Reassuringly The VICI Language Academy is based in Newbury, in the heart of the Thames Valley in a prosperous area; however in the current economic climate we all know someone who has been made redundant.
It can be a difficult experience and needs to be handled sensitively, but imagine being told you have lost your job in a foreign language?
With many European businesses basing themselves here in the UK and British companies working overseas it has never been more common for businesses to have workers for whom English is not their first language.
We’ve talked about the importance of language in understanding the nuances of The Boardroom when foreign languages are involved and when it comes to health and safety. It is just as vital a consideration when making staff redundant or dismissing people.
For example, earlier in the year we were approached by a UK business that demanded confidentiality and it turned out they were faced with making redundancies at a subsidiary in Germany. The firm was being really considerate and we delivered German language sessions ahead of the redundancies.
So while the redundancies were actually issued in English and translated, the director was actually able to greet the staff and be courteous to the German staff in their own language. We were told this made a real difference for the staff at what must have been a very difficult time.
Another company contacted us wanting to undertaken an Italian language programme to handle an upcoming major restructuring within the business. Now although all the meetings were normally held in English, the company paid for an English manager to learn Italian.
The manager explained that although English was perfectly acceptable, he wanted to show the staff how important and valued they were by speaking to them in Italian. He recognised how significant the culture of the organisation was and fed back to us how well the restructuring went.
These examples demonstrate the real impact learning a foreign language can have when dealing with sensitive staffing issues and here at The VICI Language Academy it is a small yet vital part of the range of services we offer to businesses.
Please do contact us: april@thevici.com if we can help your business deal with any sensitive issues involving a foreign language.