Understanding HR Compliance Translation Services

In our increasingly interconnected world, employees with diverse language skills and backgrounds add unprecedented value to employers. In 21st-century organizations, human resources materials may need to be translated. Safety instructions and employee manuals should be accessible to each employee. Understanding how language services can quickly convert human resources materials to protect the company and move a company closer to helping every employee achieve their full potential.

The Role of Language Services for HR

Managing an international workforce is usually a multilingual effort. Translated employment documents and interpreted speech are important for compliance regulations. Failing to provide an employee handbook translation can lead to misunderstandings or compliance issues. Translated content also contributes to a positive and harmonious workplace culture.

Human Resources Translation and More

Human resources translation is the written conversion of human resources materials to a language an employee speaks well. It may be wise to arrange accurate translations in multiple languages at once.

Human Resource Localization

Localization is another language service that makes content more natural in a person’s native language. It often helps to have HR training videos or software localized. Desktop publishing programs are often requested in human resources translation and localization.

Risks with Human Resources Materials

Since the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established in 1964, it has been working to protect people with diverse backgrounds, which now includes LEP individuals. If someone can perform a job, the US Department of Labor dictates that they should be provided with human resources materials in their native language. Therefore, failing to translate workplace safety documents can lead to legal risks.

What are HR Compliance Translation Services?

Staying current on federal and local labor laws can be complicated enough for an HR department. However, in a globalizing world, it’s necessary to keep up with expanding definitions of “compliance.”

Human Resources departments often require translations to ensure compliance with international, national, and local laws. Key documents such as employee handbooks, safety protocols, and confidentiality agreements must adhere to labor, language, and immigration regulations.

Failing to provide accurate translations can expose companies to legal risks and hinder the effective management of a diverse or international workforce. Explore how human resources compliance translation services can help safeguard your organization and promote legal compliance. One proactive deep dive into human resources translation opportunities can prevent many potential problems with compliance regulations.

How much does it cost to translate an employee handbook?

The cost of a human resources translation varies based on many factors.

Levers on Translation Price

• source language and target language

• dialectical needs

• length and density

• specialized or technical language

Standard Translations may not vary

Note that quotes for a standard HR translation, like translating an employee handbook from English to Spanish, may not vary much.

What types of HR materials may need language services?

Human Resources Translation Services

An employer may need to translate hiring paperwork, employee manuals, and other HR documents. Posters about workers’ rights and responsibilities should be translated.

Human Resources Interpretation Services

Hiring conversations and worker concerns may require interpretation. Some mediation or disciplinary procedures can be corralled into translated documents to reduce the cost of language services.

Human Resource Training Programs

Training interpretation or translation may help prevent the need to duplicate training efforts. Training videos or online learning modules are replacing manuals and trainer’s lectures. Safety videos both supplement and replace safety documents. Videoed movements can help cut the costs of human resources translations because a video quickly shows unsafe movements and situations. Training translation services can be conducted quickly and cost-effectively when subtitling prerecorded videos.

Can I certify my own translation for USCIS?

USCIS doesn’t stipulate a minimum qualification for certifying a translated document. However, USCIS does expect the outcome to be correct. Therefore, you run the risk of having the document rejected by the USCIS officer if the translation is of low quality. The Federal Code of Regulations that governs document translations has additional info.

What do I need to certify a translation?

A translation can be certified authentically by a translator or an employee of a translation company. Usually, a governmental entity requests a certification. For example, universities, local governments, or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may request a certified translation.

Certified Translation Components:

• Confirm completion and accuracy with a statement

• Enumerate the translator’s qualifications

• State the document’s name

• Target language

• Date

• Translator signature

Additional information may be included to locate the translator or provide more details.

What is a human resources translator?

A human resources department may need a translator for documents destined for employees who speak other languages. Likewise, they may need a translator to verify a new hire’s documents or to facilitate the hiring paperwork. For example, a US car manufacturer opening a plant in Mexico may want to translate their employee handbooks and human resource policies into Spanish.

What are some human resource compliance risks?

The compliance risks of not contracting language services, like an employee handbook translation, are evident in compliance breaches. Luckily, once a human resources translation is executed, it’s valuable. The documents will serve future employees who speak the same language. This avoids contracting human resources translation services multiple times.

HR translation services summarized

Keeping employees safe and informed of their rights is an employer’s responsibility. Both small employers and larger companies should be proactive about making human resources materials available in new and existing employees’ native languages. High-quality human resources translation services provide expert translators and certified documents.

Human Resources Translation Services That Deliver

ALTA Language Services, Inc. delivers expert language services that meet international and US federal requirements. ALTA’s Quality Management System is certified by international standards (ISO 9001). Many companies entrust us with their employee handbook translation needs.

Proven language services expertise

ALTA has been conducting professional language services for over 30 years. We pride ourselves on employing knowledgeable and savvy bilinguals who accurately translate even nuanced documents. Human resources translation services lie in our wheelhouse of several professional niches. We have translated many employee handbooks and compliance documents into multiple languages.

ALTA’s frequently translated HR documents

• Compliance documents

• Workplace safety documents

• Employee manuals and benefits plans

• Training programs and videos

• Corporate websites

• Insurance documents

• Contracts

• Private and public offerings

• Customized human resource documents

Trusting ALTA to prevent compliance risks

ALTA empowers businesses to deliver human resource materials in multiple languages quickly. Employee manuals and hiring paperwork that read perfectly in the target language (their dialect) are the first step to creating a superior company culture that attracts dynamic multilingual employees.