language policy

IP: *.brhm.adsl.virgin.net 04.02.08, 08:48
hi i have some question about language. I work for some realy big
company in england (Tesco) some of our managers keep telling as that
we are not aloud to speak in our languag. Can they keep telling us
that.This is realy important for us coz whe thin is not right .
    • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 04.02.08, 14:05
      Hi...I cannot speak on behalf of Tesco but I can give you my
      personal opinion...in my English classes we politely ask students to
      only speak English as it is the best way for them to improve...when
      we have a new work lesson I ask the students to translate new
      vocabulary or grammar whilst I am explaining it to make sure they
      understand it.

      I can see what you are saying...it must be very frustrating if you
      are not allowed to coverse in Polish with you colleagues...the
      positive side is that your English will improve! Thanks for your
      question.

      I have made a few corrections to your original question below:

      hi i have some question(s) about language. I work for (a) realy big
      company in (E)ngland (Tesco) some of our managers keep telling as
      that
      we are not (allowed) to speak our own languag(e).(T)hey keep telling
      us
      that.This is realy important for us coz we thin(k) (it) is not right
      • Gość: workers Re: language policy IP: *.brhm.adsl.virgin.net 04.02.08, 22:25
        o.k thank u for ur honest answer :)
        • Gość: gosc Re: language policy IP: 194.73.236.* 17.02.08, 12:37
          Few months ago the ladies at Ryanair airlines were not allowed to
          speak in Polish as well. I was very suprised but now they can. My
          company is happy me to speak in Polish to our polish customers.
          Sometimes they have a big lack of language and I am the only one
          peson who can help.
          • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 17.02.08, 14:22
            I am surprised that Ryanair would have had that policy given the
            Polish destinations they fly too...perhaps customer demand forced
            them to change?

            It is good that you are allowed to speak Polish to your Polish
            customers...:)
    • jaleo Re: language policy 21.02.08, 19:00
      It's an interesting topic, and I understand it's also a bit of a
      legal dilemma, as there is no specific law governing this issue.
      Does anybody know if any test cases have been brought to court in
      the UK? With so many foreign workers in the service industry, it is
      inevitable the "language at work" issue will end up in the
      employment tribunal sooner or later.

      My personal opinion is that if workers use a foreign language in
      front of other colleagues or worse, customers, it can be perceived
      as intimidating and alienating, thus should rightly be discouraged
      by the employers. However, if they use their own language out of
      earshot of anybody else, then it doesn't do anybody any harm. Also,
      during break times people should be allowed to use their first
      language, particularly if they don't get paid for breaks, as this is
      in effect their own private time.
      • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 21.02.08, 21:54
        I guess at the moment English only workplace policies are not
        considered discriminatory if the employee is able to speak English,
        but a good lawyer could argue that language is a concrete link to
        national identity and cultural origin, whilst corporations would
        probably say that a single language is necessary to ensure workplace
        harmony and good management.

        My personal opinion is that ‘English only’ is definitely relevant to
        UK businesses that have particular safety requirements that make
        clear communication a necessity such as hospitals, fire services and
        so on. But, as you say, this is a fluid topic and it will be
        interesting to see how it develops.

    • Gość: Iron Lady Re: language policy IP: *.range81-159.btcentralplus.com 11.03.08, 11:26
      Hi. I'm a General Assistant at Tesco. There was the same problem at the store.
      I asked USDAW for help a few months ago. There is no Tesco policy that you're
      not allowed to speak in your language. You must speak English to people who
      don't speak any other language, to customers obviously as it is a kind of
      courteousness. However, you are allowed to speak in your mother tongue to people
      from your country when you want to do it face to face, eg. you're Polish, you
      talk to some Pole (you're allowed to speak Polish), but when you talk to some
      Pole and Englishman at the same time (you must speak English to both of them).
      According to article 22 of Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
      the Union shall respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. Article 21
      of the same Act states that any discrimination based on any ground such as sex,
      race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, LANGUAGE, religion or
      belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority,
      property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.
      Remember, there are some rules which you have to comply with. If you are not
      fair to Tesco, don't refer to EU's acts.
      • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 21.03.08, 22:43
        I see. Freedom of expression is the concept of being able to speak
        freely without censorship..see article 19 of the Universal
        Declaration of Human Rights...this laws protects the act of seeking,
        recieving, imparting information or ideas...and shapes the
        intellectual fabric of the society in which we live...Viva La Forum!

        ~Damnant quod non intelligunt~
    • Gość: polishhamster Re: language policy IP: *.chello.pl 25.03.08, 09:15
      Hi - I was in a cafe in Hampton Court the other day where there were two Polish
      girls working (no English employees around as far as I could tell). And, from
      the customer's point of view, it is not particularly pleasant to have to listen
      to Kasia and Ala's bleatings about their boyfriends while I am trying to enjoy a
      nice piece of lemon cake. My English family were just annoyed by the volume at
      which they had to tell the whole cafe this. The problem with non-English
      employees speaking their own language at work is that (1) they feel that they
      can shout their opinions around and that it doesn't matter because no-one can
      understand and (2) no-one can understand so it just feels to the locals that
      there is a foreign invasion. I understand Tesco's policy completely, although I
      hope they would allow their employees to talk together in breaks in whatever
      language they chose. But from a customer's point of view, it doesn't give a good
      impression, whether you speak the language in question or not.
      • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 25.03.08, 13:13
        PolishHamster...interesting handle...I wrote a book last year called
        How To Liberate Your Inner Hamster...!
      • Gość: Iron Lady Re: language policy IP: *.range86-158.btcentralplus.com 25.03.08, 14:24
        You're absolutely right. However, the main problem with Tesco is that managers
        started to implement English only rule last year. You have to know that Tesco
        has been employing Poles since 2004 or so. In my opinion they should have
        implemented this rule from scratch. It would be legal. The root of the problem
        is that many managers are unable to resolve problems in normal ways. If you want
        to fix anything, we are supposed to start doing it from the top.
        • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 25.03.08, 14:57
          I like the Gore-Tex way of management: they have developed an
          internal culture based on personal initiative. There are no
          traditional organization charts, no chain of command and no
          predermined channels of communication. They prefer to deal directly
          with each other and accountability rests with each member of their
          multi-disciplined teams. Gore-Tex actively encourage hands on
          inovation...this unique kind of structure has to associate
          (yes..they don't use the word 'employee') satisfaction and retention.

