (Spanish or Hindi or Korean or whatever) within a lrger organization where most speak English - it gives the impression of cliquishness and exclusion.
By the same token, if we travel to other countries, we should not expect all of THEM to speak English - we should learn enough of THAT language to function during our visit. If there is someone who speaks English where we are visiting and makes our lives easier, we should be grateful.
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
There is no official US language. I think people get way too worked up and xenophobic about this issue. If there’s no articulable business need for someone to speak English then it shouldn’t matter.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
On a slightly different note, I have a Turkish friend who visits from time to time - a visiting professor of Psychology, and of couse PhD. She noticed an ATM machine in a hospital offering several languages. Her comment: “This will be the downfall of your country.” She was serious.
Too many separate groups that don’t assimilate will be instrumental in the U.S.’s downfall.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
People you are missing the point whenever it comes to creating discriminatory reforms. First, is the intent of the bill to allow employers to fire workers who do not learn or can not speak English? If that is the case then why hire someone who can not speak English to begin with? Second, the US does not have an official language per se, this has been the case since the moment of its inception in 1776. I am proud of ‘my country tis of thee sweet land of liberty’, because although many have attempted to restrict the dimensions by which our country has grown (God given freedom and liberty for every human being), our nation of multi-lingual immigrants continues to overcome the objections of those who forget where we all came from.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I came to this country at three years old with parents that did not speak one word of English.
Our family did not expect to be accomodated towards our native tonque of French and Sicilian.
My father learned his English by taking night courses at the local school and my mother learned working in a factory. This country is making it too easy for immigrants not to learn English, therefore,making it difficult for employers to make sound business decisions when hiring.
If you want to work in this country, learn to speak English. In the privacy of your home speak your native language, never lose your heritage. That is what my parents taught us and they became successful restaurant owners and always gave back to the community that supported them.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:32 am
pass the law - in our industry it is a requirement.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Our world is way too interdependent to think that English should be the langauge of choice in the United States. Our company hired somone who spoke very little English and we provided him English lessons for a while to improve his/our ability to communicate. As it turns out, he is one of the most productive workers and what a shame that we would have missed out on having this man a part of our organization. The ability to speak English does not make a person and it should be based on the specific job requirements. If you need a bookkeeper, you look for someone with accounting skills; a loader with the ability to lift X pounds; a sales person with the ability to speak with customers, etc. Clearly, management needs to be able to communicate tasks and safety issues but there are ways to work around that rather than restricting employment to someone who speaks English for no other reason than that.