Customers Complaining About Non-English Speaking Employees
I have a quick question on discrimination. I work at a small shop in Florida where some employees there are here on a work visa. They know how to speak English very well yet when they are working they still talk in another language. The customers of the shop have all said things to me and other employees how rude it is for them to be speaking another language in front of customers and while working since they do speak English. My boss recently finally told them that they are not allowed to speak anything but English while they are in front of customers since they have complained so much about it. As soon as my manager spoke to them my coworkers immediately said that is discrimination. My question is, is it discrimination ?
Find A Lawyer Are you dealing with discrimination, harassment, retaliation, work injuries, wrongful termination or other problems at work that you know are wrong and need them to stop? Click here to search LegalMatch. Act now to get a consultation with qualified employment law attorney in your area before it's too late to file a claim.
3 Responses to Customers Complaining About Non-English Speaking Employees
Leave a Reply
We have the same problem here in the UK. Many large employers use immigrant labour since the labour costs are cheaper than using British citizens. The downside of this is that these employees speak to each other in their native language – but this would certainly not be considered discrimination in the UK. Most of these people have taken the time and trouble to learn how to speak english and they have good communication skills in our language.
If EVERYONE is made to speak English in front of the customers, it’s not discrimination. However, if the boss doesn’t allow them to speak their own language when they are not out on the work floor or are on break, then it might be discrimination. But even that’s a little “ify”. He would have to go so far as to say “you must only speak English when you’re clocked in” and on his dime. That would be the safest bet.
The answer would be no this would not constitute discrimination. The employer is simply setting the rules for appropriate behaviors in front of customers. If these people are capable of speaking in English and choose not to, even though the employer is requiring them to, would not be grounds for them to claim discrimination. They would have to prove what he was discriminating about. He has told them they could speak in their own tongue when conversing amongst themselves, but not in front of the customers, which is his right to do. They would fail hopelessly if they took this matter to court.