Is it Legal to bar people from speaking Spanish on their lunch break?

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...stargazer...	It is illegal. It is discrimination. Stand up to it. Do something about it, don't stay quite. Stand up and revolt! We are all one, race and language shouldn't be an issue, we are all one! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

P&Rsmommy	It's her office, she can set whatever rules for her office. It's america, and the language is English. Unless Spanish is something you need for your job, it has no place there, and it's your boss' discretion. I'm not a lawyer, but I can't imagine what possible legal right she might be violating. There is nothing in the constitution that says you have a right to speak spanish at work. I do understand where you are coming from, I really do- but I am also someone who does NOT speak spanish, and I can tell you in my experience it is downright frustrating to be with a group of people who speak both English and Spanish, because they will choose spanish every time, and I am left out of the conversation. I think it is rude and ruins the whole work environment, and I respect what your boss is trying to do. If you don't like it you could work somewhere where you need to use Spanish in your job. That's my two cents Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Charlie Bucket	I'd say illegal, the first amendment doesn't specify english as far as I know, but you should ask an attorney. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Annie	No, this is not legal. There is no official language in the US, and a public employer cannot enforce arbitrary language rules. Her allegations are particularly vicious. I would speak to a lawyer if I were you. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Blood Stains and Nameless Graves	wow, thats major discrimination! and discrimination is illegal! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Dave	Yes, that would be called discrimination. However, you should encourage workers not to speak Spanish. Other workers do not understand what you're saying, and it is bad work ethic. If i was a boss and my employees were speaking a language I don't understand, I would try really hard to get them fired. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Adam™	its called Freedom of speach you can say anything you want in any language you want its a free country y si te dise eso otra ves chinga telo and quit :) Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Jordan B	I'm sure it CAN'T be legal!!!! What an A-Hole!! Why doesn't she just learn Spanish? Oh wait that would make her brain think! I'm appalled, this kind of discrimination is just stupid, I don't understand when my workmates speak in another language but I don't make silly and unfounded accusations at them. That's just stupid! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Scott K	NO! It isn't even legal for them to force you to speak English to each other inside the office. You should file a racial discrimination grievance with the medical office and if they don't resolve it you should contact the department of labor. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

its just me	well see if the other people speak languages other than English then ur boss shouldn't be targeting just spanish the problem is that the rule of thumb is you speak the country's language- ENGLISH. If a customer comes in that speaks spanish, then speak spanish... but otherwise speak English... and that rule should apply to ALL employees if u take ur break in a break room then it could make other employees who dont speak ur language feel uncomfortable, and therefore create more Human Resource issues I suggest that u just go somewhere like a restaraunt or just sit in ur car on ur break so u can do whatever it is that u want Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

♥HEARTS 808♥ TROPICAL BABE♥	This is THE funniest question I have read on this forum...EVER!!!!! Especially the part about you girls shooting up the place! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Susanthemom	I think it is legal, but she didn't go about it in the right way. If you speak spanish in a general work area where other non-spanish speaking employees are, they may be made uncomfortable, that can be an employer's personnel issue. However, I agree with others here that if you leave the work area on your break and you are not in the presence of other employees you can speak whatever language you want. However, it is important that the policy be uniformly applied to all non-English speakers, regardless of their job. The doctors work for the same employer, and the fact that they are not subject to the same rule can be grounds for you to complain and maybe even take legal action. That discrimination is illegal, in my opinion. Good luck. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

hotchocolate	Does she understand Hebrew? The doctors may be planning on "shooting up" the office, lol. I would suggest that you contact an EEO office or attorney. The fact that the doctor's can speak Hebrew, but you're not allowed to speak Spanish is discrimination. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Grace F	It is legal, she's just being a racist pig Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

msamani9	Ok first of all I think your boss is not well and it's not illegal to speak Spanish in the work place. However, check if you are in a right to work state and they don't have to have a reason to fire you. I dare say they would not write "she spoke spanish" on your termination papers as they might as well sign a nice fat check over to you. You can call the dept of labor anonymously and file a complaint or go to the top dog tell him how you feel and use the word discrimination a lot that will scare them. LOL What she is doing is not right and if others feel uncomfortable when you talk in spanish they should ask themselves why. You might just feel more comfortable talking in your native tongue. This is the land of the free and on your break time you are also free from work unless they are paying for your lunch break. Get it started. One person can make a difference. I speak from experience. I was not around to reap the benefits but all my co-workers who had become my friends did. At the end of the day, all turned out for the best. GOOD LUCK! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Lisa	Your employer is rude but she is legally within her rights. She can tell you that you can't wear jeans to work too. They can make any policies they want as long as they are not discriminating because of your race, age, gender, or religion. I don't think language would fit into any of those groups. I assume that she isn't really the doctor's boss so she can't really tell them what to do. Doctors usually have more autonomy in their employment contracts because of their professional skills and high demand. If you want to keep your job, then you should just wait until after work to speak Spanish. It is just like if she told you not to talk at all. It may seem rude and unfair but if she is your boss and is anal retentive about that stuff, I guess you should comply with her request. If you are still at work during your lunch break she can request that you don't do certain things. If you want to speak Spanish at lunch time, leave the office. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

bibliophile31	OH MY GOSH!!! Your boss is a complete nimrod!! Why did she hire you if she thinks you are going to be "shooting up" the office? This would be hilarious if it weren't so sad. However, here is my opinion.... If you like the job, follow the "no spanish" rule so you can continue to work there. Sometimes you just have to "play the game" in life. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Just me.	I would find a more ethnic friendly workplace . There are a lot of Spanish speaking patients that know little or no English. If its their 'office' they can set whatever rules they want. I think your boss is over paranoid about terrorism. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

tonalc1	No, not on your lunch break. Generally, employers have to show that there is a business necessity for an English-only policy. Being afraid that you're plotting to shoot up the place is not a business necessity. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Reachable	could be an office policy, read handbooks go outside and talk your language there, no one could tell you anything Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

haven	Well, they can make any policy they want to have within their office if its privately owned, and if you don't like it you should find another job...... , but you can definitely complain that you feel harrassed by her insensitive comments. (Check your state's laws though.. all states are different.. In NC for example, your employer can fire you at any time for no reason at all) Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Lisa J	Sounds like your boss is a racist. You could be talking about 'shooting up the office' in english, using code words. Doofus. There are no laws that I know of that make it illegal to speak a foreign language. He can make up whatever rules he wants, but this is not illegal. He may, however, be in violation of the EEOC laws. Call you state labor board to get more information. But in the meantime, find another job. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No