Public sector language requirements
By law, everyone who works in the public sector in a customer-facing role must speak fluent English.
It includes employees, apprentices, people engaged under a contract to do work personally and agency workers.
A customer-facing role is someone who, as a regular and intrinsic part of their role, has to speak to the public in English.
A person speaks 'fluent English' if it is sufficient for them to do their job effectively.
We have procedures in place for complaints about breaches of these requirements.
For more details, read the code of practice on the English language requirement for public sector workers.
We must take care not to apply higher standards of fluency than are necessary. We may commit indirect race discrimination if we cannot justify this.
Data protection
We must keep right to work documents for the duration of employment, plus a further two years.