After hours, ASL, BSL, Child Abuse Settings, Conference, Community, Court, Deaf Blind, Education, Funerals, International Sign, Islamic Setting, Legal, Maori Settings, Media, Medical Appointments, Mental Health, Outdoors - Adventure, Pregnancy Termination, Platform, Police, Political, Prison, Religion, Social Services, Sexual Abuse Settings, Sexual Heath Settings, Surgery, Te Reo Maori Settings, Te Reo Maori - Basics, Te Reo Maori - Intermediate, Te Reo Maori - Fluent, Theatre, Weddings, Zoom
Example: I do not work on Tuesdays. I will not be available after 6pm on weekdays to accept jobs. I am happy to accept jobs 24/7 (excluding weekends), etc.
INTERPRETER AGREEMENT
This is an agreement between Wordsworth and you, the interpreter, for providing interpreter services. By accepting work from Wordsworth, you understand and agree to the following:
1. PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT:
Wordsworth (WW) is an agency that provides a means for clients (interpreters) to connect with customers (people needing interpreter services). Wordsworth does not employ clients or
customers; it provides and administers a contract between the client and the customer. This contract is referred to as the “job” and services you provide for the job is “work”.
The Interpreter is the person providing interpreter services, and referred to as “you”. You are Wordsworth’s client, and Wordsworth’s goal is to provide you with job opportunities for a commission. You are a freelance, self-employed contractor, not an employee of WW.
The Customer is the person engaging the interpreter and paying for the job. WW endeavours to collect payment for you wherever legally possible.
2. YOUR SUITABILITY TO WORK FOR WW CUSTOMERS:
You need to ensure WW is able to accurately represent your skills, qualifications, and suitability for work for a diverse customer range. As some customers include schools and at-risk people, this includes keeping WW up to date with any criminal convictions or anything that may exclude you from legally accepting specific work.
We promise customers that you maintain membership with SLIANZ or NZSTI.
3. JOB SELECTION:
WW selects interpreters we believe to be suitable and/or available for each booking on a case by case basis. There are a wide range of considerations for suitability, and WW’s decision is final. WW cannot guarantee any minimum amount of work for the interpreter.
You agree to only accept jobs that are within your skill level, unless agreed with WW for skill development.
4. PERFORMANCE OF WORK:
Conduct:
You need to conduct yourself in a manner appropriate to the profession of interpreting, and to adhere to the SLIANZ code of ethics and code of practice. Your work with your customer may bring you into contact with people who are unfamiliar with interpreters, and you need to act in a professional and respectful manner even if they are not.
Preparation:
You need to be suitably prepared for any job. Where the customer has agreed to pay for preparation and provided material two or more days prior to the job, you shall have studied the material. Where preparation time is not paid for, you shall allow up to 15 minutes to familiarise yourself with the needs of the job.
Job specific requirements:
You need to meet any special requirements of your customers or their location, such as wearing a hard hat on a construction site, surrendering cellphones in a prison, removal of jewellery, seating arrangements, etc in order to carry out the job.
On time:
You need to make every reasonable effort to be on time.
If you are unable to be on time, you must let WW and the customer know as soon as possible. The job charges and your payment will be reduced on a pro-rata basis.
Cancellation:
Once a booking has been confirmed, a contract is in place between you and the customer. You cannot cancel the booking to accept alternative work.
If, for some unforeseen and serious event, you are unable to attend the job, you must contact WW and the customer immediately.
5. PAYMENT:
5.1 Customer charges:
WW will invoice customers on your behalf. The charges for customers will be according to WW’s current fee schedule. This fee schedule may need to be changed from time to time, and WW will give you two weeks’ notice of the new fees. The customer charges will include any fees and commissions for WW’s service to you as your agents.
5.2 Client pay rates:
Once payment is received from the customer, WW will pay you according to our current pay schedule. This pay schedule may need to be changed from time to time, and WW will give you two weeks’ notice of new fees.
5.3 Your jobsheets:
WW does not require jobsheets from you for completed work. From time to time, clients may require jobsheets if they are unable to manage invoicing emails. Unless you contact us, we assume the booked job was completed as per the booking.
5.4 Customer invoices and extra charges:
WW invoices the customer seven days after the booked time. If there is any change to the booked fees, such as additional time or disbursements, you must send WW a Claim Extras notification before the customer invoice is sent or we will not be able to claim it for you. We encourage you to get the customer’s written approval for extra charges, however we understand this is not always possible, and we will invoice the customer based on your Claim Extras form regardless of whether written approval is provided.
5.5 Bad debts:
WW is administering a contract between you and the customer. If a customer fails to pay, WW will endeavour to recover fees on your behalf, but we cannot guarantee success.
6. SELF-EMPLOYED:
You are responsible for your own taxes, health & safety, ACC, sick leave, holidays, allowances, professional indemnity insurance, and such like. WW is willing to share advice with interpreters on how to go about this.
7. HEALTH & SAFETY:
WW endeavours to provide clients with information about breaks and stretches, however you take responsibility for your own health and safety. This includes monitoring your own limitations that may need to overuse injuries, and paying for professional supervision of your wellbeing. It also includes any road safety measures while travelling to and from jobs. You are also required to observe any health and safety requirements of any location you visit. Should you believe your job is placing you in any danger, such as an unsafe construction site, you may choose to cancel it.
8. CONFIDENTIALITY:
WW needs to provide some information to customers. This is limited to contact details, appearance (for identification), professional skill description and professional experience.
WW needs to provide some information to other clients. This is for purposes such as working together on jobs, and is limited to contact details, appearance (for identification), professional skill description and professional experience.
WW needs to provide some information to government departments, such as the IRD. Only information required by law shall be provided. You must provide WW with any information required by WW to comply with the law.
You must treat all business information about WW as strictly confidential. You must treat all personal information about customers, WW staff, and other interpreters as strictly confidential. You indemnify WW against any losses caused by any breach.
9. PRIVATE WORK
Sometimes customers will try to book you directly instead of through WW. We encourage you to have a friendly relationship with customers and to be involved in the Deaf Community, and we understand you will be asked to ‘help out’ now and then.
WW needs to be a viable business in order to support interpreters. If you have worked with a
customer solely through WW, or if the customer cancels a booking with WW to book you directly instead, we ask that you tell them to book you through WW.
10. DISPUTES
Any disputes will first be dealt with by meeting in good faith to resolve the dispute. A process for resolution, including independent mediation if requested, will be agreed between the parties. In the event that a process is not agreed, or the process is followed and no resolution is achieved, the dispute will be submitted to arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the Arbitration Act.
11. TERMINATION
Either you or WW can terminate this agreement at any time with one month’s written notice. Any obligations under the contract prior to termination, such as payment for work completed, must still be fulfilled.
Congratulations! You have read it all. We are rather looking forward to working with you.
