Is it ok for your boss to tell you that you can't speak Spanish at work?

Question

I work in an office at a community college. Our office is very diverese with different cultures. The problem is that my supervisor told my co-worker and I that we are not allowed to speak spanish within the work place. I understand to a certain point where she is coming from, but I do not understand why it is only spanish that is being targeted. I have co-workers that are from Iran and they speak their language amongst themselves all the time within the office. Also, I there are a few Indonesian workers that speak their language as well within the office. I feel that if one language is not allowed then all the others that are not english shouldn't be allowed as well. Am i over exaggerating when it bothers me?

Oh and may I add that when a they need a person to translate from english to spanish I am the first person summoned to do the job...

Well I am actually looking for another job, but yes she is aware that other people speak their native languages. As a matter of fact one of the Iranian women (whom I get along with very well) told me that one day my boss got upset with her and told her "I don't know what language you want me to talk to you in!"

Answer 1

That's outrageous! Good grief...what does this woman do for a living, anyway, that she's got the time and the idle-mindedness to worry about what language people use in their private conversations?

The constitution allows you the right to freedom of expression. Unless there is a countervailing reason to abridge that right, then who does she think she is to tell you what language your thoughts can and cannot be uttered in? It would be one thing if you were using Spanish to talk about people at the office to the point where you were incurring legitimate complaints, or if your use of Spanish was preventing others from doing their jobs---but to ALLOW OTHER minority languages and the single out SPANISH? That is WAY over the top, and your boss is being completely unreasonable.

Answer 2

English should be spoken on the job, if is an American company. No it or buts about it. But you should ask your supervisor how come only Spanish is target. Unless you and your friends are talking Spanish all the time. You need to address the issue head on, either you all speak English, or you all speak your own languages. She can't just target one group of people. It's descrimination. She can't have it both ways. I am bilingual, and I think is very rude to speak all the time a language at work that nobody else understands

Answer 3

While I don't agree with your supervisor, I think it is within the right of an employer to say that employees should only speak one language in the workplace. I am troubled, like you, that this rule seems to apply only to Spanish. Is it possible that it's actually targeted at you and your coworker as individuals and not at the Spanish language? You might want to talk to your supervisor and respectfully request an explanation for that rule.

Answer 4

If it was just people speaking spanish i could understand your boss too, but since people are speaking Iranian, Indonesian, etc. I would definitely ask her why she singled you out for speaking in spanish. If she is aware that the other workers are speaking in their native language and she has only singled you out then it is discrimination.

Answer 5

I dont see what the big deal about speaking spanish or other languages is. If you know them then why shouldn you speak them. But if you are at your job and you see that people are not speaking spanish and they know how to speak it then you shouldnt because its going to look bad and someone may take it the wrong way. But if other people are speaking it and you dont see anyone complaining or making bad faces then go ahead.

Answer 6

You have a good point. English should be spoken on the job, except when you need to speak a different language for the job. It's good manners not to speak another language when in a break room with others there.

Answer 7

That is sooooo wrong
I have the same problem at my work place im learning Croatian and many ppl get mad at me for it they wonder why im doing it and a whole bunch of othe stupid stuff.It makes me so sad to know that ppl are so closed minded tha tif some one speaks a word they don't understand then it makes it wrong to say it well ya know what SCREW THEM!

Answer 8

I would hope that (In the USA) a manager would have the option to regulate speech to English only, however restricting only one differing language while ignoring others would be discriminatory.

Answer 9

because of the fact those unlawful immigrants are slowly starting to be criminal voters. additionally Spanish is the 2d maximum spoken language interior the U. S.. that is taught in each severe college with a language branch. Your boss is purely "getting with the situations". you may in comparison to that illegals are coaching you a sparkling language, yet i like it. It helps with reducing the universal thought that individuals are lazy and blind to different international places and customs and in uncomplicated terms think of roughly ourselves. we are getting globalized. I wager top now there's a ton of high school young ones in each non-English speaking united states of america complaining that that is BS to benefit English because of the fact of a few vacationers that come to head to while they're going to in no way want it of their united states of america. i'm fluent in Spanish as a Latina and fluent in English as an American. i'm additionally discovering Mandarin chinese language and Korean because of the fact i'm going to need it in my profession later. you will desire to incorporate your subculture/parent(s) community tongue and purely suck it up in case you prefer to maintain your interest. P.S. in case you think of discovering Spanish is BS, i will in uncomplicated terms think of if China extremely takes administration of the U. S. (we are in great debt with them, conflicts, and that they are starting to be to the best extraordinarily rapid), now discovering chinese language extremely is a discomfort, it takes quite a few years to be fluent and an prolonged time to understand.

Answer 10

I consider that to be racist.
Same thing happened with me before.
Im not telling you to do this. Infact dont risk it but I did.
I told my boss its a free country with many cultures.
If you don't like how I speak than fire me.
From that day he's all nice to me. =]