An Indian professional working in the United States claimed that they were asked to “stop speaking” in meetings as co-workers couldn’t understand their accent. The 32-year-old shared the ordeal on reddit saying that they felt “dismissed and insulted”.“I’m 32, originally from India, currently working in the U.S. with a client team where everyone else is American. Today, during a meeting, I asked a team member (about 55 years old) for a project update just part of my regular responsibilities. He told me to stop speaking in meetings because he couldn’t understand my accent,” they said in the post.“I felt dismissed and insulted. I’ve always made an effort to communicate clearly and professionally. No one else has said anything like this before I have being with the same client for over a year now. Is this kind of reaction something others have encountered? How do you deal with something like this professionally without letting it damage your confidence or your contributions?” the post read.
Poll
Do you think it’s acceptable for a colleague to ask another to stop speaking due to their accent?
The post received a mixed reaction with some bashing the office employees for such behaviour, while others, asking the person to “join a spoken English class”.“That’s really rude, usually if they cannot understand you they might ask you to speak slowly, but telling you to just stop speaking is very rude and not normal behaviour,” a user wrote.“You should join a spoken English class, and aim to neutralise your accent by reducing Mother Tongue Influence,” said another.Another user advised the person to file a complaint with the HR saying, “That’s so rude and constitutes workplace bullying I think. I would speak to my manager and file an HR complaint. I am in so many meetings where I cannot understand a word of what some of my colleagues are saying. I will ask them to repeat themselves or write it down in the meeting chat. Would never ever imagine that telling someone not to speak anymore would be acceptable- whether professionally or personally.“The experience sparked a broader conversation about workplace inclusivity and how professionals can address such reactions constructively.
