To think this is discrimination or at least unfair?

[Sweet666]

So today the manager at work told us we can only speak English unless we are explaining the work... not allowed to chat basically except in English. So people who can talk good English are allowed to have chats all day but if you can't speak English then you're not allowed to have a chat. I think this is wrong and unfair. Why should you have to be silent all day if you can't speak English but if you are English or speak good English then you're allowed to chat as much as you want?
4

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

English is my second language and I worked in many diverse teams with number of different langiages. I don't like people chatting in another language when at work. Not only it's not polite but it lead to number of situations when they talked about work but forgot it was in their language so people around didn't hear the "X needs doing", thinking they just shouted at the other person in the other language from one side of the room to another and then these people wondered why isn't it done and so on. I was told off once for not doing something. Apparently I was told to do it. i guess it was that time when he looked in my direction and said something in his language🤷🏻.

It's harsh, but I am with the manager.

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

@BlueThistles

What Company are you referring to OP ?

Where are they based ?

Not the best idea for op to put the company in daily mail by naming them here...

[HalfShrunkMoreToGo]

We had this at work, it was because some small number of people were using different languages to talk about colleagues, it was obvious from the giggling and pointed looks. It led to some people feeling bullied.

[Hoppinggreen]

I think if you live in any country you have an obligation to learn how to speak that language to at least a basic level. I would never employ someone who couldn’t speak English here.
On holiday it’s different, I do actually speak the languages of the countries I regularly visit but if I go somewhere I don’t I learn a few phrases . If I was planning to live and work anywhere then I would learn that language too.
At work in England every should be speaking English. There should be a minimum language requirement

[SarahBellam]

I think you are all being asked to speak the same language in order to ensure staff aren’t shit talking or mocking others. It can be divisive and isolating to feel you are being talked about and it reduces barriers if everyone can understand what everyone else is saying. In your friend’s case he should start taking English lessons and use the chat at work to practice it.

[Grenlei]

@Hoppinggreen I completely agree.

Through a previous role I have over recent years encountered many of people who live and work in the UK, have done for many years, hold a UK driving licence yet they either have no spoken/ written English or their capacity is so limited as to require translation services. I am always surprised at how they have managed to obtain employment and pass a driving test.

[Hoppinggreen]

In some cases it can also be a sign of abuse with women being discouraged from learning English so they cannot function outside their own communities. I believe it’s something anti slavery task forces look out for too

[BlueThistles]

Is this even true ??

[MissMarpleDarling]

YANBU.I can only speak english bit I don't think that sounds fair. I went travelling and got a few little jobs to get money as I went. Couldn't speak any of te languages though I'd have hated being silent when there was other english people or people who spoke english that I could have spoken to.

[FloconDeNeige]

Being required to speak the native language of the country you live and work in absolutely isn’t unreasonable.

I live in Switzerland. I need to speak French here, even though many people are fluent English speakers. If I want to make my life here (thanks to their hospitality), the least I can do is communicate with them in their language.

[MadameBlobby]

@VaizyCrazyDaizy

I had a care job where on shift I was the only non Romanian and found I was completely and rudely left out as they worked their whole shift speaking only Romanian. Yes I did make an overt effort to chat for some time but just gave up! It would also happen when other groups arranged their shifts together. I had another job as a technician where absolutely no one spoke English at work to the point it became unworkable and unsafe. Also people made no effort to mix with colleagues who were different from themselves.

In these examples I would suggest employees should have been told to speak English whilst working. In care homes because it is not fair on the vulnerable people who live there not to understand what people around them are saying. And in a technical role due to health and safety and the importance of effective communication.

There are some jobs where it matters much less.

[Moondust001]

@Sweet666

You say first language but what if he didn't speak any English? Then he should just never talk all day? This is where my problem is

You write it pretty well for someone who doesn't speak it.

It sounds to me like the employer has identified a problem or had complaints - it can be exclusionary or even uncomfortable when people speak in a language which everyone doesn't understand - making snide comments or nasty remarks about others is often obvious even if someone doesn't understand the words.

[SimonJT]

Where are you OP?

In England/Wales language is a protected characteristic.

English isn’t my first language so I often use my first language and translate from that into English.

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

Enployers can do that though. But it has to be done certain ways.
They can't go and tell the romanian workers to not speak romanian, but leave the polish ones be. That would absolutely be discrimination. But, if it's applied across the board and justified, it's not usually a problem as long as it's only while working.

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

I thought that employers were putting in some minimum levels anyway so people actually understand H&S

[edwinbear]

I work for a Spanish bank in UK HQ. We have hundreds of Spanish speakers who often speak to each other in Spanish. When I first started I found it a bit disconcerting, but completely used to it now and it doesn’t bother me at all, I think because the people I work with are lovely and I know they’re just chatting as opposed to bitching about people.

[letmethinkaboutitfornow]

YABU - the most annoying thing when foreigners speak foreign at work in an English speaking country (assume you are in the U.K.)

The best way to learn English is an English environment. You could use those boring hours to learn / teach each other English.

Been there, done that!

[Sweet666]

For the people saying I can't speak English or I can speak English.. yes I can speak English but now I can't talk to people much anymore because I am Romanian and I am on the Romanian section and a lot of us can't speak any English and no we can't be saying things about people because the ones who can hear us are Romanian and would know what we saying

[Sweet666]

And no we can't teach English because we need Romanian to teach English like if we say 'this in English' means ' this in Romanian' we can't say 'this in Romanian' because its not explaining the work
I've never seen this problem before in any job in England. We have Romanian supervisors and Polish supervisors... All my jobs here has been the same, some of my jobs in England even had only Romanian speakers like jobs in fields it is usually Romanian people and Romanian supervisor. The boss knew a lot of people can't speak English when he gave them a job

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

It's bit odd that it's separated like this and still they want only English. I can't comment on the separation by nations in general because I never worked in the field you do

[Moondust001]

In England/Wales language is a protected characteristic.

No, it isn't.

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

@Moondust001

In England/Wales language is a protected characteristic.

No, it isn't.

It can be covered under race/nationality so theoretically it may be. In some cases

[WeeDangerousSpike]

I have worked in a factory with Eastern European colleagues. I was injured due to communications about a hazard not being in English. We had product recalls because work instructions were given in Polish. We had instances of horrendous bullying where the victim was sure something was being said about them, but couldnt prove what. The pointing and laughing gave it away. Other bullying where bullies and victim spoke the same language, but the manager didn't, so it went on in plain sight and the manager had no 'proof' of what was being said.
It's a recipe for disaster to have such a divided and cliquey culture where people are split up by nationality.

[LakeGeneva]

Yeah it's discrimination. For people saying "you need to speak the language of the country you're in", how many of the English chavs in eg Dubai speak Arabic?

That said, if you're in a marginal group then your options are limited.

[LexMitior]

It’s not discriminatory. It is a sign that you are expected to communicate clearly in English for the purposes of work. That is the same for everyone in the UK.