Language and Discrimination in the Workplace

brokenarms · 14-01-2013 9:40pm #1

I work for a large firm in Ireland.

I am one of around 30 people , 5 of which are Irish. The other 25 are Polish.

We work closely together ..Sometime to close.

Myself and the other Irish workers are becoming more and more uncomfortable in our work place due to the the Polish workers constant talking in their native language . There could be five of them around one Irish person speaking brashly and loudly in Polish. Its coming to a boiling point as it is making the Irish workers feel more and more uncomfortable and even paranoid . As well as being down right rude.

What steps can be taken to enforce the foreign workers to have a little more respect to their fellow workers.
I am also good friends with them but this has become unbearable at times and drawing a noticeable divide between our 2 cultures.

Is there any laws protecting the Irish worker in these situations?

NoQuarter · 14-01-2013 9:41pm

No.

brokenarms · 14-01-2013 9:55pm

Is there any employment laws protecting them from being asked to speak only in English?

NoQuarter · 14-01-2013 10:18pm

Theres no legal basis to ask them that.

Imagine you went abroad for work and were told you couldnt speak english to an Irish co-worker.

Are you actually listening to what you are asking here?

Procrastastudy · 14-01-2013 11:08pm

Just start speaking Irish to each other.

MagicSean · 15-01-2013 2:41am

Or learn some polish.

Sacksian · 15-01-2013 10:14am

As far as I know, you have an absolute legal right to understand co-workers' private conversations.

Can't remember the specific legislation, so might be mistaken.

Separately, in the interim, you might be able to bring an injunction against them for speaking foreign.

Tom Young · 15-01-2013 10:33am

Sacksian wrote: »

As far as I know, you have an absolute legal right to understand co-workers' private conversations.

Can't remember the specific legislation, so might be mistaken.

Separately, in the interim, you might be able to bring an injunction against them for speaking foreign.

Be sure to come back with precise detail for the above post.

NoQuarter · 15-01-2013 12:43pm

Tom Young wrote: »

Be sure to come back with precise detail for the above post.

I'd love to see that myself!!

Ken. · 15-01-2013 1:01pm

http://www.lceb.ie/equalatwork/best_practice.html

Q: Can I make English (Irish) the official language of the workplace or employ only those people who speak English (or Irish) above a certain standard? A: Employers can require levels of competency or fluency in any language as long as there is a genuine business need for the requirement. These requirements may include providing for efficient operations and ensuring the health, safety and welfare at work for all employees. A good general rule here is that if the candidate for a position has sufficient command of English (or Irish) to complete the job application and successfully pass the interview stage for that position then they should be accommodated in the workplace. Accommodation may include providing certain documents in the workers language and incorporating signage workers can clearly understand.
Q: Can I have an 'English Only' policy?
A: 'English Only' policies are patently discriminatory and would be very difficult to justify as a genuine business requirement. 'English Only' is not the same a requiring employees to have a specific level of Competency in speaking, reading or writing English in order to perform certain roles or to work in certain areas of a business.

This is the best I could find in layman's terms as to what the Equality act says.

CommanderC · 15-01-2013 1:06pm

brokenarms wrote: »

I work for a large firm in Ireland.

I am one of around 30 people , 5 of which are Irish. The other 25 are Polish.

We work closely together ..Sometime to close.

Myself and the other Irish workers are becoming more and more uncomfortable in our work place due to the the Polish workers constant talking in their native language . There could be five of them around one Irish person speaking brashly and loudly in Polish. Its coming to a boiling point as it is making the Irish workers feel more and more uncomfortable and even paranoid . As well as being down right rude.

What steps can be taken to enforce the foreign workers to have a little more respect to their fellow workers.
I am also good friends with them but this has become unbearable at times and drawing a noticeable divide between our 2 cultures.

Is there any laws protecting the Irish worker in these situations?

Protecting Irish workers from what ? Your own paranoia ?

If you don't like it, then you should quit, as you are the one with the problem here.

telecaster · 15-01-2013 1:09pm

I worked for an English company based offshore, and the local employees were not allowed to speak their local language within the office - English only.

PrzemoF · 15-01-2013 1:14pm

It's very rude and I hate it with passion.

OP, try to learn a little bit of Polish and take them by surprise - I might help you with that if you want.

Procrastastudy · 15-01-2013 2:49pm

telecaster wrote: »

I worked for an English company based offshore, and the local employees were not allowed to speak their local language within the office - English only.

Glad to see jingoism amongst my countrymen is alive and well.

brokenarms · 15-01-2013 6:51pm

I have spoken to our personnel manager and they have had a word in a few ears.

Apparently it is company policy that English is the language that all communications should be made within the working environment and is in every workers terms of employment.

But by simply asking the foreign workers to kindly have a little more respect for their colleges and being aware of who is around them , the problem seems to be fixed. For now. No one has any wish to stop them altogether but a happy medium needs to be reached.

By the way. I am learning Polish and have been for the last month. It has been very enlightening with the word Kurwa popping up in every sentence these guy use. Nasty stuff indeed.

Procrastastudy · 15-01-2013 6:55pm

I wonder if the Polish lads will start a new thread or use this one for advice on their discrimination claims probably no legs there but I would wonder if a freedom of expression breach might have more luck.

