Domino's Pizza store tells staff 'speak English'

arknor said:
how are they being punished ? They are being asked to fit in and be part of a team
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If two people like speaking to each other in another language from time to time, enjoy it. Being forced to limit their linguistics to not offend paranoid people seems like punishment.

Do you also take offence when you can't hear what's someone in saying or if they whisper to one another?

Surely during work there are occasions that are not taking part in a team or team work, for example dominos. If people have skills greater than yours does that mean they are not fitting in? Should people with higher IQs be forced to dumb down, or not use big words you don't understand?
 
Craterloads said:
If two people like speaking to each other in another language from time to time, enjoy it. Being forced to limit their linguistics to not offend paranoid people seems like punishment.
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I like to sit in my backside and watch films, unfortunately work see fit to punish me and not allow me to do so.
 
Craterloads said:
If two people like speaking to each other in another language from time to time, enjoy it. Being forced to limit their linguistics to not offend paranoid people seems like punishment.
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Yeah I love walking into my local chain store and have asians behind the till witter on and I'm stood there like a lemon waiting for them to finish their conversation before I can be served.

I am a fatty and went to the shop with a friend and he understood every word they were saying calling me a fat ******.

In England, speak English, don't use your native language to be able to say stuff you wouldn't say to someones face in a language they understand.

Whether it's paranoia or not it's just plain rude.
 
A lot of paranoid people lol

I know quite a few French people, quite enjoy hearing them speak to each other every now and then.

don't use your native language
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What if it's not their native language, does that make a difference?
 
Craterloads said:
A lot of paranoid people lol

I know quite a few French people, quite enjoy hearing them speak to each other every now and then.
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Sorry I don't speak more than one language Mr Educated, out of work socially fair enough, not in a work environment.

What if it's not their native language, does that make a difference?
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How is the person expected to follow instruction if he requires an interpreter?
 
TheLegendOfMart said:
Sorry I don't speak more than one language Mr Educated, out of work socially fair enough, not in a work environment.
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I shall stop browsing the internet whilst at work, talking about anything other than work, telling someone how my weekend was etc

Do you plan to apply these restrictions across the board or just for one aspect, language?
 
Well as an ex-OcUK employee, I will admit that the warehousing staff included a few Polish people and the guy who took in all deliveries and booked them in was a Bulgarian guy.

I have never had a problem or issue with them talking to each other in their own native language, however if they were in the shop front area at OcUK - I would have liked them to not have spoken in any language other than English, purely for the customers in the shop being served, even if they were not directly talking to these customers.

But behind closed doors, in the warehouse they can talk in Hindu, Polish, Bulgarian, German, Swahili or alien I didn't give a crap!
 
Well I quite enjoy speaking to others in a different language even in the UK - it helps break the ice in some situations, and builds a relationship. Others generally appreciate that you can speak a few languages - and of course you don't say anything degrading or nasty - and then you go back to speaking to English if you want to include them. I often speak to friends/family on the phone in a different language to English, people always comment on "I think I understood a little of that..." or "what does <this word> mean?" or " I'm jealous" etc...

If you do it in an antisocial / mean / rude way then of course it's not fair, but even so, does it REALLY matter? No. It's annoying I guess - but meh, I've got more important things to worry about. I know I'm not a **** so I have no reason to be worried about people speaking overtly about me.
 
So, all of you who think that everyone should be speaking English, does this mean that when any of you work abroad, you excusively speak the native language?

Yeah, I thought not. They should speak to English people in English, obviously, but would you not use the best method you have of communicating with other people around you?! You'd be stupid not to.

I can't believe that this is a rule that they actually want to enforce, and you can call me a leftie if you want to, but I'm for freedom.
 
dirtychinchilla said:
So, all of you who think that everyone should be speaking English, does this mean that when any of you work abroad, you excusively speak the native language?

Yeah, I thought not. They should speak to English people in English, obviously, but would you not use the best method you have of communicating with other people around you?! You'd be stupid not to.

