SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A local Albertsons grocery store is accused of breaking a federal law with a policy that bans workers from speaking Spanish.
The Associated Press reported the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Albertsons on 8650 Lake Murray Boulevard. The suit claims the store barred its employees from speaking in Spanish around non-Spanish speaking workers.
Workers were also told they could not speak Spanish during breaks or when in conversation with Spanish-speaking customers, the AP reported, per the lawsuit.
The EEOC’s lawsuit claims the store’s policy amounted to harassment and created a hostile work environment. The AP reported employees complained about the policy, but nothing was changed. Some workers transferred to other stores due to the policy, the AP reported.
In a statement, Albertsons officials did not directly comment on the lawsuit but said, “Albertsons does not require that its employees speak English only. Albertsons serves a diverse customer population and encourages employees with foreign language abilities to use those skills to serve its customers.”
The grocery chain employs about 280,000 people in 35 U.S. states.
