Los Angeles National Origin Discrimination Attorney

Language Laws in the Workplace

The United States is an amazingly diverse country, comprised of people from a variety of ethnicities, religions, and countries of origin. The benefits of a diverse population are innumerable, and individuals who want to learn something more about the world around them and about humanity are given a great educational tool.

However, many individuals not only ignore the benefits of a diverse community in their personal life, but in their professional life, as well. Unfortunately, job discrimination based on factors like “Nation of Origin” are still a problem in our workforce today, and some of the most frequent violations come in the area of language discrimination.

English-Only

Many offices and employers discriminate against employees or potential employees whose first language is something other than English. The main way that this type of discrimination manifests itself in the workplace is through either English-only policies or mandatory English tests.

According to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (under Title VII), both of these actions are illegal and considered discriminatory in most cases. An employer is only allowed to require employees to speak a certain language when communication is absolutely essential for the safety and effectiveness of the job in question.

Unfortunately, many employers try and hide behind this exception in order to discriminate against individuals who may speak another language when hiring for jobs that do not necessarily need English language speakers.

Accent Discrimination

Similarly, many employers will discriminate against an individual who has a strong or noticeable accent, even if he or she speaks perfect English. Again, the Civil Rights Act protects individuals against this type of discrimination, making it illegal for employers to wrongfully terminate or refuse to employ a qualified individual simply because he or she has a noticeable accent.

Contact a Los Angeles Employment Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been the victim of employment discrimination based on issues of language, contact Los Angeles national origin discrimination attorney Perry Smith today by calling 888-356-2529 to discuss your legal rights and options.