To Interpreters:

Punctuality

Punctuality is the most important aspect of our business. Everything is on hold until you arrive. Time is money and we will monitor your attendance and punctuality record. Our clients expect us to be on time all the time.

1. Be at your assignment 10-15 minutes before your given time. Give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination and get ready for the assignment.
2. If you expect to be late by more than (5) five minutes for any reason, call your destination and then call us.
3. Call us as soon as you know that you cannot attend an assignment. Your help in providing the best service for the client will improve our business and yours in the long term.

Professional Conduct

The Word Exchange Inc. lives by this motto:

"We distinguish ourselves through our professionalism"

To this end, we are setting out the rules by which our free-lance interpreters must abide.

Freelance Interpreteres for The Word Exchange Inc.:

1. Shall not receive cellular phone calls or audible beeper alarms during an assignment
2. Shall not disturb the assignment in progress for any reason
3. Shall take breaks only when directed by the person in charge of the proceedings unless absolutely necessary
4. Shall not use the office equipment (phone, fax machine or photocopier) at the assignment location
5. Shall never leave or arrive at the premises with the person for whom we need an interpreter unless specifically assigned to do so.
6. Shall be clean, cleanly attired and always use deodorant.
7. Shall not assist the person requiring interpreting with any physical or emotional aid and must remain totally impartial.

Rules of Professional Conduct
(recreated from a bulletin from the Ministry of the Attourney General’s office for court interpreters)

Court interpreters shall abide by the following Rules of Professional Conduct. An accredited court Interpreter who violates these rules is subject to removal from the Central Registry of Freelance Court Interpreters.

1. Court interpreters shall faithfully and accurately reproduce in the target language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, primarily in terms of meaning, and secondarily in terms of style, without embellishment, omission or explanation.
2. Court interpreters shall remain impartial and shall avoid any appearance of bias or favoritism. They shall avoid conflicts of interest or appearance thereof, and shall indicate to the trial judge any possible conflicts of interest.
3. Court interpreters shall dress and conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the dignity of the court.
4. Court interpreters shall never, in the course of their duties, give witnesses or party’s advice, or engage in activities, which may be construed to constitute the practice of law.
5. Court interpreters shall keep all assignment-related information confidential. They shall not publicly discuss, report on or offer an opinion concerning a matter in which they have been engaged, even when that information is not privileged information or required by law to be kept confidential, and they shall not discuss any aspect of the case they are working on with parties, witnesses or jurors.
6. A court interpreter, who at any time during a given case feels unable to provide adequate interpretation, should immediately address the judge to that effect.
7. Court interpreters shall keep all assignments, and appear on time for those assignments. If unable to keep an assignment, a court interpreter shall give the court as much advance notice as possible, so that another interpreter can be found.
8. For criminal matters, court interpreters shall interpret only for cases to which they have been assigned by Court Interpretation and Translation Services or by court administrators. If requested to interpret in criminal matters by lawyers or private individuals, they shall first check with the court official who usually requests their services for court.
9. Any court interpreter who discovers anything which would impede full compliance with these rules shall immediately report it to Court Interpretation and Translation Services or to the court administrator.