Tim Hortons apologizes for ‘speak English’ signs at Winnipeg restaurant

A Tim Hortons spokesperson told Global News the restaurant owner has promised this kind of incident won’t happen again.

https://twitter.com/d0nkz/status/1386166144994795522

“At Tim Hortons, we pride ourselves on fostering inclusive and diverse restaurants where all guests and team members are treated with respect and kindness,” the spokesperson said.

“The posting of these signs was completely unacceptable and runs counter to our brand values. We have been in communication with the restaurant owner, who removed the signs on Sunday and has offered a sincere apology.”

Todd Andres of Pitblado Law told 680 CJOB employers do have some control over language in the workplace — particularly when it comes to health and safety and respectful workplace issues.

“If you do need to communicate something to your co-workers and colleagues, you want to make sure that everyone can understand it — if it is, for example, an emergency situation,” said Andres, who practices labour, employment and human rights law.

“I think having a fireside chat with your employees to try to nip these issues in the bud before they get out of control is a much better way to do it than a passive-aggressive sign.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily appropriate or even legal to tell people that on their breaks and in their free time they can’t communicate in their native tongue, but I do think it’s appropriate to say, ‘it looks like there’s an issue here, let’s get to the bottom of it’ — if indeed there was an issue.”

Andres said he’s seen situations in the past where employees have made off-colour or sexist remarks about co-workers in another language, which he says is no different than whispering it (in English) in the workplace.

Global News has reached out to the specific restaurant but did not hear back from the owner.

2:37 Winnipeg marks first-ever anti-racism week