The Welsh Language Standards (No. 8) Regulations 2022

Regulation 2(3)

SCHEDULE 3 Operational standards

PART 1 THE STANDARDS

1	Standards relating to a body developing Welsh language skills through planning and training its workforce
Standard 51:	You must assess the Welsh language skills of your employees.
Standard 52:	You must provide training courses so that your employees can develop— (a) awareness of the Welsh language (including awareness of its history and its role in Welsh culture); (b) an understanding of the duty to operate in accordance with the Welsh language standards; (c) an understanding of how the Welsh language can be used in the workplace.
Standard 53:	When you provide information to new employees (for example by means of an induction process), you must provide information for the purpose of raising their awareness of the Welsh language.
Standard 54:	You must provide opportunities during working hours for your employees to receive basic Welsh language lessons.
Standard 55:	You must provide opportunities for employees, who have completed basic Welsh language training to receive further training, free of charge, to develop their language skills.
Standard 56:	You must provide opportunities for employees, to receive training, free of charge, to improve their Welsh language skills.
2	Standards relating to a body recruiting and appointing
Standard 57:	When you assess the requirements for a new or vacant post, you must assess the need for Welsh language skills, and categorise it as a post where one or more of the following apply— (a) Welsh language skills are essential; (b) Welsh language skills need to be learnt when appointed to the post; (c) Welsh language skills are desirable; or (ch) Welsh language skills are not necessary.
Standard 57A:	When you advertise a post which you have categorised as one where Welsh language skills are essential, desirable or need to be learnt you must— (a) specify that in the advertisement, and (b) advertise the post in Welsh.
Standard 58:	When you advertise a post— (a) which is based wholly or mainly in Wales, (b) the duties of which relate wholly or mainly to Wales, or (c) which you have categorised as one where Welsh language skills are essential or desirable, you must state that applications may be submitted in Welsh and that an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
Standard 58A:	If you publish an application form for a post— (a) which is based wholly or mainly in Wales, (b) the duties of which relate wholly or mainly to Wales, or (c) which you have categorised as one where Welsh language skills are essential or desirable, you must publish it in Welsh and ensure that the Welsh version is treated no less favourably than the English version.
Standard 58B:	You must not treat an application for a post made in Welsh less favourably than you treat an application made in English (including, amongst other matters, in relation to the closing date you set for receiving applications and in relation to any timescale for informing applicants of decisions).
Standard 59:	You must ensure that your application form for a post— (a) which is based wholly or mainly in Wales, (b) the duties of which relate wholly or mainly to Wales, or (c) which you have categorised as one where Welsh language skills are essential or desirable, provides a space for the applicant to indicate that they wish an interview or other assessment method to be held in Welsh and if an applicant so wishes, you must conduct any interview or other method of assessment in Welsh, or, if necessary, provide a simultaneous or consecutive translation service from Welsh to English for that purpose.

PART 2 STANDARDS THAT ARE RELIANT ON OTHER STANDARDS – SPECIAL CONDITIONS

3

When a compliance notice requires a body to comply with one of the standards listed on a specific row in column 1 of Table 1, that compliance notice must also require that body to comply (in whatever way the Welsh Language Commissioner considers appropriate) with the standard or standards listed in column 2 of that row.

TABLE 1

	Column 1	Column 2
Row	Main standard	Reliant standard
(1)	Recruitment and appointments
	Standard 57	Standard 57A
(2)	Recruitment and appointments
	Standard 58	Standard 58A Standard 58B

PART 3 INTERPRETING THE STANDARDS

4	The standards specified in Part 1 of this Schedule must be interpreted as follows.
5	For the purposes of standards 57 and 57A only— (a) “post” includes a public appointment; (b) “public appointment” means any appointment to a public body or public office.
6		For the purposes of standard 57A the requirement to advertise a post in Welsh does not mean that the advertisement should be produced, sent, published, displayed, made available or issued in Welsh only.
7		For the purpose of standard 58A references to treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language includes, amongst other matters treating the Welsh language no less favourably as regards— (a) the visual presentation of the material (for example in relation to the colour or font of any text); (b) the size of the material; (c) the position and prominence of the material in any public area; (ch) when and how material is published, provided or exhibited; (d) the publication format of material.