It makes sense to ensure that all the staff can speak the language used by the majority of customers but I would have said that good customer service requires a bit of common sense flexibility - if the member of staff recognises the customer wants to speak in their native tongue and they can do so back then just do it.

I do however have some sympathy with the stipulation about using English in staff only areas - speaking a different language that excludes other members of staff does naff all to help inclusivity and can generate resentment and a hostile working environment.

It does sound daft at first.
But them my wife used to work at Boots at Heathrow. All the other staff talked to each other in urdu and she felt left out and isolated as a result. It's that sort of thing that makes many companies insist on staff speaking English as it's the one language everyone working here should be able to speak.
In this case I think English and Welsh should be allowed as they both national languages of that country.

I am the same problem in my previous company. me and 5 italians guys. Days could go past when noone would talk to me. Legally discoverable info would be filed in Italian.
So I left

Think yourself lucky... I live in Manchester! In fairness, most of what is said "kind of" resembles English

but you chose to move to Manchester I did not move to Italy

Yep, I did choose to move to Manchester. Can't complain really, as it's pretty much the same as everywhere else I've lived in the past, but with more northerners.

@jon The same reason lots of people go to London. They hear it's a cool place, with streets that are paved with gold etc... The truth is often very different.

Yep, I did choose to move to Manchester. Can't complain really, as it's pretty much the same as everywhere else I've lived in the past, but with more northerners.