Translating your employee handbook lays the foundation for an inclusive and collaborative work environment and enable non-native speakers to easily navigate company policies and benefits irrespective of language backgrounds. In addition, they help ensure that all employees, regardless of their location or dialect, are well-informed, setting them up for success and protecting the company and its bottom line in the long run.
Employee handbooks are one of the most essential elements of a company. They serve as an introduction to its mission, policies, values, and culture and act as a helpful resource for employees to reference for better understanding of company regulations and worker rights. In short, the handbook is the holy grail for helping employees navigate the workplace, and for assisting companies to establish guidelines for protecting themselves and their employees. As companies strive to foster a culture and environment characterized by diversity, it’s essential that all parties “speak the same language.”
Before translating your company’s employee handbook, here are some things to consider.
Federal Laws and Regulations
The employee handbook doesn’t only serve as an introduction to a company’s policies and procedures – it also provides a detailed overview of federal laws, regulations, and safety protocols. Inaccurate information or the lack of key guidelines on local laws can expose companies and employees to legal trouble. Companies have to stay compliant and must clearly specify which federal and state laws apply to their employees.
Translating an employee handbook is more than translating it verbatim – such a translation should also include localized information on laws, procedures, and policies related to sexual harassment, disabilities, sick leave, safety precautions, and more. A poorly translated handbook can lead to misunderstandings, injuries, and even legal issues in the long term. That’s why it’s absolutely critical to partner with an appropriately qualified language-service company whose linguists have a proven record of accurately translating employee-related materials. Also, you should be sure your translation provider is up to date with current local laws and regulations.
Consistency
Employee handbooks help bring coherence and uniformity to your company and its organizational structure. So, before translating your original employee handbook, you want to establish consistency throughout the messaging. Your translation-service provider can assist in ensuring this critical practice. Once your original manual adequately conveys the company’s policies and procedures, it’s a good time to move forward with translation and localization.
Accuracy
Translating text to another language can be a tricky task. If your industry uses specialized terminology, it’s vital to ensure that words and phrases don’t lose their essential meaning during translation. You should also make sure that the information provided in the handbook is up to date and includes any changes in laws, regulations, or company policies. No matter what language your handbook is translated into, your employees should receive the same information as the original copy. By relying on professional translation services instead of online translation tools, your company can maintain the consistency of your messaging across languages, throughout all your employee-related materials.
Language barriers can hinder a working relationship and an employee’s performance. However, a well-written employee handbook can help improve the dynamics of a company or a team. TrueLanguage and our team of translators are here to help you speak your employees’ language by translating and localizing your employee handbook. Our translators are skilled linguists who bring an immense amount of experience and know-how to the table for providing you with quality translations and localization. With our streamlined processes and innovative technology solutions, you can reach your employees across the globe. Contact us today to learn more about our translation services.
