The subject of company bans on the use of Spanish among employees has been getting a lot of pickup in the press lately. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Sephora (a favorite store of mine) was one of the first in a wave of businesses accused of imposing “English Only” rules:

Hispanic employees at a Sephora store in New York say their ability to speak Spanish was crucial when they were selling lipstick and eye shadow to well-heeled Chilean and Argentine tourists. But they say that if they uttered any Spanish to each other, even in the lunch room, they were reprimanded by managers.

Are employees filing more claims these days, or are employers becoming increasingly less tolerant of employees speaking their language in the workplace? Are we moving forward with regard to standing up for our rights or are this country’s workplaces beginning to mimic the conservative climate of the nation itself?

Shame on Sephora. And shame on any other business that tries to marginalize its employees because of the language they speak.

Via / Post-Gazette.com and Hispanic Tips