European Union bureaucrats confirmed that companies can make posts open only to those who speak a specific language even if it is irrelevant to carrying out the job.
The remarks come after a Daily Express investigation found that companies are actively seeking security guards, cleaners, customer service advisors and teaching assistants fluent in languages other than English.
Agencies can advertise for work with language requirements where it is necessary for the role, but businesses are now attaching the requirement to speak a language - often Polish - to many run-of-the-mill jobs.
As an example, one advert on the Universal Jobmatch site stressed it was “essential” an experienced painter and decorator was able to converse in Polish.
