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English-Only Rule in Texas Cleaning Company

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We have been having a real problem with some of our customers for our Texas cleaning company. Basically, we have hired almost all Hispanic workers, but our customers are not able to communicate with them because they do not speak English. Would it be legal for us to establish an English-only policy for our company so that we can be sure that when we hire workers, they are able to speak at least some English?

When it comes to establish English-only policies, the rules vary based on the type of business that you have and the kind of interaction that your employees will have with customers. According to Title VII, in many cases, when you have an English-only rule, the rule is considered to be discriminatory against individuals from another national origin. For this reason, it is important to examine your English-only rules carefully before you make them a company policy. If you are very concerned, it might also be a good idea to check in with an attorney.

Here are the general guidelines when it comes to establishing an English-only rule, according to Title VII policies against national origin discrimination:

A company may be able to justify having an English-only rule if the rule is needed so that the business can be safe and efficient. In your case, it certainly sounds like it might be more efficient and effective for your employees to be able to communicate with your customers in at least some English. Here are some common examples of where this exception to Title VII might be applicable:

• In your case, where the employees need to speak with customers, you could most likely impose an English-only rule that would hold up in court.
• If your workplace often has cooperative assignments where group work plays a key role in meeting goals, then you can establish an English-only rule if English is the only language that some of those employees speak. For example, if you have a team of cleaners that go into a workplace to work together, you might want to establish that all workers should be able to speak some English in order to effectively communicate.
• If you have a supervisor that only speaks English, then you will likely want to hire subordinates that speak at least some English. In your case, if you have an English-speaking supervisor that oversees all of the cleaning in your company, then you would want to be sure that the subordinates that work under him can communicate effectively with him by speaking English.  CB