Does your organization have an English language-only policy that prohibits employees for
whom English is a second language from using any language other English in the workplace?
n = 492
Yes, 3%
No, 97%
Note: Excludes respondents who answered “not sure”.
SHRM Poll: July 14, 2008
©SHRM 2008
1
Does your organization help pay for ESOL classes
(English for speakers of other languages)?
n = 449
No
76%
Yes, employee pays out of pocket but
organization reimburses ALL costs if employee
completes the class
11%
Yes, organization pays all costs up front
9%
Yes, employee pays out of pocket but
organization reimburses A PORTION of the cost if
employee completes the class
4%
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Note: Excludes respondents who answered “not sure”.
SHRM Poll: July 14, 2008
©SHRM 2008
2
If your organization covers all or part of the cost of employee ESOL
classes, approximately how many employees take the classes each year?
n = 96
SHRM Poll: July 14, 2008
1-10 employees
67%
11-20 employees
11%
21-30 employees
8%
31-40 employees
1%
41-50 employees
5%
51 or more employees
7.%
©SHRM 2008
3
Approved ESOL classes are PRIMARILY…
n = 96
Designed specifically
for employees in a
particular industry,
21%
Generic English
classes, 79%
Note: Excludes respondents who answered “not sure”.
SHRM Poll: July 14, 2008
©SHRM 2008
4
Which of the following statement best describes your organization’s
PRIMARY reason for supporting ESOL classes?
n = 126
Providing these classes helps our company
grow our workforce
61%
Providing these classes helps make us stand
out as a model employer and eases recruitment
12%
Providing these classes helps improve
communication among employees and clients
12%
Providing these classes helps to create career
paths for employees
10%
Inability to find English speaking wo...
5%
0%
SHRM Poll: July 14, 2008
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
©SHRM 2008
5
Methodology
• Response rate = 16%
• Sample comprised of 520 randomly selected
HR professionals from SHRM’s membership.
• Margin of error is +/- 6%.
• Survey fielded the week of July 14, 2008
SHRM Poll: July 14, 2008
©SHRM 2008
6