I am curious how many facilities have an "English Only" rule, and how/whether it is enforced.
I work at a SNF in which the vast majority of the employees are from the Philippines. Although we have an "English Only" rule, it seems that they have no interest in abiding by it, although all are fluent in English. Since I am one of only two white employees, I guess there isn't much I can do about it. It does bother me, though, when we are on our lunch break, and all of them are speaking their own language and I am the only one who does not understand the conversation!
I am curious if others have the same situation where they work, and if so, how they deal with it. Thanks.
It's not ridiculous. I work in a LTC facility. The whole point of the facility is the residents. Many older residents ONLY speak English and it does make them uncomfortable.
We enforce an English only rule to make the resident comfortable. It is all about the resident. If you can't handle that then find another career.
It's that simple...
Wow... i think people are allowed to have dissenting views without needing to "find another career."
Wow... i think people are allowed to have dissenting views without needing to "find another career."
Seriously....
People can have any views they like. We are, however, in this field to help the patients. That is the sole reason for most English only rules. Anyone that can't understand that really does need to find another career.
That's my view. I'm allowed to have it.
Seriously...
I, of course, mean English in the work areas...
Break rooms, lunch rooms, etc. are not included...
How does it harm the residents when two nonnatives speak their own language in the breakroom?
I'm waiting to hear if Calebsmom speaks English at work on the phone with her husband, or if he sits with her in the cafeteria.
I still think it is silly to have an English only rule in all areas of work. If I want to speak anything other than English on my break, what business is it of my coworkers? Do you also feel excluded if I text message during my break? Especially if I'm texting someone in the hospital, or even in the room? You're still being excluded, after all.
You can't outlaw stupid, you can't dictate friendship. How long do you want the rule book to be? It's also rude and exclusive when people don't make eye contact and smile in the hallway; should we make a rule for that, too?
Let people do what they want on their break. If they want to talk in their native language to a friend, what's the problem?
I don't have a problem with rules stating that people should speak English in patient contact areas. Anywhere else, that just seems silly. Soon you'll find me making phone calls from the bathroom! Will people feel excluded when I do that?!
I am curious how many facilities have an "English Only" rule, and how/whether it is enforced.
I work at a SNF in which the vast majority of the employees are from the Philippines. Although we have an "English Only" rule, it seems that they have no interest in abiding by it, although all are fluent in English. Since I am one of only two white employees, I guess there isn't much I can do about it. It does bother me, though, when we are on our lunch break, and all of them are speaking their own language and I am the only one who does not understand the conversation!
I am curious if others have the same situation where they work, and if so, how they deal with it. Thanks.
Learn Tagalog secretly. When I was in the navy one many of the cooks and supply types were filipino, we had this young black guy that learned the language quietly. One night he was sitting in his office working while 12-15 filipinos who were gathered there hanging out, telling stories and jokes. All of the sudden Donald busted out laughing at a story ... they questioned that he was just laughing because they were until he repeated the story in english, the "meeting" immediately broke up and they never spoke tagalog around Donald.
What gets me is that most names don't translate so you hear "baka-baka-baka-Kevin-baka-baka-baka" then laughing.
Please, no one take offense to my "immitation" of a foreign language, I am all for integration.
Here's little joke about speaking more than one language from my boss when I was attached to a NATO unit:
How does it harm the residents when two nonnatives speak their own language in the breakroom?
I'm waiting to hear if Calebsmom speaks English at work on the phone with her husband, or if he sits with her in the cafeteria.
I still think it is silly to have an English only rule in all areas of work. If I want to speak anything other than English on my break, what business is it of my coworkers? Do you also feel excluded if I text message during my break? Especially if I'm texting someone in the hospital, or even in the room? You're still being excluded, after all.
You can't outlaw stupid, you can't dictate friendship. How long do you want the rule book to be? It's also rude and exclusive when people don't make eye contact and smile in the hallway; should we make a rule for that, too?
Let people do what they want on their break. If they want to talk in their native language to a friend, what's the problem?
I don't have a problem with rules stating that people should speak English in patient contact areas. Anywhere else, that just seems silly. Soon you'll find me making phone calls from the bathroom! Will people feel excluded when I do that?!
I don't believe anyone stated that it harms a resident if you are in the break room...but maybe I missed that somewhere. But I do agree that the break room should be off limits to any rules of speaking only English, although the rules of being polite should apply. If you are leaving one person out of a converstation (either in English or another language), it is rude. But as an aged person, I realize that people just sometimes don't get or just don't care when they are being rude.
There is private time and times when it is expected you will be excluded like phone calls, text messaging, etc, but in my case when you are at a nurses station on the night shift and the one 1 of 4 that is being excluded from a converstation for hours at a time, yeah I do expect to be included. Especially since they have no issue speaking English to ask for help (sometimes not work related) or when they need something from me.
I used to find myself becoming annoyed at my co-worker's use of other languages to communicate with each other. Then I realized, that I was not part of the conversation, so what difference should it make? I was also taught that eavesdropping or butting into a conversation that you are not included in is rude. My co-workers would always speak to me in English, and they never ignored me.
