Why
Every Company Should Translate Their Employee Manual into Spanish
Absent an accurate translation of the Employee Handbook, Latino or
Hispanic American employees of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) cannot
understand your company’s culture and policies, which will undoubtedly result
in misunderstandings and lawsuits.
Google Translate and other machine translations are not reliable
mechanisms for translating Employee Manuals or other essential workplace
documents. Frequently, online
translations convey an entirely different meaning than what the original
document writer wanted to relate. In
addition, translation errors can create a considerable negative impact on your
brand’s identity or might become the reason for the potential litigation and
loss in revenue. Free online
translations can end up costing your company more in the long run than it would
if you would hire a professional and insured translator.
You might be thinking, why is it even necessary to translate the employee
handbook into Spanish. Take a look at these facts, which emphasize the dire
need for Spanish translation!
Spanish is the second most common language spoken in the U.S.
Approximately 41.76 million people spoke Spanish at home in 2019.
The Hispanic market has achieved over a billion dollars in purchasing
power. The number is rising rapidly as Spanish speakers migrate to the U.S. for
education, business, and employment.
Given the landscape, it is crucial to offer Spanish-translated business
documents to Hispanic/Latino workers in a manner in which Hispanic/Latino
employees can completely understand the company culture and its policies.
Language barriers can considerably affect the morale and productivity of
employees. Any company that hires
Limited English Proficient (LEP) persons should have their policies, SOP’s, and
training manuals translated into Spanish or other native languages of their
employees.
Spanish Language for U.S. Employers
Spanish speakers are the second-largest population in the U.S., totaling
54 million out of 328 million (total population). The overall Latino population
will see an increase of up to 60 million by the year 2060.
Forward-thinking business owners, managers, and Human Resource
Departments can’t afford to leave essential manuals and policies untranslated.
How do you know whether something must be translated or not? It’s pretty simple; if it was worth putting
it on paper in English, it must have an accurate and professional translation
into Spanish for your LEP employees.
Dawn
Perez Maldonado, Certified Spanish Interpreter
Owner and Director of Bylyngo Interpreting and Translation
Dawn was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, and was the first person in
her family born in the US Mainland. Growing up in a Latino home, Spanish was
her first language. She is a Court
Certified Spanish interpreter who has provided government and corporate
interpreting services throughout Wisconsin, nationally and internationally for
more than 20 years. Dawn is an avid reader, a lifelong student of History and
Culture, and a Cryptocurrency enthusiast.
Both directly and through her agency, Dawn has provided countless free
interpreting and translation services to the immigrant LEP community. She is an
empowered Latina who devotes herself to family, hard work, community, and
faith.
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