Should people in the bodywork industry be required to speak English? Board of Health debates
During their meeting on Wednesday, the Board of Health discussed whether bodywork establishments in Waltham should be required to have an English speaker on the premises at all times. This is part of an ongoing discussion about bodywork license regulations in the city. Bodywork is defined by the city as tissue manipulation that does not legally constitute massage. Waltham’s bodywork regulations have not been updated since 2016.
Director of public health Michelle Feeley shared that the proposed regulations were currently being reviewed by the Law Department and were to be based on Watertown’s newly updated rules. She noted that Watertown’s regulations did not list speaking English effectively as a requirement to receive a license to practice bodywork.
Board member Bernard Mullin shared that he thought this requirement was needed, as it is important for effective communication in health emergencies. Board chairman Dr. Henry Merola asked if there was any way that the city could provide translation services or access to courses to learn English. Feeley said she would ask, but didn’t think so.
Feeley noted that the Law Department should phrase the regulation in a way that was not “offensive.” After some debate, the group decided that both owners and staffers would need to be able to speak English sufficiently. The board made a motion to table the discussion until their next meeting on April 22.
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Really? Must speak English? So long as Someone can translate I’m ok. Just want my car fixed and priced fairly. As a woman getting a fair price in English isn’t always possible! Leave the workers alone. Please
I understand the importance of his community at a bodyworks establishment but I’m my opinion this is also necessary in a nail salon, beauty shop etc. anywhere that the employee has to communicate with the customer.
Recently I was shopping at Walmart and couldn’t find an item I asked one person who couldn’t speak English another person who couldn’t speak English and a third person who had an app on their phone that he held up to my face and I spoke to in English and it translated it to Spanish he was then able to tell me which aisle to find the product I was looking for.
A couple of days ago I went to home Depot same issue I also had to stop at Market Basket same issue however none of the employees that were there at the other two stores had that app on their phone .
My suggestion is that perhaps those big stores like Walmart and Market Basket corporate get a tax break for organizing English classes so that the employees not only can better communicate with customers but it gives them an opportunity to advance in their jobs as well as assimilate with the language of their adopted country.
A few years ago a young woman came into my shop to browse and of course she said she didn’t speak English but I tried to show her around and she had an app on her phone that translated her language to English and she said that she would love to learn to speak English but couldn’t afford classes and worked a couple of jobs so she didn’t have the time to go online so I put her in touch with someone at watch and she attended English classes there and came back a couple of months later to thank me and in such a short time was able to speak some English, enough to hold a little conversation with me.