Why is it legal to require an employee to be fluent in Spanish? (1 Viewer)

[Ministry of Pain]

Living in Miami I see positions listed all the time where you MUST speak Spanish to even be considered for the position. How is that legal? I can understand if you are calling into South America 40-50x a day perhaps cold calling but if you service customers in South Florida or mostly in the United States then where is the logic?

People should not expect to be greeted in Spanish in America. DMV test-OK, dual instruction in English/Spanish-OK, but requiring your employees to speak Spanish like a 1st language…when I was managing I would require English to be fluent and also spoken at all times. Who cannot speak English in this country who was born here or raised/living here for the last 20 years? Are we catering to people who are just visiting from South America?

How is this legal?

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Yeah! It has got to be illegal to demand people have a grade 12 education as well!

 

[Hilts]

Employers shouldn't be allowed to set criteria for who they hire.

 

[DiStefano]

Dejate de jorobar, ministerio del dolor. Si una compania tiene muchos clientes que hablan solamente espanol, es perfectamente logico que exijan que los empleados puedan ser de servicio a esos clientes.

 

[Parrothead]

QUE?

 

[CurlyNight]

I love it when I call a public office and I have to press 2 (not 1) for english! <_<

 

[Mystery Achiever]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

 

[Rove!]

Qualifications!?!?

Why didn't you tell me I had to have qualifications for this job?

 

[DiStefano]

Why should a company require accounting skills? If I went to high school, I can add 2 plus 2, and that should be enough. (or at least I think I can).

This is America!

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Seriously, I get that you failed to understand basic pizza geometry, but even you can't be this dim.

What could possibly be illegal about a private business requiring its employees to be able to effectively communicate with the business's customers? I'm a patent litigator. Many, many patent litigator positions require fluency in Mandarin or Korean. Because that's what language the patents are in (and what language all the evidence of infringement might be in).

 

[The Big Guy]

Learn some Spanish if you want to live and work in little Havana.

 

[DSP]

We must think of the rights of illegal aliens. We wouldnt want them to feel unwelcome would we?

 

[McGarnicle]

Usted tendrá que pulir mi chimpancé a un alto brillo profundo y tráeme café.

 

[DiStefano]

Tu Johnson es demasiado pequeno.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

 

[Parrothead]

so your telling me I need HOW many years of school and HOW many degrees for this cool cardiologist gig?????

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Usted tiene la inteligencia de un escarabajo pelotero

 

[GroveDiesel]

This is all you need to know:

¿Quieres patatas fritas con eso?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Living in Miami I see positions listed all the time where you MUST speak Spanish to even be considered for the position. How is that legal?

Strangely, the ability to communicate with customers is considered really important in some industries. Crazy, I know.

 

[NCCommish]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

I am a South Florida native. I never encountered any store except in the heart of Little Havana where no one spoke English. And even in Little Havana I was able to get whatever I wanted.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I was born in Miami, grew up in SFL, lived in SoCal for 7 years, I have been around it a long time. In SoCal you get the opposite where folks want employees who are actually fluent in…GASP…English!

It's not hindering my career, I just find it fascinating that employers can do this. What if I am hiring and I want fluent English, no thick accents, can I be that picky? I want whitebread(sales people) on my inbound leads I pay a lot of money for from good ole MidWest Americans, don't want them thinking we are operating in Hong Kong, the Philippines, or South America somewhere.

 

[Frostillicus]

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave.

So you're saying a business could lose a sale by not having someone who can speak the language of a potential customer adequately?

 

[DiStefano]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

Yeah, they're not as arrogant as you are.

 

[Lutherman2112]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

Might want to brush up on your English as well.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

so your telling me I need HOW many years of school and HOW many degrees for this cool cardiologist gig?????

4 year degree preferred

 

[Mystery Achiever]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

Well, that store that you left did not do the best in hiring to serve its customers. And that impacted sales when you left. Just like not having someone who could speak Spanish could hurt with othre customers. Even if they don't leave, they are less likely to return.

But none of this has anything to do with legality. What is the argument to disallow the practice of having language requirements?

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave.

So... you understand now?

 

[igbomb]

I was born in Miami, grew up in SFL, lived in SoCal for 7 years, I have been around it a long time. In SoCal you get the opposite where folks want employees who are actually fluent in…GASP…English!

It's not hindering my career, I just find it fascinating that employers can do this. What if I am hiring and I want fluent English, no thick accents, can I be that picky? I want whitebread(sales people) on my inbound leads I pay a lot of money for from good ole MidWest Americans, don't want them thinking we are operating in Hong Kong, the Philippines, or South America somewhere.

so your telling me I need HOW many years of school and HOW many degrees for this cool cardiologist gig?????

4 year degree preferred

 

[SacramentoBob]

This is one of those threads where I regret having used up all my likes for the day.

 

[Hilts]

MoP should run for office.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave.

So you're saying a business could lose a sale by not having someone who can speak the language of a potential customer adequately?

Yes but that's because English is the 1st language here.

See I think this is a way for Spanish people to hire other Spanish people without having to explain much. I find it very rare that a company has to hire someone who speaks Spanish fluently. If they are just a local company down here there is no need for Spanish only.

I have dealt in sales to Europe, they all speak English including Spain. Germany, Italy, Norway, England, they all speak it.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Esto es una estupidez. Incluso para ti.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

Yeah, they're not as arrogant as you are.

