INTERPRETER WORKING CONDITIONS AND TERMS OF BUSINESS
© Copyright Joyce Trocki - First published 2003 - revised February 2010
© PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHT. IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE COPYRIGHT
ACT AND FOR THE SAKE OF GOOD ORDER, PLEASE REQUEST PERMISSION TO USE IT. PERMISSION
WILL NOT BE UNREASONABLY WITHHELD.

Simultaneous conference interpreting is highly specialised and stressful work. It is
your own interest to ensure that the interpreter works under the best possible
conditions for maximum performance. DO NOT ECONOMISE ON THE QUALITY
OF THE INTERPRETERS, SOUND EQUIPMENT AND THE TECHNICIAN. This is
essential for the success of your conference.

We can help and advise you, AT NO CHARGE, on all matters relating to interpreters and sound.
Quality of the sound equipment and the technician
 The best interpreter in the world cannot interpret what he cannot hear clearly and correctly.
 Please ensure that the interpreters know and approve the sound provider.
 There must be a qualified technician in attendance at all times. The quality of the translation
will be affected by unsuitable, inappropriate, poor and/or unsupervised sound equipment.
 Each delegate must have a headphone for comments and questions in both languages.
 Please show delegates how to adjust volume for different speakers/interpreters on their control.
 Transcription in English or tape recordings must be requested if required.
Payment - the interpreter needs to know that his fee will be paid in terms of the contract.
 Unless otherwise agreed, a deposit of 50% of the fee should be paid to confirm the arrangement.
 Unless otherwise agreed, the balance should be paid by no later than 9 a.m. (9:00) on the final
day of the conference.
 If this is not paid in time, the interpreters will have the right to stop work and to charge an
additional 10% if the balance is paid within 7 days and an additional 10% on the outstanding
balance(including overtime) for each succeeding 7 days the amount is unpaid.
 The interpreter’s fee is a professional fee and should be paid in full. Interpreters are
responsible for paying their own tax. Independent professional interpreters are not employees
and PAYE may not be deducted from their fee.
Cancellation
 The interpreters will have the right to charge a cancellation fee if the conference is cancelled
and if they cannot find other work for those days at an equivalent fee.
Working hours
 There should not be more than six and a half actual working hours per team.
 The lunch break should be at least one full one hour, the two tea breaks should be not less than 20
minutes and the interpreters should not be asked to work during the lunch hour or the tea break.
Daily fee
 The interpreters will be paid the full daily fee even if they are only required for part of a day.
Overtime
 If interpreters are needed for more than the number of hours anticipated, they should be asked
if they are willing and able to work additional hours at the overtime rate in the agreement.
 They have the right to refuse to do so and the client might therefore have to try to find a second
team of interpreters.


2
The conference organisers must be aware that they must work within the stipulated hours and
the interpreter has the right to work only the agreed hours.
Unless otherwise agreed, the overtime fee will be paid at the end of each conference day on
which the interpreter works overtime.
Number and size of teams
 If it is planned or anticipated that interpreters will be needed for more than 7 hours in one day,
a second team of interpreters may be required.
 There should be two interpreters for one direction in each language combination (e.g.
Portuguese to English) and one interpreter must not be asked to work alone or with an
inexperienced interpreter.
 However, in practice in Southern Africa, there are usually two interpreters who work in both
directions (Portuguese to English and English to Portuguese).
 The fee for working in both directions is higher as the interpreters do more work and the client
has fewer interpreters.
 Another reason for this is that in Southern Africa, there is often more interpreting from English
into the other language.
 Unless otherwise agreed, the contract is for simultaneous interpretation, teams of 2.
Please discuss simultaneous interpretation for breakaway sessions with us.
Budget
 Conference organisers are asked to make provision in their budgets for possible overtime hours
and also for a second team of interpreters.
 They cannot ask interpreters to work overtime and then say that they did not budget for this.
Meals and tea breaks
 Lunch and light refreshments are provided for the interpreters. Please ask for their dietary
requirements.
 The interpreters do not work during their lunch and tea breaks.
 If you work unusual hours, please work on the same principles as the airlines and see to it that
your interpreter has additional meals/refreshments, and a place to rest if necessary.
Delegate information
 Please attach “Working with an Interpreter” (pages 4 & 5) to the Conference Programme.

Please include the following advice to speakers:
 Please note that simultaneous interpreting services have been arranged for your conference. If
you want the interpreter to do justice to your presentation, please remember to speak
reasonably slowly and clearly so that the interpreter, who is following about half a sentence
behind you, has time to understand what you are saying and to say this in the same way in the
other language, with the same nuances, while storing and remembering at the same time what
you are saying now. You can do this by pausing at the end of every sentence and watching
the interpreter to see if he/she is happy with your pace.
 If you have a printed copy of your speech, please give it to the interpreters as early as
possible. This will give them a chance to become familiar with what you are going to say.
You do not have to read your speech and you can change it and add to it or leave out parts of it.
3
Air, booths, and health
 The booth should be the regulation soundproof booth and should be clean and free of dust.
 The centre may have built in interpreter booths.
 Please ask for all booths to cleaned, dusted and vacuumed before and during the conference.
 A small fan in the ceiling that often does not work does not provide adequate ventilation to
keep interpreters alert, awake, alive and breathing.
Position of booth
 Please ensure that the interpreting booth is placed so that the door faces away from the
delegates and can be left open at all times, and so that the interpreter get as much air as
possible.
 The booth should be placed so that the second interpreter is able to leave and enter the booth
and conference room without disturbing the delegates and the speaker, ideally near a door.
 The interpreter should not have to cross the room in front of the speaker and delegates to go
out or in during the proceedings.
 The booth should be situated so that the interpreters have a clear view of the screen and so that
they can read what is on the screen.
Water




Interpreters drink a lot of water while they work.
Please ensure that there is always one full jug of water and one clean glass per interpreter.
Some like iced water and some water without ice.
The water should be changed and a clean glass provided during the breaks throughout the day.
Notepads and writing equipment – please provide for each interpreter.
Documentation
 Please send copies of the programme and documentation to the interpreters before the
conference. This will give the interpreters a chance to become familiar with the subject matter
and the specialised terminology.
 Some speeches would be useful.
 Other useful material could include the theme of the conference, a list of about 30 key words
or specialised terminology, a list of acronyms likely to be used and their meanings and/or
equivalents in the other language/s if these are available.
 A list of delegates will help the interpreters to pronounce their names correctly.
Travel and Accommodation
 Travel arrangements, fee for travel days and transfers should be discussed and agreed with the
interpreters.
 Travel should be on a commercial airline approved by the interpreter such as SAA.
 The client is responsible for costs of all transfers.
 Accommodation is single, never shared, in an establishment of at least 3-star equivalent, with a
full private bathroom en suite, in a quiet position and in good condition.
 The client pays costs relating to all accommodation, all meals and light refreshments, safe and
secure parking and per diem allowances.
Additional points
 such as level of travel and accommodation arrangements, travel day payments, transfers, safe
and secure parking, accommodation and per diem allowances should be discussed and agreed
with the interpreters.
*Site visits do not normally form part of the work of simultaneous conference interpreters.
4
If you need an experienced and independent professional translator or interpreter, contact
the
Translators and Interpreters Networks of Southern Africa (TINSA) at
info@interpreter.org.za
or the Coordinator at Tel: 011 485 2511 Mobile: 083 249 0010 or see the website at
www.interpreter.org.za