Sports Direct has admitted that it was behind a notice ordering staff to speak only English that appeared in its Bangor store.
As the order attracted outrage, the company said on Sunday that it was not an official directive and that it would investigate its source. Yesterday, however, Sports Direct said that it had issued the notice to all its British stores.
The Welsh language commissioner has begun an investigation into the policy, which was described by critics as discriminatory and offensive.
The sign told staff that “English is the official language of the company and should be used at all times when carrying out company business, unless otherwise specified. We would like to take this opportunity to remind staff that they must speak in English at all times when they are at work, in order that they can be understood by all members of staff. This includes any personal conversations that may be taking place.”
It claimed that speaking any other language posed a variety of risks to the company, including “health and safety issues”.
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A spokesman admitted yesterday that the notice was put in all UK stores, but said that it was being reviewed. He said: “English is the most common language used by our multilingual staff and therefore the most likely to be understood by all. This notice was not intended to restrict the use of the Welsh language.”