The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2022 - 34

EL
We're lucky, in a
way, that technology
has allowed us to
continue our work
as legal, conference,
court, and community
interpreters.
both parties have signed it),
the answer is usually " no. "
Now having a signed contract
doesn't guarantee that you'll
get paid, but it makes it much
more likely, and you'll have
a much stronger case if you
ever need to litigate. ATA
has sample contracts on its
website1
Online Platform and
Related Topics:
y Who will pay for the
platform? Which one will
be used?
, so be sure to review
them. You don't have to start
yours from scratch since I
know that can be intimidating,
so use the templates provided
by ATA instead.
A price quote also doesn't
have to be fancy nor
complicated. Mine is a simple
two-page document converted
into a PDF (to make sure no
numbers can be edited, at
least in theory!) containing all
the details of the interpreting
assignment the client is
booking. I've had to update
this quote to adjust it to our
new normal situation of online
interpreting, and here are the
key new elements I believe
you need to put some thought
into. Remember that there are
no right or wrong answers,
but these elements should be
incorporated into your quote
one way or another.
Technology, Internet,
and More
CONTACT THE TRAINERS TODAY!
Unfortunately, this column
would be too long if I went
into every detail that needs
to be considered under this
section, so here are the top
ones I believe you must
define. I know this is a lot
of information, but don't let
it intimidate you. Usually
the more information you
include the better, and since
you should create a template,
you only have to create it
once and then slightly update
it for every assignment.
34 The ATA Chronicle | January/February 2022
y Does the client have
experience using the
platform? If not, how
will they acquire this
knowledge? If the
interpreter teaches the
client how to use it,
how will compensation
be structured?
y If it's a simultaneous
interpreting session,
who will be in charge
of assigning the
interpreting booths?
y Who will be the host of
the session?
y At what time should the
interpreter(s) log in?
y Is there a separate
rehearsal/tech check? How
will it be billed? How long
will it last?
y Who's responsible for
tech support? (Ideally,
this should be a dedicated
person-who can be a
tech-savvy interpreter, but
not the active interpreter.)
y Who's responsible for
malfunctions/internet
failure? How will billing
work if the client's
internet is down and the
event starts one hour later
than planned?
y Mainly for conference and
community assignments:
How will typed questions
from the audience be
handled? Do the organizers
want the interpreters
to sight-translate the
questions into the
target language, or do a
translation of the text and
post it into the chat box?
y Do the organizers want
the interpreters on camera
or not? Which virtual
backgrounds, if any,
should be used?
y What's the minimum
internet speed that's
required of organizers,
speakers, and interpreters?
Headsets and Audio:
y All presenters and
speakers should wear a
wired headset or use a
high-quality external
microphone. (Yes, I know,
this often doesn't happen.)
y Some colleagues
include minimum audio
requirements/maximum
decibel information to
ensure our hearing doesn't
get damaged. It's definitely
worth considering,
although enforcing these
standards does get difficult.
y Both the interpreter and
the speakers should be in
a quiet room, although all
kinds of things can happen
(Hello, speaker's cat! Hello,
organizer's gardener's
lawnmower! You just need
to go with it).
Recording Fees, Minimum
Charge, Cancellation
Fee Schedule:
y Interpreting services are
usually delivered in real
time and one-time only.
If the client records your
intellectual property and
wants to use it beyond the
one-time use that you're
selling it for, you should
bill for it. My current fee
structure is 30% on top
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The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2022

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