Senator Lamar Alexander has proposed legislation that would prevent the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from bringing lawsuits against employers that adopt policies requiring employees to speak English in the workplace.
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Download NowAlexander, a Republican from Tennessee, proposed the legislation as an amendment to an appropriations bill. He says the provision would prevent the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from using any appropriated funds for the purpose of bringing lawsuits against a company that requires its employees to speak English in the workplace.
"This is America, and in America we speak English," says Alexander. "The Senate has declared English our national language, and requiring it in the workplace is not discrimination--it is common sense."
He says the amendment was prompted by a lawsuit the EEOC filed against the Salvation Army over an English-only policy.
The EEOC's stance is that an employer may require that an employee be able to speak and understand English if the requirement is based on a business necessity. However, the agency says that a policy requiring that only English be spoken at lunch, on breaks, or outside the workplace would be considered unlawful.
The Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Alexanber is a member, has approved the amendment by a 15 to 14 vote.