bilingual English/Spanish requirement

[ttenrubr]

California

I have applied for Manager positions but have been turned down, not because I was unqualified as a manager but because I don't speak spanish. The position does not require the manager to deal with any one outside of the U.S. but because the workers don't speak English the manager is reuired to be bilingual. The last time I looked the language of the United States is English. Is it legal to require a person to speak a foreign language if the duties of the job do not require them to deal with foreign countries?

 

[pattytx]

Yes, this is generally legal. It is known as a BFOQ, Bona Fide Occupational Requirement. If a company has a lot of customers who speak only Spanish, it would only make sense for them to have employees who speak Spanish.
There is no legally-defined "national language". Some states have enacted these, but they have very little force in employment law.

If the company needs someone who speaks Spanish in order to conduct and grow their business, they are perfectly justified in requiring that.

 

[JETX]

Is it legal to require a person to speak a foreign language if the duties of the job do not require them to deal with foreign countries?

Simple answer... yes.

 

[Sockeye]

I've made hiring decisions based on a candidates ability to speak spanish and japanese.

 

[cbg]

Here we go again. We just did this only about a month ago.

There is NOTHING WHATSOEVER illegal about a requirement that an employee speak Spanish, or any other language. There is NOTHING in the law that says you can only be required to speak another language if you are dealing for foreign nations. It is PERFECTLY LEGAL to require that a manager be bilingual if many of the workers speak another language.

If you don't want to be turned down for jobs on this basis, either learn to speak Spanish or stop applying for jobs where this is a requirement.