cross-posted from: https://linux.community/post/3497784
Example: several of my former coworkers are from Mexico, Peru and Argentina, meaning they share Spanish as a common language.
I used to practice Spanish with them, but my last charge (like a ward’s manager) would yell at us to stop it, use English only. She would get very angry really fast if she heard anything in a language she didn’t understand.
I find it stupid, because some of them would use Spanish to better explain to the new nurses how to do certain procedures, but maybe I’m missing something?
I’m trying to figure out why a manager would assume that people speaking in Spanish are doing it to have a nefarious, malicious secret code, when Spanish is the fourth-most widely spoken language on the planet, and is not a difficult second language for English speakers to start picking up comprehension with.
If I wanted an evil secret code, wouldn’t I pick something far more obscure?
Erhapspay ig pay atin lay?
Honestly, time to talk to HR who I’m sure would have a quiet word with this manager.
This sounds like bullying, triggered by racism/xenophia/paranoia or just plain bigotry. And yelling at people? That’s terrible too.
I mean, foreign languages can and sometimes are used to talk shit about people without them knowing. Speaking English in a non-English place is rude for that reason as well, to make it less bait-y.
If even brief, well-explained excursions into Spanish are punished, that’s ideology or personal paranoia, though.
I don’t understand why English speaker’s imaginary fears of being “shit talked” outweigh the comfort of a Spanish speaker using their mother tongue? I don’t understand how English speakers having anxiety translates into Spanish speakers being rude? It sounds like a personal psychological problem certain English speakers project onto people who speak other language; if it’s not prejudice I’m having trouble seeing the difference
Well, that’s a lot of questions you Just Asked.
I mentioned this also comes up in the various non-English speaking countries, right? Including ones that Hexbear likes, where I have family connections, because I’m guessing pulling rank is where this is going.
Seems like a horribly xenophobic policy. Honestly a red flag.
I personally speak Spanish and French at work, in addition to obviously English. Work is the only place I really get to practice speaking French, and I take any chance I can to speak Spanish since I don’t want to lose it
I could see this becoming necessary. In Amsterdam and other European tech hubs it’s common to have English-speaking offices, so it’d be bad for team cohesion to have the native speakers form a clique in the lunch room.
I think it makes sense to have a common language among all of the staff that is spoken whenever business is being discussed, in meetings and things like that.
I think that policing private conversations is kind of weird. I don’t know why they would do that.
I’ve actually had the opposite experience. When I happen to work with people that speak my second language it’s usually them who don’t want to speak their other language bc they don’t want to exclude teammates.
Employers can go suck a big fat cock.
If the enployee can communicate with their managers and co-worker in English when needed and talk in an other language when they talk between them, there’s nothing wrong.
I don’t understand how white people in settler colonies can force the people there to speak their language and follow their culture when they stole land from the actual indigenous people who do not support such policies.
Sounds like that wasn’t your employer, that was your manager. I’d take that to the employer and ask if this rule is authorized, because it seems like a huge overstep on your manager’s part.
If you’re scared of another language it just means you’re a puta gordo
50+ Caucasian cis male multinational tech company middle manager here.
I speak Spanish on work zooms, when everyone else is in Mexico.
TBH I do it because I try to avoid being the asshole boss who everyone else has to accommodate, and instead be the pluralistic, humble boss that shows appropriate deference and respect to the employees that actually do the work.
I hope they then talked about this person right in front of her in Spanish. LOL.
Fucking stupid. The Haitians didn’t speak English and we needed our bilingual guy to speak Spanish sometimes or else we wouldn’t get shit done. Oh also the boss’s English was shit too and sometimes him and the others from the country our company was from needed to communicate clearly
Charge nurses and power tripping, name a more iconic duo.
Racist, and a way for management to know if workers are discussing unionization.
Not always, it’s also a politeness thing, it depends on context
I don’t agree. Forcing people to use a language they are less comfortable with just so others can eavesdrop has nothing to do with “politeness.”
I think you should have asked what context was being referred to.
I can’t really imagine a context where it would be a politeness thing unless the English-only speaker was actively involved in the conversation but was being intentionally shut-out, and not because it was easier to convey in non-English languages but deliberately for spite.
I can’t really imagine a context except for this very common context which completely negates my point
Well said!
It isn’t the context brought up in the post body, so no, it doesn’t completely negate my point. The post is talking about banning any and all use of spanish, period, and the other user came in trying to talk about a different situation entirely.
It’s not eavesdropping lol. I worked a company that was primarily Chinese people at the head office and they made a rule of speaking in English for inclusivity.
The post references any usage of spanish as bannable. There’s a difference between workers speaking spanish with each other while someone who only speaks English is present, and workers speaking spanish with each other when nobody else is involved with the conversation. I also worked at a company with a huge portion of speakers that were uncomfortable with speaking English despite myself only speaking English, any attempt to ban their language would hurt the company.
Right? Hence context
I am directly replying to the context listed out by the user, which in this case seems to be racist and anti-worker.
And I am directly replying to you saying there is context and I specifically said not always
You mean, what you ignored?
Lol no, i clearly didn’t
Preserving “politeness” is the same tactic they use to keep workers from discussing their pay with each other, which is also deeply anti-labor.
Sure, I won’t disagree that it’s anti labour, but being polite to and around your co workers is important
You can tell it’s not that cuz of how quick the person got angry. If it’s remarkable enough to seem strange, there’s a reason.
Why do you care about what I do if I’m not talking you? If talking a different language seems impolite to you and you’re not the one talking, who the fuck cares? That’s a you problem.
Sure you’re allowed to be ass, that’s also a you problem lol
‘allowed’ lol thank for the permission boss
Lol kay