          Why other corporations haven't bench marked this is beyond me! I
          believe what we would class as a senior director in their
          organisation is known in Gor as a 'meddler!'
        • Gość: polishhamster Re: language policy IP: *.chello.pl 25.03.08, 17:02
          Well I read in the GW not long ago about a German firm which set up in Poland
          near the border (Szczecin, was it?) and right from the beginning they had a
          'German only' policy for their staff, who were mostly Polish, the reason being
          that it was a call centre and the company didn't want their customers thinking
          that they weren't based in Germany (ha! ha! can you imagine NatWest trying to
          pretend their call centre isn't in Mumbai?!). And even so, the staff complained.
          I think in the end they had to sound proof an area where the staff could have a
          cup of tea in peace and quiet and a chat in Polish. So whatever you do, someone
          will complain, especially if you're in PL or GB...it's in the genes....;))
          • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 25.03.08, 18:57
            I remember last year that I was on the phone for over an hour to a
            BT call centre in India re: broadband installation....it seems to
            work fine until you ask a question that isn't on their standard Q &
            A list on screen...then it turns into a stick and hoop routine of
            being passed around supervisors et al...BT say they make significant
            cost savings through off-shore sourcing...but why don't they just
            design a simpler product that doesn't need a call centre...probably
            becuse they'd make less revenue...
            • Gość: Iron Lady Re: language policy IP: *.range86-158.btcentralplus.com 26.03.08, 08:57
              Great Britain is very strange. On one side some companies expect foreigners to
              speak English only, on the other hand many firms hire people speaking Polish
              because English people find Polish very tough and they think they are unable to
              learn it and it takes much time and money. However, they don't realize that
              every additional employee costs more than Polish course and this employee might
              be paid for many years. My question is why do Brits make Poles' lives easier and
              don't encourage to learn English and why don't Brits want to learn foreign
              languages when they notice some problems with communication with immigrants? In
              my point of view it is a big problem for all of us.
              • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 26.03.08, 13:20
                Yes...I can see what you are saying. Stuart Pearce, the England U21
                football manager, is currently learning Italian so he can speak with
                Fabio Capello - the England boss.

                I agree that more Brits should learn to speak a 2nd and even 3rd
                language as its a good stretch and intorduces another culture. Most
                Brits only speak English on the basis that English is so widely
                spoken..but I feel they're missing the point.

                Im sure if more corps. adopted the Gore-Tex way, language in the
                workplace would cease to be an issue.
                • Gość: workers Re: language policy IP: *.bb.sky.com 09.05.08, 08:30
                  i know that my English is not really good but i try. For me all that language
                  policy doesn't make any sense because Tesco management ask as to speak only in
                  English on the shop floor but the point is that many people who are employ on
                  our shop they just can speak English so if they wont to be so perfect why they
                  employ people like that, is also difficult for us coz every time when
                  something happen we have to go and help with translation, and i speak with some
                  customers and they don't have any problems with that. So where is the point of
                  that policy now.
                  • jonathan.oakley Re: language policy 09.05.08, 12:09
                    I guess the langauge policy can seem at times confusing and
                    contradictory...from a personal view I guess it makes sense to
                    communicate with customers who are Polish in Polish (the customers
                    are not invloved in the day-to-day running of the store and so do
                    not need to practice their English )..and to use English when
                    talking with colleagues in-store for reasons we have already
                    discussed. :)
    • tbo5r Re: language policy 14.05.08, 01:16
      I have a feeling that there is a great deal of ill will and malice
      on the bosses' side here, they just want to give you hard time
    • jeanie_mccake Re: language policy 19.05.08, 23:58
      I've been in Chinese restaurants where the staff speak Cantonese to
      each other and Cantonese, Mandarin or English to the customers, I've
      been in Hielan (highland) shops where the staff speak Gaelic to each
      other and to local customers, I know a Polish deli where they speak
      Polish or English depending on who wants pierogis, my friend was an
      interpreter at a metalworks where most of the welders were Poles,
      some Italian waiters speak Italian in Italian restaurants, I've even
      heard a Greenock cop speaking French to a tourist.
      Tesco are just fascists.
      A big company can afford lawyers to invent reasons to discourage you
      from speaking Polish, but they can't legally stop you.
    • tbo5r Re: language policy 02.06.08, 17:01
      I feel the managers are being racist towards Poles, because they
      feel that Poles will put up with this crap. I wonder if they would
      be so cheeky towards a group of Somalis for example.
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