Notes for Interpreters
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – To comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, as defined by EU law in May 2018, you will need to have read carefully, and consent to, our General Data Protection Regulation Confidentiality and Compliance policy which appears on page 2 of the PDF version of this document.
How we book you – If we call you with an enquiry, and you say that you are available for an assignment, we may ask you to pencil in your diary the assignment – we will endeavour to let you know if the assignment is proceeding. Do not assume that it is a definite booking unless we tell you and send written confirmation.
If an enquiry does turn into a live booking, we will send you our written instructions in the form of a Purchase Order by email. Please confirm your acceptance of the assignment by acknowledging receipt of the PO.
If you should have any query with our written instructions, relating to rates of pay for example, then please talk to us before the assignment, we will not negotiate after the event.
If you are unable to attend an assignment – If for some reason you find that you cannot meet a booking you must tell us immediately, in order for us to have time to find another interpreter to attend the assignment.
If you are delayed getting to the assignment – please telephone us as soon as possible so that we can contact the client to let them know. It is essential that we have your mobile telephone number.
Keeping us informed of what’s going on – If for some reason the assignment fails to proceed as planned, e.g. the witness/solicitor’s client fails to turn up; or the next day is cancelled etc., you must let us known as soon as possible.
Please do not give out your business details – Please remember you are working as a representative of ABC Translations – if a customer wishes to re-book you for another assignment you must tell us as soon as possible, and we will liaise with the customer.
If we book you to attend Court – Please remember you are working for us and not the Court; you should not complete an hours & expenses form at the Court as we are responsible for paying you.
Additional rules during each assignment:
- Do not take mobile phone calls while working and keep your phone on mute or vibrate.
- Dress appropriately and be respectful (do not eat whilst working, unless diabetic and after having asked permission).
- Attend on time.
- Remain for the duration of the appointment or until dismissed by the client.
- Contact us should the client wish you to remain longer than booked, or for the following day.
- Submit the appropriate feedback form to the client representative before leaving the assignment.
We appreciate that you are a professional interpreter and will no doubt consider these rules to be obvious. However, interpreters have in the past failed to observe these points, so we are obliged to detail them here.
How we pay you – Payments for interpreting assignments are made by BACS on the 10th day of the month following that in which the assignment has taken place. For example, an assignment carried out during January would be paid on 10th February. Please note the cut-off point is the last working day of the month. Do not delay in advising us of your hours and expenses – you must tell us by the following working day; please complete the timesheet we send you with our written instructions and scan/email a copy to us. If we are not advised in good time of your hours and expenses, we may not be able to process your claim in time for the next pay day; payment therefore may be delayed by a further month. Please let us have your invoice with your timesheet, or if you do more than one assignment a month, please let have a summary invoice by the end of each month. VERY IMPORTANT – if you change your bank details YOU MUST TELL US, otherwise your payment will be at risk of going to the wrong account.
Keep in touch – Keep us aware of your availability – if you are tied up on a lengthy assignment then please tell us – if you are going away on holiday then please tell us. If your contact details change – please tell us as soon as you are able. You might miss out on an assignment if we can’t get hold of you!
Cancellation fees – Should the customer cancel the booking, we charge them the following cancellation fees, and would therefore pay you on the same basis. This percentage would be applied to the agreed minimum payment.
- Less than 10 whole working days’ notice – 7 ½%
- Less than 5 whole working days’ notice – 15%
- Less than 3 whole working days’ notice – 25%
- Less than 2 whole working days’ notice – 50%
- Less than 1 whole working days’ notice – 90%
For cases that are funded by the Legal Aid Agency [LAA] then the cancellation fees are governed by them – we will pay you as follows:
- Less than 3 whole working days’ notice – 50%
- Less than 1 whole working days’ notice – 100%
This percentage would be applied to the agreed minimum payment.
