English Only Bill Filed In Assembly

On May 22, a bill (A2866) was introduced in the Assembly to amend the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) to expressly provide that it shall not be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to require an employee to speak, or an applicant for employment to speak, English while engaged in work.  (This would not prohibit employees from speaking another language while on break.)  The stated purpose of the bill is to “protect the State’s employers from the burden of frivolous lawsuits, enhance the smooth and efficient operation of workplaces in the State, and recognize and promote English as the common unifying language in the State’s commerce.”

Note: This article was published in the June 2008 issue of the New Jersey eAuthority.