Evelina Silveira

How can you promote inclusion in a workplace where employees speak multiple languages? How do you create fair policies? What is legal and what is not? What constitutes good practice, and what may be considered exclusionary? The following tips will help you understand what respectful language policies involve.

1. Don’t have written policies that state “English only” in the workplace. This is illegal in Canada, and an employee can cite discrimination based on country of origin or language.

2. Do take into consideration the competing interests of different stakeholders when discussing how and when it is helpful to speak another language in the workplace.

3. Don’t make an issue out of two people speaking their mother tongue together on a break or a lunch hour. Employees have the right to do so on their break, and usually they find it to be relaxing.

4. Do encourage people in a supportive way to speak English even if they have a language barrier. Empathize. Ask them if they would like you to correct them. Sometimes employees may use their first language for communication because they feel self-conscious about their grammar and pronunciation or because of the adverse reaction they receive from English speakers.

5. Don’t make rigid statements about English only in the workplace, as it could backfire. Instead, have a discussion with employees about what circumstances they would consider reasonable. Most companies will agree that when it comes to an emergency or health and safety, speaking a foreign language might be necessary.

6. Do let employees and co-workers know if you feel excluded from conversations because they are not speaking a language that the rest of the group understands. Sometimes people are unaware of the impact it may have on morale and productivity as well as their self-image.

7. Don’t overlook the point that speaking foreign languages may be a symptom of a larger issue of exclusion: workplace cliques, cultural divide, feelings of insecurity and lack of trust. Your organization may have bigger problems that are fueling the desire to speak their languages in the workplace when it is not warranted.

Purchase a single, team, or corporate license and reduce your risk of discrimination complaints and a toxic work environment. Establishing respectful, legal and productive protocols early on can help you maintain civility and inclusion.

To learn more about multilingual etiquette in the workplace, check out our on-demand webinar at: https://www.diversityatworkcommunications.com/multilingual-communication-workplace