no habla?

feddoc

Long Time Member
Messages
7,428
No problemo.

"**Employers should have the capacity to train and supervise foreign-born workers in a language they understand.**

HUH, shouldn't the worker be responsible for learning the language of his employer?


http://www.nsc.org/safetyhealth/Pages/112Workerkilledafterfallintomanliftshaft.aspx

A 56-year-old cleanup worker at a food mill was killed when he fell into a manlift shaft. The worker was employed through a temporary agency and had been on the job for two weeks. He primarily spoke Spanish with very limited proficiency in English. The victim also had a visual impairment, which may have been a contributing factor in the fall. The company had a written safety program for the manlift, consisting of procedures, inspections and training. The victim received on-the-job training from his supervisor in English. It is believed that the worker tripped or misjudged the handhold on a continuously running manlift in the mill that carried workers up and down between floors. He fell through the 2- by 2.5-foot floor opening onto a crossbeam, where he was struck continuously by one of the manlift steps, which were unable to pass by him. A co-worker climbed the ladder in the manlift shaft and located the victim on the down side. Another co-worker stopped the manlift and called for emergency assistance. Rescue workers pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

To prevent future occurrences:


**Workers must follow safety procedures when using a manlift. A manlift should only be used by workers.

**Employers must ensure workers understand safety procedures and demonstrate competence using a manlift.

**Employers are required to provide safety training to employees in hazardous work settings, and must verify employees have the knowledge and skills to work safely.

**Employers should have the capacity to train and supervise foreign-born workers in a language they understand.

**Competence-based training should be provided. New workers should be closely supervised and retraining should be conducted to correct poor performance. Firms using temporary employees are responsible for specific safety training at a worksite, although temporary staffing agencies are responsible for general safety training.








Compromise, hell! ... If freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why should those who believe in freedom treat it as if it were a roll of bologna to be bartered a slice at a time?
 
I was at a Mcdonalds on redwood road in SLC/west valley s couple weeks ago and the friggen menu was in espanol. Only onw employee, who was washing the floors knew enough english to help me order and take my money.
I'm not rasict by any means, But holy crap I live in Utah, NOT friggen central/South America/ Spain/ any other spanish speaking country.



It was a big bodied 2 point. (this is my signature)
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-12 AT 07:05AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-12 AT 07:04?AM (MST)

If knowing English is a vital requirement to employee survival and saftey at this place of business why did this company hire someone who doesn't speak it? COMPANY'S FAULT - NOT THE WORKER'S!

The real issue here isn't about requiring workers to learn a certain language, it is about workplace safety. The responsibility here lies with the employers to provide proper training in a language understood by each employee - no matter if that is Spanish, Hmong, Thai, German, French, Braille, or whatever. If English skills are necessary to job performance and basic employee safety, then the company needs to provide that training if they are going to hire someone who doesn't already have enough linguistic competence to not get themselves killed through the normal performance of job duties.

Look, the company can't hire based on racial criteria, but if speaking and understanding English is a key component of the employee's job function, then the company can stipulate it. If they need their employees to understand English to work safely, then they CAN screen employees on linguistic ability. It happens all the time.

I teach Spanish so speaking Spanish is a pre-requisite for my employment. In fact, I either have to have a degree in a Spanish-related field or prove through different training courses that I am competent enough to do the job. If the company knows that I do not have this ability yet they hire me anyway and it is vital to job performance and saftey, then they must train me properly. If they don't and still require me to work anyway, then they are going to be liable for my saftey and job performance.

This really isn't a linguistic issue - but a competence issue. Substititue language skills for any other skill and it is the same thing. You can't hire a mechanic who doesn't have the skills to work on cars safely and competently, unless you are going to train him or her properly to begin with. Common sense.

Also - travishunter3006 - uh, yes - you do live in the 3rd largest Spanish speaking country in the world. The idea of Spanish being spoken only south of the border is a thing of the past my friend. Sorry if it rankles you a little but if a company has identified that their primary clientelle in a given area speaks a certain language, then it just makes business sense to cater to that clientelle's specific needs. There are several places in SLC where all the sinage and advertisements are all in Vietnamese. Go to L.A., New York, Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, or Miami, the signs in many of the businesses there say "We speak English" instead of "Se habla espa?ol".
It is just a fact of the world we live in.

Contrary to popular belief (and hegemonic societal structure) there is no "official language" in the United States, or any of the states themselves for that matter. There is no U.S. law that requires any citizen to be fluent in any language at all and now, it is far beyond practical to expect that to ever change. Time to get over it.



______________________________________
Burnin' up don't know just how far that I can go, soon be home only just 4 downs to go, I can make it I know I can! You broke the boy in me but you won't break the man! I can see a new horizon blazin' on the Mile High. I'll be where the eagle's flyin' higher and higher! Gonna be your man in motion, all I need's my Broncos team take me where my future's lyin' Tim Tebow's Fire! GO BRONCOS!

HOOK 'EM!
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Since I am frequently asked about my religion on this site and others, I have created a profile that explains my beliefs. If you are interested in finding out more about my faith, please visit the link below:

http://mormon.org/me/6RNQ/
 
....Stupidity has no language...


