It is not unusual that a Polish translator is needed for a legal case, helping to ensure their client fully understands what is going on while dealing with courts in the UK. But this can also be important when dealing with employment rights.
This issue has been highlighted by the case of a Polish baker who was sacked over the quality of his bread, without his employer using an interpreter to help communicate what the problems were or find means to solve the problems first.
The case, that of Mr A Piaszczynski Vs Leakers Ltd, found in favour of Mr Piaszczynski after he lost his job as head baker for Leakers at Bridport in Dorset.
Complaints had arisen about the quality of his bread, in particular a tendency for holes to be present in the middle, which meant it was not useful for slicing and making toast with. However, the manager responded by sending written notes in English demanding improvements, rather than using a translator to discuss the matter with Mr Piaszczynski.
Indeed, a Polish interpreter was only provided when Mr Piaszczynski attended the meeting at which he was dismissed.
The lack of a translator to deal with the language barrier and the absence of any process of discussion of what needed to be done to address the issue or any relevant training all contributed to the tribunal finding that the baker had been unfairly dismissed, and he was awarded £15,000 in compensation.
Among the elements of evidence included was the fact that the manager actually considered that Mr Piaszczynski might have problems reading English well, but still sent written notes to him.
The number of Poles living in the UK dropped from over a million in 2016 and 2017 to 696,000 in 2021 and this downward trend might have prompted some employers to neglect the need to provide Polish language services to staff where needed. However, this case suggests this is an unwise approach that may have significant repercussions.