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Language and Discrimination in the Workplace

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  • 14-01-2013 9:40pm
    #1
    brokenarms
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭


    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?


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    #2
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    No.


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    #3
    brokenarms
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭brokenarms


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


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    #4
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    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?


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    #5
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    Just start speaking Irish to each other.


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    #6
    MagicSean
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,897 ✭✭✭MagicSean


    Or learn some polish.


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    #7
    Sacksian
    Registered Users Posts: 1,895 ✭✭✭Sacksian


    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.


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    #8
    Tom Young
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,338 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tom Young


    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.


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    #9
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    Tom Young wrote: »
    Be sure to come back with precise detail for the above post.

    I'd love to see that myself!! :D


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    #10
    Ken.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    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.


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    #11
    CommanderC
    Registered Users Posts: 420 ✭✭CommanderC


    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.


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    #12
    telecaster
    Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭telecaster


    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.


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    #13
    PrzemoF
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭PrzemoF


    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.


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    #14
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    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.


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    #15
    brokenarms
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭brokenarms


    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.


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    #16
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    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.


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    #17
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    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!! :D

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


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    #18
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    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.


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    #19
    cathy01
    Registered Users Posts: 2,269 ✭✭✭cathy01


    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


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    #20
    schemingbohemia
    Registered Users Posts: 5,606 ✭✭✭schemingbohemia


    ....


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    #21
    Santa Cruz
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Santa Cruz


    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?


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    #22
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    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:


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    #23
    brokenarms
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭brokenarms


    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 .


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    #24
    Mike 1972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,018 ✭✭✭Mike 1972


    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.


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    #25
    Oakboy
    Registered Users Posts: 83 ✭✭Oakboy


    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....


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    #26
    Bepolite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,737 ✭✭✭Bepolite


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


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    #27
    Sala
    Registered Users Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭Sala


    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!


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    #28
    Mike 1972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,018 ✭✭✭Mike 1972


    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.


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    #29
    TireeTerror
    Registered Users Posts: 2,271 ✭✭✭TireeTerror


    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!


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    #30
    aujopimur
    Registered Users Posts: 3,953 ✭✭✭aujopimur


    What's the translation for Kurwa?.


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    #31
    Frank Grimes
    Registered Users Posts: 5,234 ✭✭✭Frank Grimes


    aujopimur wrote: »
    What's the translation for Kurwa?.
    Something not very nice apparently - http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kurwa


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