New Mexico is truly a multi-cultural state. Many restaurateurs have employees for which English is not their first language. You want to take good care of your employees, cover your legal bases, and control your human resources costs all at the same time. So, how do you best decide where to start when translating business documents? And when you have started, what guidelines should you follow? National Restaurant Association has some tips:
- Check with your attorney – Some documents could easily be translated by a bilingual employee in house, but your more “official” legal documents may need an expert.
- Pay attention to new laws – New regulations like ACA and overtime laws require more scrutiny and you need to make sure all of the employees understand them.
- Use In-House translators to summarize – Compile a simple cover letter that outlines the details and attach it to the legal documents.
- Protect yourself – Include a disclaimer with all translated materials.
- Include employee satisfaction surveys – It’s important to get a baseline of employee satisfaction so that you know what is concerning to the employees and that they appreciate your efforts.
- Utilize free resources and suppliers – Your vendors may already have translated documents that they would be willing to share.
Don’t forget to utilize your NRA membership when translating business docuements. Visit servsafe.com to determine what languages are offered on supplies and documents regarding food safety, allergens, and responsible alcohol training.
Visit NRA’s website for more details, and a list of 18 items commonly translated by restaurant companies. More…
