Diana Bayley
RSLI

Definitions

“Interpreter” shall mean Diana Bayley

 “Requester” shall mean the person who has requested the service.

 “Customer” shall mean the person who is paying for the service provided.

 “Client” shall mean the person who is receiving the service provided.

Booking Requests

 When a request is made via email, post or via a telephone, mobile phone or textphone call, it is taken that the requester acknowledges and accepts the Interpreters rates and terms of business.

 The requester will detail the services required from the Interpreter and these will be agreed in a booking confirmation on acceptance of an assignment. They shall not, without express agreement confirmed in writing at the time, include any additional services.

 The requester is responsible for ensuring that the details given in the request is correct.

Availability

 All services offered by the Interpreter are subject to availability.

 The Interpreter adheres to VLP's Codes of Ethics when operating. This applies to the accepting work appropriate to the qualifications and skills required for the assignment.

There may be unavoidable circumstances such as illness that result in the Interpreter being unable to provide a service. The Interpreter has a responsibility to inform the requestor at the earliest opportunity if sickness will prevent them from attending a booking.

The Interpreter has the right to withdraw their services if an assignment is substantially different from that described at the time of the booking and if they feel that to continue to work would be detrimental to their own wellbeing and professional standing or if they feel that to continue working would not be in the best interest of the client.

If the Interpreter experiences any travel delays, they will contact the client or requestor as early as possible to manage their expectations.

Confirmation

A confirmation can be in the form of an email, a letter or a text message.

It is the responsibility of the requester to check details on the confirmation and to notify the Interpreter of any amendments necessary prior to the assignment taking place. The Interpreter will not accept liability for any mistakes or omissions found in the confirmation.

If no acknowledgement is given, then the requester should contact the Interpreter to obtain acknowledgement.

Preparation

 It is always useful and sometimes essential for Interpreters to receive preparation notes prior to an assignment. Please submit all materials such as briefing information, agenda, minutes, notes, handouts, or scripts at least 3 working days prior to an assignment, unless the assignment is short notice; in this case alternative arrangements should be made.

Assignment

Customers are liable for the health and safety of the Interpreter and in this nature, Customers are also responsible for any public liability insurance required for the event.

No record of the Interpreter’s work shall be made without prior consent, except where such recording is inherent within legal proceedings. Recordings, which are intended for broadcast or publication, may incur an additional fee.

Where an assignment requires continuous interpreting for any period of more than one hour, a team of a minimum of two Interpreters shall be engaged to provide the interpreting service.

As an exception to the above, one Interpreter alone may be responsible for all the interpreting services in the assignment if this is explicitly accepted by the Interpreter in writing.

 The Interpreter shall be given a midday rest period of at least one hour.

 If, in the course of an interpreting assignment, it is found that the Interpreter will be required for an additional period after the period of work for which the Interpreter was initially contracted, the Interpreter may be invited, but not compelled, to continue for a further agreed period on that same day or continue for a further agreed period on a subsequent day. Additional fees will be incurred.

 It is the client’s duty to ensure any equipment that the Interpreter may need in order to fulfil the work requirements efficiently, is provided and in working order. i.e., microphone, headphones, speakers.

Fees

Fees are paid plus travelling expenses (mileage, fares, parking etc) to and from the assignment.

 Part hours are charged as full hours e.g., a booking from 10.30am until 2pm is equal to four full hours and is charged as such.

 There is a minimum rate of 3 hours during standard hours. Out of hours work holds a minimum rate of 2 hours at an enhanced rate.

 Normal rates operate between the hours of 09.00 and 17.00, Monday to Friday. Out of hours rates are at all other times.

 If the Interpreter has been invited to continue for a further period in extension of the initial contract, a supplementary fee shall be paid at the hourly rate.

Where travel to and from the Interpreter’s normal place of residence and an assignment cannot reasonably be completed within the same day as the assignment, travel time will be remunerated at the same rate as working time.

A supplementary fee for working unsociable hours shall be agreed between the Interpreter and the Client in advance, for assignments between the hours of 17:00 and 09:00 or at weekends or public holidays.

 Arrangements for travel and accommodation shall be the responsibility of both the Client and the Interpreter; costs are to be agreed before acceptance.

Cancellations

If a booking is cancelled by the Requester or the Customer, cancellation fees will be charged as follows:

 Notice of five full working days or less – full fee

 Notice of six to ten working days or more – half fee

 Notice of more than ten working days – no fee

If a booking is amended to a point where the date or time or venue is changed, this will be treated as a cancellation and a new request will be created.

 If a client is more than 30 minutes late and has not notified the Interpreter, the Interpreter is permitted to leave and full fees charged.

 Any expenditure incurred as agreed in the contract and any additional expenditure incurred as a result of the cancellation shall also be reimbursed.

8.5. The Interpreter will notify the Client at the earliest possible opportunity if she is prevented from undertaking an assignment or if performance is frustrated by unavoidable circumstances.

 In giving such notice the Interpreter shall relinquish any right to remuneration for the uncompleted part of the assignment and for the reimbursement of any expenses, except those already irrecoverably incurred.

Payment

On completion of an assignment, an invoice will be sent to the customer in either hard copy or electronic format.

 The amount payable must be paid within 28 days of the date printed on the invoice.

 Overdue payment will result in a reminder fee of 10% being added on each repeat invoice, every 28 days from the first day of the late period.

Complaints

 Any complaint or dispute shall be reported to the Interpreter within 21 days from the last day of the assignment by any communication means necessary.

 Acknowledgement of the complaint will be given within 5 working days.

A formal response will be given within 10 working days.

If the matter is still unresolved then it will be passed to an external body/authority for investigation and resolution.