I'm extremely arrogant, I don't view that as a put down and it doesn't have the impact you wish it had, that's how arrogant I am. People have called me that since I was a teenager and I never cared. My father used to lecture me about thinking before I speak. I prefer to shoot from the hip and let people know exactly what's up whether they want to hear it or not.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I have dealt in sales to Europe, they all speak English including Spain. Germany, Italy, Norway, England, they all speak it.

 

[Politician Spock]

How is this legal?

Whu would you want it to be illegal?

I would be bothered if the government made it illegal for employers to decide that their business needs spanish speaking people. If selling to spanish speaking people is profitable for them, the government shouldn't make a law against spanish speaking requirements for employment.

 

[shuke]

Got 'em jumping in today, MOP. Good work.

 

[Lutherman2112]

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave.

So you're saying a business could lose a sale by not having someone who can speak the language of a potential customer adequately?

Yes but that's because English is the 1st language here.

See I think this is a way for Spanish people to hire other Spanish people without having to explain much. I find it very rare that a company has to hire someone who speaks Spanish fluently. If they are just a local company down here there is no need for Spanish only.

I have dealt in sales to Europe, they all speak English including Spain. Germany, Italy, Norway, England, they all speak it.

So which is it? In your OP you said:

"Living in Miami I see positions listed all the time where you MUST speak Spanish to even be considered for the position."

Now you are saying:

" I find it very rare that a company has to hire someone who speaks Spanish fluently."

 

[SacramentoBob]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

Yeah, they're not as arrogant as you are.

I'm extremely arrogant, I don't view that as a put down and it doesn't have the impact you wish it had, that's how arrogant I am. People have called me that since I was a teenager and I never cared. My father used to lecture me about thinking before I speak. I prefer to shoot from the hip and let people know exactly what's up whether they want to hear it or not.

What if they want to hear it in Spanish?

 

[Ministry of Pain]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave.

So... you understand now?

Not many people live in this country and only speak Spanish…Cubans from 1960s migrate here, they probably still don't know English or much of it. Their kids though and the grandkids who are born here 1st and 2nd generation, their English is better than yours and mine…well not mine but probably yours.

I know some folks who have parents and grandparents who fled here form Cuba, they were born here, can't speak a lick of Spanish I swear. Catering to someone who can only speak SPanish in this country…very small % of the population.

 

[Jobber]

ich habe ein bier.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I have dealt in sales to Europe, they all speak English including Spain. Germany, Italy, Norway, England, they all speak it.

I wondered who would pick that up 1st.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Let's just call it what it is, reverse discrimination.

 

[CurlyNight]

It must be an area where there are a lot of spanish peeps. Knowing a popular second language is beneficial for the biz. Folks may know some english to get around but it's better customer service to have someone that can speak in their language. You are always more comfortable with your native language and if a company has someone who speaks it, chances are more such folks will bring biz to that company.

 

[roadkill1292]

On what grounds could this possibly be illegal? Why would you not want the employee best able to serve your clientele and generate sales?

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave. There still are a few English speaking folks round these parts. And I have employed people within a sales force who do speak Spanish fluently, always keep 20-25% of my staff that have that ability in case someone cannot speak a lick of English but I found over time that rarely did that issue come up. Someone might feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish with an associate but that doesn't mean they won't speak English if no one is around to assist them. They don't automatically walk out the door.

Yeah, they're not as arrogant as you are.

I'm extremely arrogant, I don't view that as a put down and it doesn't have the impact you wish it had, that's how arrogant I am. People have called me that since I was a teenager and I never cared. My father used to lecture me about thinking before I speak. I prefer to shoot from the hip and let people know exactly what's up whether they want to hear it or not.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I have dealt in sales to Europe, they all speak English including Spain. Germany, Italy, Norway, England, they all speak it.

Maybe it's required.

 

[JHuber77]

Because it's not.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

How is this legal?

Whu would you want it to be illegal?

I would be bothered if the government made it illegal for employers to decide that their business needs spanish speaking people. If selling to spanish speaking people is profitable for them, the government shouldn't make a law against spanish speaking requirements for employment.

I would argue they can be just as profitable here in the States without the hiring discrimination. Again, Most folks under the age of 50 down here speak English. The only folks I see who throw a big gripe are folks who came here in the 60s and never learned English(we have quite a few) or someone who just got off the boat…tough cookies for them.

 

[ntz08]

This is one of those threads where I regret having used up all my likes for the day.

I'd donate mine if I could. I mostly use them for ironically liking the wayward SP threads that get posted in here

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I'll tell you why, when my wife and I go somewhere and no one can explain things in English we don't buy and we leave.

So you're saying a business could lose a sale by not having someone who can speak the language of a potential customer adequately?

Yes but that's because English is the 1st language here.

See I think this is a way for Spanish people to hire other Spanish people without having to explain much. I find it very rare that a company has to hire someone who speaks Spanish fluently. If they are just a local company down here there is no need for Spanish only.

I have dealt in sales to Europe, they all speak English including Spain. Germany, Italy, Norway, England, they all speak it.

So which is it? In your OP you said:

"Living in Miami I see positions listed all the time where you MUST speak Spanish to even be considered for the position."

Now you are saying:

" I find it very rare that a company has to hire someone who speaks Spanish fluently."

I'm saying I think the MANDATORY Spanish is a total load of BullSpit unless they are importing exporting to Columbia/S.A.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

Not many people live in this country and only speak Spanish…

The only folks I see who throw a big gripe are folks who came here in the 60s and never learned English(we have quite a few)

Quite a few, but not many.