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<h1 style="font-size:36px;line-height:1.15">County considers English-only</h1>
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By Gloria Tucker / Dodge City Daily Globe
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Posted Jan. 5, 2016 at 1:01 AM
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Dodge City, Kan.
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<blockquote><p align="LEFT">Ford County Commission decided to table an English-only language policy that would affect its employees Monday.</p><p align="LEFT">The
policy states, "Since many of our citizens and most of our employees
only are able to speak, write, and understand the English language, all
County employees must have English proficiency."</p><p align="LEFT">According
to the policy, English would be used for all county work-related
matters, whenever they are engaged in county business unless the
citizens or others with whom employees are doing business on behalf of
the County are not English proficient. </p><p align="LEFT">The policy stops short of requiring non-working time, such as work breaks and meal periods, as English-only periods.</p><p align="LEFT">"I
had request by a couple of department heads for a language policy,"
said Pat Heeke, human resources administrator. "They were concerned
their training for their new staff may not be conveyed the way they
intended because the employees weren't speaking English. I asked for an
employment law attorney to draft a policy based on the requests I
received."</p><p align="LEFT">Heeke said county attorney Glenn Kerbs found the policy legal.</p><p align="LEFT">"He
wanted everyone to be advised that English-only policies have to be
drafted very carefully so we don't give any hint we're trying to
discriminate in any way, shape or form for equal opportunity," she said.
"The reason we feel this is okay is our policy is not limiting speaking
non-English on their non-work time, on break, but the English-only is a
business necessity. We need to make sure the employees are being
trained correctly and communicating with patrons with correct
information."</p><p align="LEFT">According to the policy, the policy
would help maintain workplace safety; assure excellent service to the
public; assure good employee relations by encouraging inclusion and team
work within working units or crews; and facilitate communication with
citizens, employees and others who only understand English.</p><p align="LEFT">"Employees
who do not comply with this policy are subject to discipline, up to and
including termination of employment," the policy states.</p><p align="LEFT">Commissioner Danny Gillum said he struggled with the policy because the community has 26 different languages spoken.</p><p align="LEFT">Commissioner Shawn Tasset suggested tabling the policy for more thought and discussion.</p><p align="LEFT">"I'd
like a little more time to think about it," Tasset said. "This has
philosophical and deeper meaning than just employment policy."</p><p align="LEFT">The commissioners agreed to discuss the policy more during a work session. </p><p align="LEFT">In
other business, the commissioners approved an electrical service bid of
$5,204 for the Western State Bank Expo Center's stalls.</p><p align="LEFT">The
commissioners also appointed J.D. Gilbert as the Public Information
Officer for Ford County. The Ford County Emergency Manager is still Ed
Elam as his certification does not expire until November.</p><p align="LEFT">Bills of $135,729 and mobile device stipend of $80 for the Ford County jail lieutenant were also approved.</p></blockquote></div></li><li class="" id="contents"><a href="http://www.dodgeglobe.com/article/20160105/NEWS/160109923">http://www.dodgeglobe.com/article/20160105/NEWS/160109923</a><br></li></ul><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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