English Only Rule

What is the "English-Only Rule"? "The English-Only Rule is a rule that some businesses have that require there employees to speak only English inside the workplace."(HRM) There is an ongoing debate on whether or not this rule is a safety issue or just plain discrimination. Some people see the rule as a helpful safety precaution around the workplace, while others see it as a discrimination of there native language. Either way the rule does exist and is causing a stir around the workplace.

English-Only laws very from state to state. Some states have declared English as its official language and some have not. Some states even prohibit bilingual education programs. "There are sixteen states that have English-only laws. They include: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia."(EEOC)

There are many pros and cons to the English-Only Rule. The most often reason brought up for the rule is safety and health concerns. If something were to go wrong in the workplace, it would be a big mess if you had 1,000 employees all talking there native language. Another reason for English-Only employers give is the need to maintain order and discipline in the work areas. If some settings, like a factory, employees rely on one another to keep the operations going as smooth as possible. If a fellow employee needed help with something it would be good to know the person next to you would understand your request and help out. Also giving directions to employees would constitute a problem also. The manager should not have to explain what is going on in five different languages just so everyone understands. The customer-employee relationship is another key factor for English-Only. It would be no help to the customer if the employee could not answer the questions of the customers in order to help them find what they need around the store. These are just a few pros that are most often used for the case of English-Only.

Just as there are pros for the English-Only rule, there are also cons. Employees often allege that the rules are divisive because they punish people for there inability to speak fluent English. Many employees also believe that the English-Only rule takes away there basic individual rights. The EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, does agree with the rights of the employee. Wanda Flowers, head counsel at the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Philadelphia, said, "the English-only rule could come close to violating Title Seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal to discriminate against an employee due race, religion, sex or national origin."(Stitt) Mrs. Flowers went on to say that the employer would have to prove that the English-Only rule would have to be a business necessity.

English-Only laws do have consequences. Some versions of the proposed English Language Amendment would void almost all state and federal laws that require the government to provide services in languages other than English. The jobs affected would range anywhere from health and education to social welfare services and job training. English-Only laws target primarily Latinos