Reflect on your first job for a moment. Were you ever hesitant to ask questions, fearing your boss might think you were unable to do your job properly? Did you feel that it was better to figure it out on your own rather than risk seeming uninformed? Now, imagine being an employee who has moved to a completely new country, one where they don’t speak the language, and they want to perform well because their job is how they support themselves and their families. Along with the usual anxieties that come with starting a new job, they also face the added challenge of communication difficulties in an unfamiliar environment.
Across Canada, workers in all industries, including agriculture, have the right to a safe working environment. In Ontario, the Occupational Health and Safety Act outlines three fundamental rights for every employee:
- The right to know
- The right to participate
- The right to refuse unsafe work
The right to know includes the employer's responsibility to provide adequate training, ensuring employees understand the hazards in their workplace and are competent in performing their jobs safely. To do this effectively, training must be delivered in a language the employee fully understands.
Think back to a time when you were watching a television show or movie, and a character suddenly began speaking in a language you didn’t understand. While you might have inferred some of the meaning through body language, you likely didn’t grasp the full message. Now, imagine watching the same scene with subtitles in your native language; it becomes much easier to comprehend the content. When watching something in your first language, you can fully understand everything happening on screen.
This scenario mirrors the experience of employees whose first language is not the primary language spoken on the farm, such as English or French in Canada. Just like the TV scene, if employees are not trained in a language they understand, it is unrealistic to expect them to fully comprehend the safety hazards and risks associated with their job.
Tools for effective training in an employee's primary language
1. Provide a trainer in the employee’s primary language
For larger training sessions where several new employees start at once, consider holding separate sessions based on their primary language. For example, hold one session for English-speaking employees and another for Spanish-speaking employees. Ensure the trainers are competent in delivering the content effectively in each language. Additionally, training materials such as PowerPoint presentations, quizzes and handouts should also be provided in an employee's first language.
For smaller groups, you can combine multiple languages in one session by using a translator or translation apps. However, the key is to make sure all materials and the training itself are presented in the employee’s preferred language. It is not enough to only translate the training manual while conducting the session in English. Imagine how confusing that would be for the employee. While it may take more time, using a translator or translation tools ensures that the employee fully understands the material being presented.
2. Provide documentation in the employee’s language
Would you sign a legal document you didn’t fully understand? Probably not. Likewise, employees should never be asked to sign documents that are in a language they cannot comprehend. Ensure all legal documents, agreements and safety procedures are available in a language that employees can fully understand.
3. Invest in online training
In our proprietary software, we’ve worked with professional translators to convert our training modules, complete with audio, into various languages. This way, employees can complete their training in a language they’re comfortable with. When our clients hire new employees, we make it part of our process to ask about their preferred language so we can provide training that ensures complete understanding.
4. Put yourself in their shoes
It can be difficult to figure out where to begin, but start by putting yourself in the employee’s position. What challenges might they face, and how can you help address them? For instance, providing phones with speech translation apps or putting up signage in an employee’s native language can make a significant difference in their ability to understand and perform their work safely.
5. Invite feedback
After training, it is essential to ask employees for feedback on their experience. If something isn’t working, it is better to identify the problem early rather than continue with ineffective training. Treat training as a collaborative process, where everyone involved can contribute to improving the overall experience and effectiveness.
