Do English-only workplaces discriminate?

[Harold Schiffman]

Monday, March 17, 2008
Do English-only workplaces discriminate?

Are English-only workplace policies discrimination? An article on SHRM
today examines the issue. Many U.S. employers support English-only
rules as a way to ensure good employee relations and a safe work
environment. But recently such rules have become a political lightning
rod. Some employee advocates have accused employers of enacting
English-only policies to discriminate against immigrants. The Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal rules
associated with this issue. The Commission allows U.S. employers to
require English in the workplace, but the policy can not be in
response to a certain group and must be for a specific
business-related reason.

"Prohibiting people from speaking their primary language at all times
can create an atmosphere of intimidation and inferiority," according
to an EEOC spokesman. The article points out situations that would
justify an English-only rule:

Communications with customers, co-workers or supervisors who speak only English.
Emergencies or other situations in which workers must speak a common
language to promote safety.

Cooperative work assignments in which the English-only rule is needed
to promote efficiency.

To enable a supervisor who speaks only English to monitor the
performance of an employee whose job duties require communication with
co-workers or customers.

The EEOC recommends that before employers adopt an English-only rule,
weigh business justifications against all possible discriminatory
effects of the rule.

Does your company have a workplace language policy? Do you think
English-only policies are discriminatory or unfair?

http://gneil.blogspot.com/2008/03/do-english-only-workplaces-discriminate.html

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