77% Say Speak English or Lose your Job

[cldnails]

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of American voters say companies should be allowed to require employees to speak English while on the job. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that only 14% disagree while 9% are not sure (see crosstabs).

The view that employers should be allowed to require English-only speaking while on the job is held by 84% of Republicans, 70% of Democrats and 77% of voters not affiliated with either major party.

Eighty-two percent (82%) of White voters believe employers should be allowed to require English on the job. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of African-Americans agree. However, other Americans, primarily Hispanic, are evenly divided. Just 45% believe English-only requirements should be allowed while 47% disagree.

Those who disagree include the federal government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). EEOC documents note that “linguistic characteristics are closely associated with national origin” and can therefore be used to “discriminate on the basis of national origin.”

Just 13% of American voters believe that requiring workers to speak English is a form of racism or bigotry. Seventy-nine percent (79%) disagree.

A separate survey found that 77% of Americans believe that immigrants moving to the United States should “adopt America’s culture, language, and heritage.” Just 13% say immigrants should “try to maintain the culture, language, and heritage of their own country.”

Earlier this year, the EEOC filed a lawsuit against a Framingham, Massachusetts Salvation Army Thrift Store for requiring that only English be spoken in the workplace. In 2003, a federal court ruled in favor of the Salvation Army in a similar case brought by the EEOC. The head of the agency testified before Congress that “an employer who establishes an English-only rule has a responsibility to show a business necessity for that rule.” According to the EEOC website, 4% of those living in the United States speak little or no English.

The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also found that 84% of American voters believe that English should be the official language of the United States. Eleven percent (11%) disagree.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) believe that election ballots and other official government documents should be printed in English only. Thirty-five percent (35%) disagree and say documents should be printed in both English and Spanish.

Eighty-seven percent (87%) of voters say it Very Important for people living in the United States to speak English. Another 11% say it is Somewhat Important.

See survey questions and top-line results. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.


Why Not

It's really getting out of hand and personally makes me fear ever becoming an employer. There is a difference between hiring on your own personal beliefs and then being a bigot. Apparently 77% of people find this to be the case.

[ewomack]

What does the report mean by "require english?" Does it go as far as not allowing any non-english communication? Or do they just mean work communication? I assume the latter, but one never knows these days.

Also, how does one "adopt America’s culture, language, and heritage?" Language makes sense, but culture and heritage? I've lived here all my life and I'm unclear as to what America's "culture and heritage" is. Does this mean immigrants should shop more? Engage in irresponsible spending and lifestyle choices? Become hopelessly myopic? When they learn that we're descended from revolutionaries (a big part of our "heritage") how should they take that? How would a newcomer know what to do? And who would get to decide just what comprises "culture" and "heritage?" Strange.

Americans will miss out if we legislate towards monolinguism. The ability to express oneself in other languages widens the breadth of life experience. In short, it's Brain stimulus. We need more of that here. I see more and more evidence that Americans want nothing to do with expanding their own intellectual capacities. We want it easy. If that's true (and I hope it's not) then we're sunk as a nation.

[cldnails]

Not being able to understand someone across the counter at McDonalds will not expand the breadth of my life experience. In addition, more closely related not understanding someone on the other end of a telephone, whom i must talk to when taking care of my school finances is a slap in my face.

[Julie]

Prohibiting the speaking of foreign languages on the job would be stupid. I mean obviously you should try to communicate with your co-workers and such in English, but who's to say that on your break you can't call your mom and speak in German if that's what she understands? Or what about the situation when your client or customer would be able to better communicate with you in an alternate language? Personally, I've had to rely on my knowledge of Spanish on the job before to communicate with library patrons that understand very little English. It's not required by my job that I be able to speak another language, but if I know it, and it will better help me serve them, what's wrong with it? Should that be banned?

It seems to be a very uniquely American thing to be offended by the speaking of other languages. Are people so put off by the speaking of other languages because they can't understand what is being said, and are paranoid about the topic of conversation? Who cares? If it is a personal conversation, you shouldn't be listening in anyways. If its a business conversation, of course they should be able to speak English as most Americans speak English, but there are exceptions when speaking another language is helpful.