JB
497fc2397b939f19.jpg
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-12 AT 08:23AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-12 AT 08:15?AM (MST)

Roy is correct in the sense that the company screwed up by hiring a non-English speaking/understanding employee.

I disagree, sorta, with what he said here:

"The real issue here isn't about requiring workers to learn a certain language, it is about workplace safety. The responsibility here lies with the employers to provide proper training in a language understood by each employee - no matter if that is Spanish, Hmong, Thai, German, French, Braille, or whatever. If English skills are necessary to job performance and basic employee safety, then the company needs to provide that training if they are going to hire someone who doesn't already have enough linguistic competence to not get themselves killed through the normal performance of job duties."

The real issue is about safety and I think that goes back to the requirement to be proficient in English. Part of that aspect lies within the idea that the vast majority of folks, at least where I work, utilize one language, English, as their primary means of communication. While it is possible to provide proper training in Spanish, Hmong, Thai, German, French, Utardian or what ever...it just isn't feasible. As an example; if a worker is about to step off the ladder and fall 20' to a concrete floor how do YOU tell him to watch out? The natural response is to use your primary language. Not his. It isn't very practical to guess as to which language the guy uses...unless the job requirement is to speak English.




Compromise, hell! ... If freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why should those who believe in freedom treat it as if it were a roll of bologna to be bartered a slice at a time?
 
My contracting contracts from Contractors has a clause in it, I MUST have a english speaking foreman on the jobsite at all time.
I like it and I like the one about steel use on said Job must be made in the USA.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Well that is my point - the company shouldn't hire them then if they don't speak English and they aren't going to provide language training for them.

I do agree that immigrants who come to the United States should take it upon themselves to learn the predominantly spoken language, whether that be English, Tagalog, or whatever. And the truth is, many of them want to, it is difficult though and the process is often very very long and it just isn't practical to expect them to do so.
_______________________________________
Burnin' up don't know just how far that I can go, soon be home only just 4 downs to go, I can make it I know I can! You broke the boy in me but you won't break the man! I can see a new horizon blazin' on the Mile High. I'll be where the eagle's flyin' higher and higher! Gonna be your man in motion, all I need's my Broncos team take me where my future's lyin' Tim Tebow's Fire! GO BRONCOS!

HOOK 'EM!
_______________________________________

Since I am frequently asked about my religion on this site and others, I have created a profile that explains my beliefs. If you are interested in finding out more about my faith, please visit the link below:

http://mormon.org/me/6RNQ/
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-24-12 AT 04:55PM (MST)[p]Not hire them?? You have the slip and fall attorneys behind one door and all the anti-discrimination/civil rights lawyers behind the other. What's a small business owner to do??
 
Kevin - it is not discrimination if the ability to speak English is defined as a necesary job skill. Just say "Applicant must be able to speak and read English" in your job description ads and you will be fine. If you hire an employee who doesn't speak English and require them to work in potentially hazardous conditions you assume the liability if you don't properly train them or warn them in the language they do speak. If you are not willing or capable of doing that, only hire people who speak English. Simple as that.

_______________________________________
Burnin' up don't know just how far that I can go, soon be home only just 4 downs to go, I can make it I know I can! You broke the boy in me but you won't break the man! I can see a new horizon blazin' on the Mile High. I'll be where the eagle's flyin' higher and higher! Gonna be your man in motion, all I need's my Broncos team take me where my future's lyin' Tim Tebow's Fire! GO BRONCOS!

HOOK 'EM!
_______________________________________

Since I am frequently asked about my religion on this site and others, I have created a profile that explains my beliefs. If you are interested in finding out more about my faith, please visit the link below:

http://mormon.org/me/6RNQ/
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-25-12 AT 07:21AM (MST)[p]In other words, choose door #2 and take your chances getting sued by the civil rights attorneys...afterall, as a small business owner I have plenty of money to defend my "English only" hiring policy as not being racially motivated.
 
easy, don't hire them... when you post the job requirements for the position, state that all of your customers are english speaking and a requirement to work for you is to communicate with other employees/customers. Problem solved, they don't meet requirements.


Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
Mntman is exactly right. It is not a discrimination issue - it is a job requirement issue. You wouldn't hire a welder if he didn't have a certificate in welding would you? Language ability is a SKILL - if a worker doesn't have the skill, you don't need to hire him. Plain and simple.

______________________________________
Burnin' up don't know just how far that I can go, soon be home only just 4 downs to go, I can make it I know I can! You broke the boy in me but you won't break the man! I can see a new horizon blazin' on the Mile High. I'll be where the eagle's flyin' higher and higher! Gonna be your man in motion, all I need's my Broncos team take me where my future's lyin' Tim Tebow's Fire! GO BRONCOS!

HOOK 'EM!
_______________________________________

Since I am frequently asked about my religion on this site and others, I have created a profile that explains my beliefs. If you are interested in finding out more about my faith, please visit the link below:

http://mormon.org/me/6RNQ/
 
It's very simple. If you have a business that requires English language, hire someone who speaks English. If you don;t require English and hire people who can't speak English it makes sense to have directions and signs and instructions in their language.
 

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