Hospital Cleaner Fired for Speaking Polish

7th September, 2012. A Polish hospital cleaner in Norway has been fired for speaking Polish during her lunch break. Johanna Renclawowicz, 34, received her marching orders from the Sykehuset Telemark hospital. Her dismissal letter said: "You have been given information that only Norwegian shall be spoken during working time. Your colleagues and patients have repeatedly complained that Polish is spoken in the eating area, cleaning department and corridors, etc."

The hospital claimed they continually warned Ms Renclawowicz against using Polish at work. In August, they sent her a letter that was titled, "The use of language in the workplace". In it, she was told that speaking Polish created a "bad working environment".

Ms Renclawowicz moved to Norway four years ago to find a better life. She now has a three-year-old daughter and a mortgage on her house. She started work at the hospital in August 2011 as a temporary worker. Four other Poles at the hospital warned her that the hospital had banned Polish. She said: "It was strange that we were expected to speak Norwegian to each other on our breaks, even when we're not that fluent….

Every time the boss heard one of us speaking Polish, she said, 'Speak Norwegian'. She mainly complained if it happened during lunch breaks." There were even, "We speak Norwegian at work" posters put up in the hospital. She will now sue the hospital for discrimination and unfair dismissal.

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