The bill would prohibit social workers, child-abuse investigators, consumer-protection advocates and doctors in county clinics from speaking to clients in Spanish or any other foreign language.

The Tobacco Institute, the industry's trade group, insists that laws that prohibit workers from smoking in offices or factories promote discrimination.

No disruption in mail service is expected because Federal law prohibits postal workers from striking.

Some companies might use this information to prohibit vulnerable workers from certain jobs.

The law, which took effect Jan. 1, does not prohibit Federal workers from earning extra cash from other sidelines, like selling real estate.

In 2011 the Department of Labor proposed sweeping new regulations that would have changed this, prohibiting underage workers from being allowed to enter silos, among other provisions.

In 1864, the first European labor law to protect workers was introduced in Glarus, prohibiting workers from working more than 12 hours a day.

It prohibits municipal workers from striking and provides alternative means for dispute resolution.

The bill would still prohibit Federal workers from engaging in political activities while on the job or soliciting campaign contributions from the public.

The official said negotiators were discussing certain work restrictions that would, for example, prohibit low-skilled workers like meatpackers or waiters from moving into higher-skilled jobs.