Saying hello in Welsh is hazardous for call centre staffs health!

Staff at call centres in Wales has been asked to stop saying Bore da, which means Good Morning in Welsh, as it could end up straining their vocal cords.

London, May 8 : Staff at call centres in Wales has been asked to stop saying 'Bore da', which means 'Good Morning' in Welsh, as it could end up straining their vocal cords.

Most large companies and councils in Wales have a have a bilingual policy which means that callers are greeted, and can be answered, in both Welsh and English.

Union officials are now worried that since call centre workers usually only talk in English, greeting callers in Welsh could hurt their voices, based on the recommendation of the Health and Safety Executive, are calling on operators to stop using the traditional language.

Another greeting that will be facing the axe will be 'prynhawn da', which means 'Good afternoon' in English.

However, the new policy hasn't gone down well with Welsh-language speakers, who are furious that the traditional friendly greeting will no longer be heard in the name of political correctness.

"It's ridiculous. It's political correctness gone mad. How much can it hurt just to say 'bore da' or 'prynhawn da' when you answer?" the Daily Mail quoted a council worker, as saying.

But Dave Joyce, national health and safety officer of the Communication Workers Union, backed the ban on Welsh.

"Call centre work can be very intense and target driven and workers spend a large proportion of their day on the telephone. Council call centre staff undoubtedly have a justified case which deserves support," he said.

ANI