Benefits of Employee Handbook Translation

By: Eric Nelson Posted on Fri, 10-05-2019

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Wondering why employee handbook translation is important? English is no longer the only important language around the world. While the majority can still speak and understand it, other languages are also becoming important.

As globalization is ripping off the physical boundaries, it is up to every business to remove the language barriers around us. The persistence of such a barrier can only hurt the organization and diminish the productivity of the business overall.

There is no denying the diversity that we have around the world, not just among the countries but within the countries. It will be neglect on the part of the organization if they fail to address and counter the obstacles that arise from this kind of situation.

We all know diversity to be a double-edged sword, especially when it can so easily be found in every workplace these days. Employees are the essence of an organization, and businesses need to take every possible step to ensure that they are taken care of.

As for how the employees take care of the business is what they learn from the employee handbook that is given to them when they start working for a business. No matter what the size of the organization, every employee is given this guideline by the human relations department.

This document informs the employee about everything there is to know about the company including its history, mission, vision, and core values. Moreover, it also explains the set of boundaries and the things that are expected from the employees.

It contains everything that an employee needs to know from the set of rules to be followed in the company to the federal law that is to be respected, while also informing the employee about the dress code and behavioral conduct.

Most importantly it tells the employee how the company respects and compensates them for their service.

The handbook holds a significance for the company just as it does for the employees. In many countries, the handbook is considered a binding contract and therefore can be used in the case of unfair treatment, discrimination, and wrongful termination.

For this purpose, the handbook also consists of the company’s policies and procedures that provide them protection from any legal liabilities.

It is quite possible that even though the company has the handbook written professionally, it may fail to communicate certain important aspects to the employees and thus exposing the company to a number of potential problems.

There are a lot of things that the company can do in order to communicate better with the employees. And considering the diversity, there may be many employees that don’t speak English as their first language and a lot of things can get lost in the translation.

This is why the translation of the employee handbook has become so important for a work environment. Translating the employee handbook into the native languages of the employees can have significant effects on the workforce.

Here are some of the benefits that you can obtain by translating your handbook into different languages.

Keep Everyone on the Same Page

An employee handbook is much more than just information about your company. It is information your employees need to know in the future of their career. Whether you have diversity within a single team or you are managing different branches around the world, you need to keep all your employees on the same page.

Productivity is based on the focus and dedication of the employees, and how are they to deliver that unless they get all the information? In order to get the work done right, you want the Francophones to get the same information as the German-speaking workers in the team.

Safe Work Environment, Safe Reputation

The safety rules and regulations are usually included in the employee handbook, therefore it is crucial that every employee understand what is conveyed. It is highly recommended to get a professional translator to ensure the information is accurate.

It is ideal to opt for an industry-specific translator so that all the instructions are conveyed in a manner that is understandable by the employees. This will diminish the chances of the employees getting any kinds of injuries or face any other harm.

And this will eventually keep the reputation of your business safe and intact. It will also assist you in preventing any kind of potential lawsuits.

Equipment Instructions

If your business has some kind of equipment then the instructions for every particular machine must be included in the handbook. And to make sure that the employees use it correctly, it is important that they fully understand the equipment, it's working, and the instructions.

When your employees will be able to read these in a language that they thoroughly understand, the chances of better work increases. This highly benefits the business in the long-term.

Motivated Employees

When you have a handbook in a language that the employee understands better, it shows them that the business takes good care of them. This special gesture makes them feel welcomed and motivates them to give back just as much.

Taking care of your employees also breeds loyalty. These are the two qualities that can boost the productivity of the company by many folds, and all this can be done by employee handbook translation. Of course, there are other factors as well, but this is at least a good start.

Emergency Policies

Employee handbooks also include many emergency management policies that need to be implemented if a mishap occurs. It consists of all kinds of terminologies and jargons that may or may not be understood by people who don't speak English as their first language.

It will be too huge a risk to not have them understand the emergency measures due to the language barrier. Thus it is important that you make sure you have the handbooks translated into their native languages for their, yours, and your company’s safety.

In Conclusion…

There are a ton of benefits and reasons to translate the employee handbook, it can only be better for your business in the long run. The sooner you get it done, the better it is going to be.

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