Language problem

Kennedy

Is it discrimination to require that employees be able to speak English. We have Spanish speaking employees and are having extreme difficulty communicating with them. Because of it we have had several machines in our plant crash because the employees do not understand the instructions they are being given. Can someone help me?

deniseE

HR Hero just covered this...check the main page!

: )

Parabeagle

Ditto. Check today's story on HR Hero main page. Bottom line is you can require English-Only if you can justify it with business necessity (crashing machines would indicate business necessity to me).

However, you can't require them to ONLY speak English. You should permit them to speak their own language in situations where business necessity or safety is not an issue, e.g., breaks, lunch, etc.

Pork

KENNEDY: Hire yourself a labor person with English as a 2nd language. We have two and this date this problem rose again. I had a Hispanic walk off the job site with out permission, problem was communications. I have discussed this situation with the manager and have told him the next time he wants to instruct or discipline his Hispanic employee, he must let me know and I'll make arrangements for the interpreter to be on site to communicate. Otherwise, he is to get out the English/Spanish dictionary and figure out what he needs to say, then write it down. We also have a Mexican Restraunt in our community and "Rosa" will assist us anytime we need her to participate and she does not charge us, but I make sure we pay her for her contract labor time spent on our behalf.

It works and that is what counts.

PORK

Gillian3

Or, learn Spanish yourself and increase your own career marketability.

Don D

That would be a personal goal, Gillian, certainly not an expectation created by the employer-employee relationship. Let's not put that out there as some sort of expectation assigned to employers. We have far too many oversight mandates as it is. x:-)

Gillian3

Nope, it was personal. Bilingual ability is a career enhancer for any HR person.

Don D

Your question was "Is it discriminatory" to require that employees speak English". No it is not. You may do all manner of things, as have been suggested, to "make it work", but to answer your question, no, it is not discriminatory to require that your employees speak English and understand English. Perhaps the success of your business depends on it. Perhaps you have safety programs in place that demand it. You are not required to 'cave' to the notion that English is a second or third language. You may terminate or refuse to hire persons who cannot rise to the reasonable demands of your company, and that includes your insistence that they be able to read, write and communicate in the English language.

Shadowfax

Don , I couldn't agree more! Maybe in Texas its a cost of doin business, but it shudda outta notta haffta be. Period. Emp/ers are mandated to do so much goofy stuff, there is no incentive to embrace additional crap. I say don't give the idiots in charge any more encouragement or they'll make us all do it. More regs, more liability, more costs, more jobs out the door and accross the border.

Crout

BUT....more HR jobs for folks like us. I say bring on the regs!