Staff forced to speak english by mcdonalds

A RACE watchdog has launched an investigation after a McDonald's restaurant banned staff speaking any other language but English.

A notice in the staff room at the Orient Food Hall in the Trafford Centre read: "Due to the common language within the store, all staff members must use English at all times."

It said it was head office policy and anyone refusing to comply could be issued with disciplinary warnings.

Employees say they were shocked by the order. They say not all their customers speak English as a first language, and staff would occasionally speak Chinese or Urdu during breaks.

One McDonald's employee said: "Some workers think the notice is intimidating and possibly in breach of employment laws. It's also insulting and should be taken down."

Coun Qassim Afzal, equality spokesman for Liberal Democrats in Manchester, has complained to , the Commission for Racial Equality.

He said: "It is a disgrace for a global organisation such as McDonald's to issue a warning like this.

Diversity

"It is an insult to multi-lingual employees. If a customer visits a huge tourist attraction such as the Trafford Centre and cannot clearly communicate their order in English, surely if the worker is capable of helping that person they should be allowed to do so without the threat of disciplinary action hanging over them.

"Diversity in culture and language should be credit for any organisation and not something taken at face value."

A McDonald's spokeswoman said the notice was written by a manager and was not displayed in other outlets. She said the company would liaise with the manager "to make sure it is done in the right way".

"Although we have over 70,000 UK staff who speak many languages, as a customer-focused business we must ensure consistency in our communications.

"As a result, we simply require staff to speak English when working and specifically when talking to customers. During their break times and when in our crew staff rooms, we of course respect an employee's right to converse in whichever language they choose, provided this does not exclude any fellow employees."

A CRE spokeswoman said: "We have received a complaint and we are looking into it."

A spokesman for the Employment Law Advisory Service in Manchester said: "We think it is potentially discriminatory - only someone of English origin could fully comply.

"If you require them to speak English within the staff room I cannot see the logic. Then to discipline someone for it is dangerous when you take the laws into account."