Incident sparks debate over workplace discrimination, cultural sensitivity, and communication barriers in global teams
An Indian professional working in the United States has shared his disheartening experience of being asked not to speak in team meetings—because of his accent. In a Reddit post, the 32-year-old man, who is the only non-American on his team, said the incident occurred during a routine meeting when he asked a colleague for a project update, reported hindustantimes.com.
“He told me to stop speaking in meetings because he couldn’t understand my accent,” the man wrote.
Originally from India and currently working in the U.S. as a contractor, he described the situation as “dismissing and insulting,” especially since he’s been with the same client for over a year without any such complaint.
An Indian tech worker in the US says he was told to stop speaking in meetings due to his accent, raising concerns over subtle workplace discrimination.
The man added that he has always made efforts to speak clearly and professionally. However, the incident left him feeling isolated. After reporting the situation, his manager advised him not to communicate directly with that specific team member and instead route all interactions through the manager.
The Reddit post prompted hundreds of responses, with users sharing similar experiences or reflecting on the realities of working in multicultural teams. While some commenters empathized with the Indian employee, others pointed out that accents can genuinely be difficult to understand, regardless of intent.
One Redditor recalled a meeting with an Indian colleague whose update was “completely unintelligible” to upper management, despite being a good collaborator.
Another user wrote:
“I’ve been in meetings with Russians, Vietnamese, and even Brits where I had trouble understanding accents. I always assume it’s my issue, not theirs.”
Many users agreed that communication training and cultural sensitivity should be a two-way street in diverse teams. Others said that rather than excluding someone from meetings, companies should focus on building inclusive communication environments.
The Reddit post has reignited ongoing conversations about implicit bias, linguistic diversity, and equity in corporate spaces, especially for immigrants working in global companies.