Ah sorry I forgot - they'll just get on with the job.

Procrastastudy · 15-01-2013 6:58pm

Sacksian wrote: »

As far as I know, you have an absolute legal right to understand co-workers' private conversations.

Can't remember the specific legislation, so might be mistaken.

Separately, in the interim, you might be able to bring an injunction against them for speaking foreign.

Tom Young wrote: »

Be sure to come back with precise detail for the above post.

NoQuarter wrote: »

I'd love to see that myself!!

I can't work out if some of you need to learn to speak sarcasm or not. :pac:

NoQuarter · 15-01-2013 7:54pm

I could have swore that was a serious post when I read it first, I didnt read the injuction part at that time though, I think I was still in half a rage at the OP.

cathy01 · 10-09-2013 9:55am

My son worked in a place like that and there where accidents because no one would speck English.
I think just asking people to try and talk to each other in English should be enough. Hope it gets sorted OP.Cathy

schemingbohemia · 10-09-2013 11:47am

....

Santa Cruz · 10-09-2013 1:47pm

Sacksian wrote: »

As far as I know, you have an absolute legal right to understand co-workers' private conversations.

Can't remember the specific legislation, so might be mistaken.

Separately, in the interim, you might be able to bring an injunction against them for speaking foreign.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwU-ddEloI

Were you in college with this guy?

NoQuarter · 10-09-2013 7:06pm

cathy01 wrote: »

My son worked in a place like that and there where accidents because no one would speck English.
I think just asking people to try and talk to each other in English should be enough. Hope it gets sorted OP.Cathy

OK, you first. :pac:

brokenarms · 10-09-2013 7:50pm

My whole thoughts on this has changed. Im so used to it now it does not really bother me at all now. In fact I have learned so much .
I can count up to 100 and exchange a little conversation. Fairly basic stuff.
Attitude changed now the whole culture shock was absorbed with time.

I admit at the start I could have been a bit intorrarent .

Mike 1972 · 10-09-2013 8:29pm

A few years back there was a large group of Polish, Slovak etc workers in my workplace. I moved into a house share with some of them for a few years. Any conversations not directed at me tended to be in Polish. Didnt bother me in the slightest. Im not so self centered that I imagined all their conversations revolved around me and I couldnt give a fiddlers to be perfectly honest.

Oakboy · 19-09-2013 9:38pm

Mike 1972 wrote: »

A few years back there was a large group of Polish, Slovak etc workers in my workplace. I moved into a house share with some of them for a few years. Any conversations not directed at me tended to be in Polish. Didnt bother me in the slightest. Im not so self centered that I imagined all their conversations revolved around me and I couldnt give a fiddlers to be perfectly honest.

I wonder would you have been as tolerant had it been Irish they were speaking....

Bepolite · 19-09-2013 10:49pm

I wonder if he'd have been so tolerant if it was Klingon.

Sala · 20-09-2013 9:28pm

They are probably more comfortable speaking Polish to be honest. Can you ask them to make an effort to speak English? Otherwise try to learn Polish- they'd probably love that!

Mike 1972 · 21-09-2013 11:47am

Oakboy wrote: »

I wonder would you have been as tolerant had it been Irish they were speaking....

Thread is about foreign nationals speaking their Native languages not Irish/UK Nationals speaking hobby languages.

TireeTerror · 21-09-2013 11:54am

Its pretty standard in international Scandinavian companies that the language for business is English. Of course they are a more advanced race than us here in the British Isles and in Eastern Europe!

aujopimur · 21-09-2013 2:36pm

What's the translation for Kurwa?.

Frank Grimes · 22-09-2013 12:40pm

aujopimur wrote: »

What's the translation for Kurwa?.

Something not very nice apparently - http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kurwa

Oakboy · 28-09-2013 2:44pm

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Thread is about foreign nationals speaking their Native languages not Irish/UK Nationals speaking hobby languages.

The mask slips

not that there was much of a mask to begin with

Cody Pomeray · 28-09-2013 3:11pm

I dated a Slovakian once, can speak a fair level of Slovak, and if you can speak Slovak you will automatically understand Czech. I was sitting on the 16 bus one day going out to Rathmines, behind these 2 beautiful young Czech girls who seemed to be sisters.

The girls were arguing away, fairly loudly, in what seemed to be verging on a heated disagreement. But next thing, these oul wans got on the bus outside Whitefriar Street Chapel, and they were getting all concerned and het up about this big row the girls were having.

One ould wan started grumbling about the "babble", and another about foreigners in general. Their discomfort was paranoia. I thought it was pretty funny because do you know what the two girls were loudly talking about, with such animation? ...Laundry. They were discussing the washing machine in a flat. The most boring topic in the world.

My advice to the OP is practical. Don't be paranoid about these conversations. Engage your colleagues by asking them what they are talking about. You'll probably find that your paranoia has run away with itself, which is natural. If you engage your colleagues, they'll also be likely to cut down on the Polish.

There is no legal remedy in these cases, so you might as well be practical about it.

Mike 1972 · 28-09-2013 6:54pm

Oakboy wrote: »

The mask slips

Whatever dude !

If off topic snide personal attacks is all you have to offer then welcome to my ignore list.

Language and Discrimination in the Workplace

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