I can't believe that this is a rule that they actually want to enforce, and you can call me a leftie if you want to, but I'm for freedom.
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The trouble is they're not communicating with the people around them as the majority of the people around them don't speak whatever language it is they're speaking. That's the problem.
Would you not feel uncomfortable if you were with two other people and they were constantly whispering something you couldn't hear and laughing? I would. Plus it's highly rude and disrespectful. I'm aware that's sort of an extreme case but i've been in situations where it happened exactly like that.
 
Dis86 said:
The trouble is they're not communicating with the people around them as the majority of the people around them don't speak whatever language it is they're speaking. That's the problem.
Would you not feel uncomfortable if you were with two other people and they were constantly whispering something you couldn't hear and laughing? I would. Plus it's highly rude and disrespectful. I'm aware that's sort of an extreme case but i've been in situations where it happened exactly like that.
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I don't understand why it's a problem. I would assume it means they don't want me to hear what they are saying and move on. If they had waited until I had left and said the exact same thing in English, would that make a difference?
 
This thread is a bit of an eye opener.

Cant believe some of the comments in here, basically suggesting that speaking in any language other than English should be prohihited.
 
I strongly agree with English only in the workplace and il tell you why!

I'm currently a student and I work part time at Pizza Hut in high bury and islington (north London). All in we have about 40 staff working a night shift with only 4 of us actually speaking English. The rest of the remaining 35 staff are Pakistani descent and all I hear from my 6pm-1am shift is nothing but them speaking in their language the only time I hear English is if they pick up the phone. It's very very frustrating having to spend a 7 hour shift with 35 people speaking a completely different language to you, you feel very secluded and left out.

To make things worse me and the other 4 English speakers realise half the time that they are laughing at us in their language and we can't exactly do anything about it! Constantly picking on us and laughing :/
 
I've worked with foreigners for years and I can say it's bothered me since I'm use to it. I even learned some Polish in my last job but that was only to try and impress the ladies. :D

Most of them just spoke English anyway though. The ones who didn't typically were older (30-40+) which kinda makes sense as it's harder to learned a new language the older you are. I do remember that in my last job they tried to enforce an English only rule. Don't think it really worked though as like 60% of the place was Polish.
 
Dis86 said:
The trouble is they're not communicating with the people around them as the majority of the people around them don't speak whatever language it is they're speaking. That's the problem.
Would you not feel uncomfortable if you were with two other people and they were constantly whispering something you couldn't hear and laughing? I would. Plus it's highly rude and disrespectful. I'm aware that's sort of an extreme case but i've been in situations where it happened exactly like that.
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Geo-Gamer said:
I strongly agree with English only in the workplace and il tell you why!

I'm currently a student and I work part time at Pizza Hut in high bury and islington (north London). All in we have about 40 staff working a night shift with only 4 of us actually speaking English. The rest of the remaining 35 staff are Pakistani descent and all I hear from my 6pm-1am shift is nothing but them speaking in their language the only time I hear English is if they pick up the phone. It's very very frustrating having to spend a 7 hour shift with 35 people speaking a completely different language to you, you feel very secluded and left out.

To make things worse me and the other 4 English speakers realise half the time that they are laughing at us in their language and we can't exactly do anything about it! Constantly picking on us and laughing :/
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In response to both of you, I agree to some extent in that, when you are working in England, when there are English people around and you're in an English workplace, you should primarily speak English. But, as I said before, what if it was better for the workers to communicate in their own languages because they may struggle with getting things right when discussed in English. If you were the manager, as long as you could discuss things with someone and give orders, even via someone else, that's beneficial.

When they're on their own, ie with another person with whom they share a common language, why would it be better for them to speak in English?!
 
Thompson_NCL said:
Employees should speak English, full stop. It's nothing to do with being intimidated and everything to do with them being in Britain.
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What about other British languages? The other British languages have been used in Britain longer than English has.
 
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