Sports Direct apologises over ‘Welsh only’ storm
SPORTS Direct has apologised after a notice at a Welsh store told staff they should only speak English during working hours.
The notice, which was described as “discriminatory and offensive”, has sparked an investigation by the Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws.
The directive at Sports Direct’s Bangor store, stated: “English is the official language of the company and should be used at all times when carrying out company business, unless otherwise specified.
“It has come to our attention that some members of staff are speaking in languages other than English whilst carrying out their duties.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind staff that they must speak in English at all times when they are at work, in order that they can be understood by all members of staff. This includes any personal conversations that may be taking place during work time.”
The notice, which appeared in the shop on Saturday, claims that speaking any other language poses a variety of “risks” to the company, including “health and safety issues”.
Staff are told that they are free to speak any language they wish “outside of work time”.
Sport Direct has since said the policy was issued so staff “fully understood” health and safety briefings.
A spokesperson said: “Sports Direct issued a notice to all stores in the UK on our language policy.
“It was intended to ensure that all staff, who attended briefings on health and safety and other important issues, fully understood the content of these communications.English is the most common language used by our multi-lingual staff, and therefore, the most likely to be understood by all. This notice was not intended to restrict the use of the Welsh language, or prohibit staff from communicating in the local language, outside these briefings or with customers.
“We will be reviewing he wording of the notice to ensure this is made clearer and re-issuing an updated notice. We are an international business and fully support the use of the local language in all our jurisdictions.
“We apologise for any misunderstanding or upset this notice has caused.”
A spokesperson for the Welsh Language Commissioner said: “Following allegations about Sports Direct’s language policy, the Commissioner has instructed for an investigation to be opened by her officers under the provisions of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011.”
In the wake of the issued notice, Manon Elin, of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “These reports are genuinely shocking. Since 2011, it has been illegal for companies to stop people speaking Welsh with one another.”
THE insensitivity shown by Sports Direct in displaying on the staff noticeboard of its store in Bangor an instruction to communicate only in English provides further evidence that the battle for Welsh language rights has not been wholly won.
The company’s explanation that the row was based on a misunderstanding because the offending message was a generic one not targeted specifically at Welsh speakers misses the point.
In fact, it confirms that the needs of Welsh speakers – both employees and customers – have been wholly ignored by a company which purports to be proud of its international profile.
Any company that trades internationally needs to take multi-lingualism on board, even if its main markets are in the English-speaking world.
In Wales, a particular problem arises because our retail sector is dominated by stores whose headquarters are based in England. Most people in England are barely aware that the Welsh language exists, let alone that many Welsh speakers expect signage and service to be provided through their language of choice. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, when the kind of faux pas committed by Sports Direct occurs.
Welsh-speaking employees have a measure of protection against employers who try to stop them using the language at work. But as the law stands, there is no obligation on private sector organisations to provide services in Welsh.
Thus far, the Welsh Government has been reluctant to impose language obligations on the private sector, having been persuaded that they would inhibit business expansion. Perhaps the time has come for such a stance to be reviewed. There are, after all, many countries which function bilingually and even multi-lingually. Companies recognise the value of operating in more than one language because it increases their reach.
The same approach could easily be adopted in Wales. Producing signage and promotional material in more than one language is a very marginal cost for the bulk of high street traders, most of whom are chain stores. The same applies to the ever-proliferating chain restaurants which dominate our cities and towns.
The Welsh language is meant to have equality with English in Wales. Incidents like the latest involving Sports Direct regrettably show that isn’t really the case.
If the language is to have a secure future – and if the Welsh Government’s target of one million Welsh speakers by 2030 is to be achieved – it must be possible for people to use it in normal everyday contexts without a struggle.
It should be a matter of course for Welsh language signage to be on display in shops, and for Welsh speakers to be able to converse in the language with colleagues and customers.
So far, the Welsh Language Commissioner has created challenging targets for public sector organisations to achieve.
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