In a press release today, Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA04) announced his co-sponsorship of H.R. 4464, the Commonsense English Language Act, which would protect employers from lawsuits simply because they require English-only in the workplace.
“It is unfortunate that many employers fear being sued for requiring their employees to speak the primary language of this country. It is commonsense that employers would need their employees to speak English in order to communicate properly with their customers,” Forbes said. “A common national language builds unity among citizens and creates a sense of national pride. Requiring the use of English doesn’t mean we are any less tolerant of other languages spoken in the United States – it simply means that we want to create an environment where citizens can communicate properly with others in their daily activities. Protecting English as the primary language in the workplace is an important step towards this goal.”
According to the Forbes release:
Since 1996, the number of claims against English-language workplaces has increased 612 percent. The Commonsense English Language Act stems from a lawsuit that was brought against the Salvation Army for instructing two employees to learn English over a one-year period and dismissing them after the employees had not learned English.
Congressman Forbes advocates making English the official language of the United States. He has cosponsored H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act, which would declare English as the official language of the United States. He was awarded an “A” in English award from U.S. English, Inc., the nation’s oldest, largest citizens’ action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States, for his efforts to unite Americans under the common language of English.
