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4. Be careful of localized or culturally-specific idioms or expressions

Sometimes, common metaphors only apply to people from a specific culture or class.

E.g. ā€œtaking a leaf out of someone’s page," ā€œtake the ball and run with it," ā€œsee the light," etc., are common sayings in North America.

However, these idioms may sound confusing to people who haven’t heard them before and those who come from different parts of the world.


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For consideration

Avoid popular localized speak that excludes people from other cultures or regions.

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Suggested approaches

Use plain language that accommodates people from diverse cultural backgrounds by considering if a commonly used expression may be unfamiliar to some employee groups.