English-Only Controversy at City Market Co-op

Author
Paul E. Olsen, Peter T. Kelly
Region
North America
Topic
Ethics & Social Justice
Length
3 pages
Keywords
workplace diversity
english-only policies
Human Resource Management
HRM
employee relations
employee discipline
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Undergraduate Students
Executive Education

This critical incident considers an English-only language controversy at City Market, Onion River Co-op, a grocery store and food co-op located in Burlington, Vermont. A City Market manager’s practice of encouraging his staff, primarily immigrants and new Americans, to speak English at work was perceived by employees and their union as an “English-only” mandate. Director of Human Resources Meredith O’Neill was faced with deciding how to address the manager and his practice of encouraging employees to speak English at work, upset employees and their union, and what, if anything, City Market’s Personnel Handbook and union contract should say about speaking English at work.

Learning Outcomes
  1. Analyze a challenge in managing a diverse workforce
  2. Evaluate the implications of adopting a policy regarding language at work
  3. Create a policy regarding language at work
  4. Propose managerial action consistent with a progressive disciplinary system