This isn't kindergarten anymore. I think there are more important issues to get upset about.
It makes a difference when you could be learning or teaching, when you could get or give some important information about a patient...that happens all the time at our nursing station as people change teams, and know different things about families and patients...it makes a difference because because not everyone feels 'un-ignored'...it makes a difference becauseit is divisive, and doesn't support including everyone in the nursing support system/community
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i don't believe anyone stated that it harms a resident if you are in the break room...but maybe i missed that somewhere. but i do agree that the break room should be off limits to any rules of speaking only english, although the rules of being polite should apply. if you are leaving one person out of a converstation (either in english or another language), it is rude. but as an aged person, i realize that people just sometimes don't get or just don't care when they are being rude.
there is private time and times when it is expected you will be excluded like phone calls, text messaging, etc, but in my case when you are at a nurses station on the night shift and the one 1 of 4 that is being excluded from a converstation for hours at a time, yeah i do expect to be included. especially since they have no issue speaking english to ask for help (sometimes not work related) or when they need something from me.
"as an aged person, i realize that people just sometimes don't get or just don't care when they are being rude." how true that is! and a number of folks on this forum just don't seem to get it or don't seem to care. unintentionally leaving one person out of a conversation in the break room or the nursing station is just plain rude.
intentionally leaving one person out of a conversation in the break room or at the nursing station to exert your right to speak your native language whenever and wherever you want is downright mean.
intentionally leaving one person out of a conversation in the break room or at the nursing station to exert your right to speak your native language whenever and wherever you want is downright mean.
there is no right to speak your native language at a place of employment. in fact you have no rights other than those guaranteed by federal law.
there is no federal law guaranteeing you the right to speak whatever language you choose at work. why is it even up for debate. people really need to start understanding our laws.
it is annoying when people make up laws and rights. they have the right to follow company policy or get another job.
we have had some hispanic and middle eastern employees say our policy was racist. i told them in their respective languages that they were stupid but free to file a complaint with the eeoc. meanwhile an external (not employed or paid by us) labor lawyer (the military provides us with nice benefits at times) informed the staff in an in-service that while they were always free to file complaints and suits that they would be laughed out of court. he also reminded them that suits and complaints that were found to be frivolous were offenses punishable by immediate termination.
needless to say everyone is speaking english. sometimes you just need to lay the smack down on some people for them to 'get it.'
Specializes in NICU, Mother-baby, home health care.
And when you call your husband (if you have an American husband) or son from work, do you also speak German on the phone with them? If they come up for lunch, do you speak German in the cafeteria, or do you speak English? When you are out with them only, do you speak German or English?
I'm not sure if you're misunderstanding my point. I do not speak German fluently, therefore I DO NOT work in a German hospital. I was speaking in terms of living in this country (GERMANY) Why should I expect THEM to speak ENGLISH to me? Of course when I'm with my husband/son I speak english. When we have any type of communication with germans, we do our best to speak as much German as we know. Why is it such an issue regarding if I got a call at work from my husband and whether or not I spoke to him in english or another language? The initial post was regarding CO-WORKERS speaking their native tongue and the poster felt uncomfortable because she didn't understand anything.
I speak fluent spanish, therefore, if I was living in Spain, Mexico etc.. then YES, if I'm at work surrounded by spanish speaking nurses and staff, I would speak Spanish (spanish is my second language). If my husband/son would call me at work, I would speak Spanish or english, because my husband/son also speak spanish. But, with my co-workers, even those who speak english, I would say that I would only speak spanish because I'm at work, working for a spanish hospital, I speak fluent spanish..therefore why speak english and make other feels left out if they dont' understand? Even if they're not listening. To me, its just respect. That's all.
NORTON, Mass. - Imagine what could have happened to Angel Cabrera if he belonged to a tour that required its players to speak English.
A powerful Argentine who rose from an impoverished childhood, he won the U.S. Open last year at Oakmont by holding off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. In the hours after the trophy presentation, Cabrera made his way through a maze of media interviews in Spanish with an interpreter at his side.
Under a new LPGA Tour policy effective next year, Cabrera might have been suspended. Or, he might not have played at all if an official on that tour deemed he was ineffective in English.
"You don't have to speak English to play golf," Cabrera said Thursday in Spanish, joining a chorus of male players perplexed by the LPGA Tour's decision to be punish women golfers for not speaking English in pro-ams, trophy presentations and media interviews.... (for more, click on link)
But what he was doing was a-entertainment and b-spoke it's own language with the body....it needed no words...communication is fundemental to what we do as nurses, both with our patients and in our nursing community....the rule about language needs to reflect the needs of each nursing community
But I do agree that the break room should be off limits to any rules of speaking only English, although the rules of being polite should apply. If you are leaving one person out of a converstation (either in English or another language), it is rude. But as an aged person, I realize that people just sometimes don't get or just don't care when they are being rude. 
MissKitty21
31 Posts
Wow... i think people are allowed to have dissenting views without needing to "find another career."
Seriously....