What does language discrimination at work look like?

By Michelle Cohen Levy

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Firm News

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Last Modified on Mar 19, 2025

Have you ever felt nervous speaking up at work because English isn’t your first language? Many others face the same challenge every day. Some people remember painful memories from school, where classmates made fun of how they spoke.

As adults, some still deal with similar treatment from bosses or coworkers.

Signs of unfair treatment at work

When someone treats you differently at work because of how you talk, that may count as language discrimination. Here’s how unfair treatment might look like at work:

• Accent discrimination: Coworkers or bosses mocking and criticizing how you speak during meetings.
• English-only policies: Implementing unnecessary rules that require you to speak only English, even during breaks or non-work-related conversations.
• Exclusion from meetings or projects: Leaving you out of important work discussions or assignments due to assumed language barriers.
• Harassment or bullying: Repeated or escalating levels of offensive comments, jokes, or slurs about how you talk aren’t jokes.
• Exclusion from opportunities: Getting excluded from meetings, projects, or events because you’re not fluent in a language that isn’t even needed for the task.
• Stereotyping: Making assumptions about your intelligence, competence, or work ethic based on your language skills or accent.
• Unfair performance evaluations: Lower ratings or harsher criticism in performance reviews because of your language skills when they aren’t related to your job performance.

Sometimes, language discrimination is evident even during the hiring stage. Recruiters may show bias, making it impossible even to get the job.

Your right to respect at work

No one should face workplace discrimination—whether it happens overtly or subtly. Your accent or language background should not prevent you from getting fair treatment at work.

Consulting an employment lawyer can help you understand your rights and determine if you have a case. They can guide you through collecting evidence and following the necessary steps so you can protect your employment rights.