Language Diversity

Here's an interesting post in Workplace Prof Blog on an article by Cristina Rodriguez on language diversity in the workplace.

In general, I think that "English only" rules in workplaces can be a form of overkill and yet the article may underestimate is the extent to which team cohesiveness can be harmed if language is used as a form of exclusion. For example, if three people are in a room and two of them start using a language that the third does not understand, the third person has just been excluded.

Common courtesy would solve many of these problems.