Cymdeithas yr Iaith say encouraging staff to speak and use Welsh in the workplace is “good practice and crucial” to help normalise its use.

The group commented after Gwynedd Council said it was “encouraging and motivating” first language English speaking staff not to speak English with fellow English speaking colleagues.

The details were outlined in a council report referring to its Maritime Service, which said: “Some officers, because English is their first language, speak English together on occasions despite our efforts to encourage and motivate them to speak Welsh.”

The report also said seafaring manuals or safety posters were chiefly written in English, that maritime organisations corresponded in English only, specialist training was usually only offered through English, and the Marine Safety Code and risk assessments were written in English as it is necessary to share and discuss content with organisations, such as the Coastguard, Marine Accident Investigation Branch or HSE.

Aled Thomas, chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Rights Group, said: “Most workplaces in Wales operate internally in English, and Cyngor Gwynedd is a rare example of a Welsh-medium workplace, which is the minority in Wales.

“Encouraging staff to speak and use Welsh is good practice other organisations should adopt.

“Given how much time we spend at work, creating Welsh-language workplaces is a crucial way to normalise the use of the language and create Welsh-speaking spaces.

“Indeed, increasing the use of Welsh in workplaces is one of the main aims of the national language strategy, Cymraeg 2050, yet there is little evidence that substantive progress is being made on this across the country.

“Wider systems often work against these efforts, with many resources, training, and external communications available only in English.

“As a result, individuals and organisations who wish to use Welsh often have to swim against the tide.”