Some bosses tell workers they cannot speak their own language at work. It's hard when you can't speak your own language at work – especially when there’s no good reason for it. Workers who don't speak a lot of English may need to use their own language so that they understand what's going on at work.

The English-Only rule at your job may not be legal.

If a boss makes an English-Only rule:

  • there has to be a real business reason -- usually customer service, safety, or complaints from other employees (when they feel excluded or gossiped about);
  • he can only make the rule if there is a real problem, not just because there might be a problem;
  • he has to tell all the workers exactly when they have to speak English;
  • he has to tell all the workers what will happen if they break the rule;
  • the rule has to be as limited as possible (if he says you have to speak English even on breaks, that doesn’t have anything to do with talking to customers).

Workers can make a discrimination complaint because of an unfair English-Only rule. If a worker gets in trouble for breaking an English-Only rule, he can file a discrimination complaint when the English-Only rule isn't legal.

Some states also have anti-discrimination laws which let you file a complaint for an unreasonable English-Only rule.

The Law and How it is Enforced

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (often called "Title 7"): The Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the law against employment discrimination. Any employer with at least 15 workers is covered by this law.

Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b: Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices is part of the Department of Justice. They enforce the law against discrimination for any employer with between 4 and 14 workers, under the anti-discrimination part of this law. You have to file a complaint within 180 days (6 months) of when the company action that you are complaining about happened (for example, you were disciplined or fired for speaking another language or when you worked under the unreasonable English-Only rule).

How the laws are enforced are different in different parts of the U.S., depending on what those courts have ruled.