Every human relations professional knows that an employee handbook is a key document, regardless of the size of the business. The handbook provides the employee with information about the company, its history, its vision, and its mission. It also communicates the company’s expectations of employees and sets clear boundaries. It provides the employee crucial information about company rules and federal or state laws that must be respected, as well as standards for behavior and dress codes. It also tells the employee how the company compensates workers for their hard work.
The employee handbook is just as valuable to the company as it is to the workforce. A handbook that clearly outlines the company’s policies and procedures can act as a protection against legal liability. And because some states consider an employee handbook to be a form of binding contract, the document can be used as evidence in civil lawsuits for discrimination, unfair treatment, or wrongful dismissal.
While your company may have a professionally written handbook that does a thorough job of communicating crucial information, there may still be more you can do to improve communication with employees and to protect the company against liability. If your workforce includes a number of employees whose first language is not English, translating the employee handbook is an important step you can take. Providing key documents like the handbook in the employee’s mother tongue improves employee relations and morale, and it contributes significantly to the smooth running of the business. If any disputes should arise, a professionally translated employee handbook is your proof that the employee was informed of expectations and was made aware of both rules and consequences.
It may be tempting to take care of the handbook translation in-house. But unless one of your employees is a qualified translator, this seemingly economical option could end up costing the company much more in the long run. Even a single error in translation can have a profoundly negative impact, so it’s never a good idea to entrust the translation of business documents to a bilingual employee who lacks training in this demanding field.
Nothing can replace the services of a qualified professional who has experience in business translation, and who can faithfully and accurately translate industry-specific terms. A professional translator goes beyond the mere mechanics of the target language, providing a transparent document that shows a firm grasp of cultural nuances as well. We can work with you to provide your employee handbook translation at a price that fits your budget. Feel free to contact us for a price quote.