Thread: English on the Job Common Sense... Right?

Speaking English on the Job is Common Sense... Right?

A new survey shows that a vast majority of Americans believe that companies should be allowed to require employees to speak English while on the job. This makes perfect sense, right? If you're on a construction site, and there is a large steel I-beam heading for your head, you'd probably want your co-workers to warn you about it... in English!

But yet again, this type of policy is causing an uproar, this time in Connecticut, where a sheet metal plant is being sued by five Spanish-speaking workers because the company "ordered its employees to speak only English on the job because of safety concerns."

First, some numbers... According to a new poll by Rasmussen Reports, 77% of American voters say "companies should be allowed to require employees to speak English while on the job." The telephone survey found only 14% disagree with the position.

The English-only worksite sentiment crosses party affiliations with 84% of Republicans and 70% of Democrats in agreement. "Just 13% of American voters believe that requiring workers to speak English is a form of racism or bigotry. Seventy-nine percent (79%) disagree."

Rasmussen notes that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) does not feel the same way as the vast majority of the American public. Rasmussen cites EEOC documents which state "linguistic characteristics are closely associated with national origin" and can therefore be used to "discriminate on the basis of national origin."

Earlier this year, the EEOC filed a lawsuit against a Framingham, Massachusetts Salvation Army Thrift Store for requiring that only English be spoken in the workplace. In 2003, a federal court ruled in favor of the Salvation Army in a similar case brought by the EEOC. The head of the agency testified before Congress that “an employer who establishes an English-only rule has a responsibility to show a business necessity for that rule.â€

This is so stupid. I worked and retired from the Electronics Industries with engineers from, India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Israel to name a few. Can you imagine the work environment if everyone spoke a different language, nothing would get done. An engineer from India once told me that there were so many dialects in India that English was the common language.

Whatever happened to Corporate Language? I remember years ago a Hispanic woman working in Gilroy Ca was fired for continuously speaking Spanish in front of the patients at the hospital she worked at. She sued and lost because English was the corporate language for the hospital.

Originally Posted by Steven Jacobs

It's offensive to people who speak Spanish and is potentially dangerous. It inhibits them from communicating in their native tongue in situations that could put people at risk.

It's just plane rude. But for those of you that don't live in Sol-Cal they are a rude people. They don't give a crap about being nice.

"I can think of no good reason for them to institute this policy," said Steven Jacobs, the lawyer for the workers who are suing GC Industries in Deep River, Conn. "It's offensive to people who speak Spanish and is potentially dangerous. It inhibits them from communicating in their native tongue in situations that could put people at risk."

Well mr. scum bag attorney, the only reason you think this is because you see only $$$$. You couldn't care less about their cause.
In addition, I'm offended when I hear a different language being spoken constantly, other than English, simply because an immigrant refuses or is too damn lazy to learn English. I don't care if one wishes to speak it with friends or in their own home, but everywhere else, especially in the workplace, the native language of the country should be learned and spoken.

Have you ever got an Indian on the other end of the line when trying to get a question answered? Have you ever sat on a conference call from India? Case closed.

Common sense has been outlawed in this country since the 1960s.