As debate rises over whether or not employers can ban foreign languages from the workplace, one state has decided to weigh in.
The Virginia Legislature is currently considering a bill that would allow companies to ask all employees to speak English at work.
So far, federal courts have ruled that blanket language policies are discriminatory and English can only be required when there’s a business necessity — for example, when workers have to communicate with English-speaking customers, or to improve employee safety.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II, says its purpose is to allow companies to fire workers who don’t learn English without having to pay increased unemployment taxes.
The bill has a lot of opposition, and even if it passes, it wouldn’t protect employers in Virginia from federal courts and the EEOC.
We’ll keep you posted on the bill, and the activity of similar bills in other states.
