EMPLOYEE WASN’T PERMITTED TO SPEAK NATIVE LANGUAGE WHILE WORKING
Healthcare Service Group, Inc. – a company which provides “housekeeping and other services to healthcare facilities” – was recently investigated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for discrimination based on an employee’s national origin.
Apparently, the company had a “English-only” rule,” and prohibited the employee from speaking Spanish (her native language); a policy which the EEOC alleged was violative of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
By way of a press release date June 26, 2024, the EEOC announced a pre-litigation settlement of the claim.
In addition to paying an undisclosed sum to the impacted individual, the company has agreed to modify its employment related policies and practices, which includes not restricting “languages spoken by employees not performing patient care,” and allowing employees “to speak their preferred language in the workplace.”
Rosa Salazar, acting director of the EEOC’s Oakland Local Office, noted that, “Restrictive language policies are only allowed if they are required to ensure safe or efficient business operation and is put in place for nondiscriminatory reasons. Client relations and customer preference do not justify discriminatory policies …. We commend Healthcare Services Group for making important changes in their policies and training their entire California workforce to recognize and prevent this form of national origin discrimination.”
Can anyone translate that for us?
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