Cldnails - Regarding your last post - I don't think anyone's saying that the McDonald's worker should be allowed to speak to the customers in Spanish (or whatever language) just because he feels like it. The customers wouldn't understand, and therefore he would unable to perform an essential job function. My impression is that they want to ban talking amongst co-workers or with family/friends in a non-English language....

[cldnails]

No, my problem is with the law being the way it is, employers can't decide for themselves what to do. I understand your view and I agree, however as an employer I should have the right to decide if I want it spoken or not. This is not something the government should get their nose into, but it could possibly be viewed as discrimination as it is worded now.

[ewomack]

Originally Posted by cldnails

Not being able to understand someone across the counter at McDonalds will not expand the breadth of my life experience.

I think you mean: "Being able to understand someone across the counter at McDonalds will not expand the breadth of my life experience." But I agree with the way you typed it originally.

[cldnails]

Originally Posted by ewomack

I think you mean: "Being able to understand someone across the counter at McDonalds will not expand the breadth of my life experience." But I agree with the way you typed it originally.

doh!?

Another instance of my fingers typing faster than I can think. I think.

[Natural Elements]

I think employers should decide, but governement should also make English the official language of this country.

Every foreign people should speak or try to speak the language of the country they are living in.

It doesn't bother me if they are capable to speak different other languages.

[Julie]

Originally Posted by Natural Elements

Every foreign people should speak or try to speak the language of the country they are living in.

I agree with that.

[Rankenstein]

I've met a Pakistani woman who's been in the UK for over thirty years and can't speak a word of English. If you can't be bothered to integrate, why bother coming? Get the f**k out.

My dad arrived in this country in the Fifties and couldn't speak a word of English. He was fluent in English in about three years and got a degree in chemical engineering in six years.

Learn to speak the damn language of the country you're living in. Not to do so shows only contempt. OK, if you're dyslexic or similarly disadvantaged, that's another matter, but that's my opinion in a nutshell.

[spacefem]

Originally Posted by cldnails

however as an employer I should have the right to decide if I want it spoken or not. This is not something the government should get their nose into, but it could possibly be viewed as discrimination as it is worded now.

from that standpoint, do you agree with other EEOC directives? Should you be allowed to put "white people only, no seniors" in your job postings?

I mean, you probably wouldn't, I realize that, but if you're going at this issue "I should be able to do what I want" standpoint, there's no reason to draw the line at languages. It sounds like you're just against the EEOC altogether... which is a viewpoint that the libertarian side of me sort of relates to, so it's not so bad.

by the way I should add a disclaimer to my participation in this discussion... i'm married to a full-blooded native american, who certainly wishes people would have learned the language of this country when they immigrated here! But when it was europeans coming over, we wanted to encourage the spreading of our cultures, the melting pot, great idea! Now that it's other people coming into America, we've decided that's a bad idea. I say pick a side, folks.

[cldnails]

Originally Posted by spacefem

from that standpoint, do you agree with other EEOC directives? Should you be allowed to put "white people only, no seniors" in your job postings?

Yes, I have a problem with a government agency, which costs more than $320 million a year to give jobs to people who don't deserve, nor qualify for them.

[wisefool]

It depends on whether the job has a necessity for communication. Factory workers for example does not really need functional english to do their job since they are not communicating with customers.

[aarathi]

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[aarathi]

Nobody’s arguing with you. Employers should be able to require fluency in English.The question is why these people were doing a perfectly fine job for years, literally, and suddenly their lack of English was grounds for dismissal.

[John Scott]

Originally Posted by wisefool

It depends on whether the job has a necessity for communication. Factory workers for example does not really need functional english to do their job since they are not communicating with customers.

+1.

[cldnails]

Originally Posted by wisefool

It depends on whether the job has a necessity for communication. Factory workers for example does not really need functional english to do their job since they are not communicating with customers.

I would think a factory job would require MORE attention to the ability to speak English. Safety is the first thing that comes to my mind and if the employees, managers, or anyone else can't read the English warnings or follow proper direction then it becomes a safety concern for everyone.