America's taxpayer's dollars are at work again. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is suing the Salvation Army for firing a couple of employees for not speaking English on the job. That is the policy of the Salvation Army--you have to learn English to work for the private non-profit organization. The Salvation Army even let the couple of employees have a year to learn English. Wow, that is pretty generous.
This stupid suit brings up several issues. If the EEOC can sue a private non-profit organization for firing people for not speaking English after giving them a year, then they can go after other private organization and businesses for the same thing. If the EEOC wins this suit that is what will potentially happen. Gov't out-of-control is what this is called. Private organizations should be able to hire and fire people without repercussion. Another issue is speaking English on the job. If you are in a job where you have to communicate with customers like say a cabbie, tech support technition, or a psychologist you should be required to learn the English language. Heck, if you are an immigrant to this country and say you love America then learn the English language. That is the main language of the country. It will help you in the end and will show that you love the country. My maternal grandfather came from Germany when he was 18 to this country not knowing any English. But since he made America his home and loved the country he wanted to learn English and did. If I lived in Italy for example I would try to learn Italian.
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The EEOC is NOT the language police, and cases involving English-only workplace rules account for a tiny percentage on the EEOC caseload. EEOC says that English-only rules may be implemented by employers IF they are justified by business necessity. If they are just blanket rules that require all employees to speak English at all times no matter what, then they MAY be discriminatory based on one's national origin. For example, is saying "good day" in Spanish a real reason to fire a qualified worker, or just mean spirited natitvism run amok? Is an employee speaking in his native language on the phone to his family while on break abhorent or justification for losing a job? What about idle chatter in the restroom in an English other than English? Seem's a bit abusive and authoritarian for language minority employees to have their livelihoods ruined just because they utter a few words in Spanish, Asian, Navajo, or any other non-English language, that has no detrimental effect on the business. The Salvation Army fired workers were qualfied, willing and able to do their job. Their only offense was conversing in their native language from time-to-time.
Let's not forget America is a land of immigrants and diversity is what makes this nation great. Protecting minority rights benefits everyone, as today's majority will the future minority. Thus, give the issue some real thought before taking a knee-jerk reaction to the work of the EEOC.
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