• Source:JND
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An Indian employee in the US has alleged that he was instructed to remain silent at meetings because his accent was "difficult to listen to". The incident has raised a controversy about workplace discrimination, cultural understanding, and the plight of non-native English speakers in the American corporate world. In a viral Reddit post, the Indian employee, 32, refused to disclose his company's name, explaining that he felt "dismissed and insulted" when one of the senior team members reportedly instructed him not to talk in meetings.

‘Stop Speaking Because of Your Accent’

Recounting his experience, the man revealed that the incident happened during a normal project update meeting. I inquired with a team member who is around 55 years old about a project. He instructed me to refrain from talking in meetings because he couldn't make out my accent," the employee posted. He went on to say that he has been working for the same client for more than a year, and no one has ever complained about his communication skills. "I've always tried to communicate professionally and clearly. I was thoroughly insulted," he wrote in his blog. His manager has since told him that he's not supposed to communicate directly with that one team member anymore, the employee claimed.

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The Reddit post has created an online debate with many people commenting that they, too, had difficulties comprehending coworkers with thick accents, Indian, Russian, Vietnamese, or otherwise. Comments were defending the American employee, with some claiming it's not necessarily about prejudice but actual difficulty in comprehension. Others mentioned how workplaces could be more inclusive and figure out a way to address language disparities rather than shutting down people. One user wrote, "I once had a meeting where I couldn't hear a Russian colleague. It's annoying, but you work around it rather than ask them to stop talking completely."

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Increasing Concerns About Discrimination

The incident occurs during growing reports of subtle and overt discrimination against Indian professionals in the US. Some feel compelled to tone down their accents or restrict contributions to meetings for fear of not being understood or mocked. Experts cited by the Hindustan Times believe corporations need to do more to foster inclusive spaces in which international workers are heard and respected. "Accent discrimination exists but is seldom discussed. Firms need to train staff to manage linguistic diversity gently," comments a New York-based diversity consultant.