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Required to learn Spanish after 10+ years of employment, now a condition to keep job

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karriwhel

Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas

Employee was hired without Spanish as a "requirement" or "skill" (whichever term you prefer) many years ago and now all the sudden required to learn Spanish as a condition of continued employment (Spanish Manager in charge of the office), is this even legal? There are plenty of other Spanish speakers in the office that have for many years provided translation on the occasion it is needed. Older employee loves her job, receives fantastic reviews & attempting to learn Spanish, but finding if difficult to learn and is worried about finding other employment in a related field in a small town. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!
 


Isis1

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas

Employee was hired without Spanish as a "requirement" or "skill" (whichever term you prefer) many years ago and now all the sudden required to learn Spanish as a condition of continued employment (Spanish Manager in charge of the office), is this even legal? There are plenty of other Spanish speakers in the office that have for many years provided translation on the occasion it is needed. Older employee loves her job, receives fantastic reviews & attempting to learn Spanish, but finding if difficult to learn and is worried about finding other employment in a related field in a small town. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!
unless employee has a contract stating otherwise....employment is "at will" and can be terminated by either party regardless of length of employment.
 

commentator

Senior Member
This older employee should keep doing her best, be willing and able and ready to try learning Spanish. They can demand it, yeah, sure, but as long as you are actually trying to learn, doing your best, don't worry about whether you are learning it fast enough or good enough. If they were to actually fire you for not becoming proficient ENOUGH to suit them, which is very subjective, you will very likely be able to draw unemployment benefits while you look for something else, and it will cost their employer account. While they can ask employees to acquire new skills, it is rather silly to demand that you become spectacularly fluent or proficient in a language you have never learned before.

Maybe they are trying to get you to quit? Don't let this happen. Do not let them nag you, scare you or browbeat you enough that you scurry off without another job to go to. In the case that you did this, you'd be very unlikely to get unemployment benefits, because after all, it's your choice. Don't quit unless you have found another good job to go to. Nothing says you can't be looking for that job while you are still working. Don't tell them this, don't threaten to quit them or look for another job, just do it quietly behind the scenes.

If you cheerfully try to do this job, cooperate with their insistence that you study the language and don't let them threaten you, just say, "I'm doing my best to learn this new language. Sorry I'm not perfect at it yet," and keep doing your job to the best of your abilities, that's all you can do, isn't it? Don't let them create the anxiety in you. Smile and say, "It's tough to learn something very new as an older worker, you know, but I'm doing my very best."
 

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