We mentioned in our last post that gas prices have been soaring this year, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be dropping any time soon. Luckily with the general trend toward remote work, many have the option to work from home and save on travel and gas in the tank. However, this doesn’t mean that translators, and interpreters especially, should just exclusively hole up in their homes. For instance, the gas price increase will affect low-income households terribly, especially those that don’t speak English, or speak limited English.

Similarly, the American baby formula shortage has left parents struggling with increased costs for formula—at least, the formula that they can find. We’re not expecting the issue, or the ramifications, to be resolved overnight. Once again, low-income families could easily be hit the hardest, with non-English speaking families having another barrier to entry concerning information from news outlets, supermarkets, and doctor recommendations. We suggest keeping a close eye on news concerning this event. Even if formula were magically restocked and prices dropped to normal tomorrow, there would still be long-lasting effects, especially concerning the health of children.

It would be best for translators and interpreters to be prepared to travel for assignments concerning low-income households and LEP (Limited English Proficiency/non-English families). These low-income households might not have easy access to the technology needed for remote translation or interpretation. Even access to email and cell phones might be limited or impossible. Given the tendency for low-income families to have a lower quality of health compared to medium-income households, they could very likely be in need of in-person interpretation at a clinic or hospital. In-person interpretation activities may gradually rise again.

Sadly, the Russian war with Ukraine is unlikely to end any time soon. Many Ukrainians have fled, looking for refuge, and numerous translators and interpreters have stepped up to the plate. Yet still, the need for translations and interpretations into and out of Cyrillic-based languages will likely only rise. We suggest that any translator or interpreter able to help do so.

Lastly, while there has been some return to “normalcy,” Covid-19 is still a danger to many and will likely stay that way going into the end of 2022. We hope you use lots of precautionary measures, and stay safe and healthy.

First, understand that if you’re feeling the effects of inflation, so are your clients and companies that you’re working with. You should try looking at your rates compared with other translators and interpreters and know where you stand.  Everyone’s situation is different, however everyone is in the same inflation. This means the best way to cope with the uncertain times is to make sure that you stay in a good position without losing any of the business that you currently have. You should always be sure to do your best to honor your rates with your current clients. Even to lower your rate to attract more business may be also a good idea!

Next, the world has gone through a lot of changes over the years and we all have had to learn and adapt in order to stay afloat. Before the pandemic, the majority of work was done in-person, but now, there are more and more remote interpretation opportunities. Be sure to also widen your reach to other parts of the country. If you are working from home, that means you can work anywhere. Someone in a completely different area from you may be looking for someone with your experience. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

If you’re going to be working more from home, it may be time to reassess your internet, phone plan, and current equipment. Investing in better internet, phone service, and equipment will make you a more attractive interpreter or translator because you will not have as many technical difficulties as others may have. For that matter, be sure to educate yourself on how to connect to the various video conferencing services. For example, try setting up Zoom, Google Meets, or Webex on your own and test having a call with yourself to make sure you know how to quickly connect and also that your audio equipment is good. Connection means work and livelihood in today’s work place!

Finally, we do hope the world will be back to normal where we can also provide both remote and in-person interpretation without worrying about the inflation nor the pandemic. After all, a balance of in-person and remote work would be the ideal model for clients, interpreters and language service providers!

Most work environments that need to be on-site have taken precautions to make sure that they make as safe an environment as possible. Most of the times, they will take your temperature, have an interpreter fill out a COVID-19 form in advance, supply hand sanitizer, indicators for safe distance, and sometimes even gloves that you can use. Even so, it is up to you to make sure that you stay safe. Here are some small tips to remind everyone.

First, keep in mind that anyone and everyone could be a potential carrier of the virus. This is not to say that you should be completely paranoid, but if you keep that mind, then that will help you to exercise caution and not let your guard down. This means that you will remember to avoid shaking hands, keep a safe distance from everyone around you, and carrying around hand sanitizer gel. However, this does not mean that you should treat people poorly just because you are scared of infection. They are most certainly just as worried as you. Remember, we are all in this together, so treat each other with compassion, respect, and kindness.

Next, though it is common courtesy to shake hands of the people you are working with, it is not advisable to shake hands during the pandemic since the virus could possibly be transferred to your hand and infect you if you accidentally touch your eyes, mouth, or nose. Instead of shaking hands, you can just wave your hand and greet them warmly.

When you can, make sure you wash your hands. Though hand sanitizer can do the trick of quickly cleaning your hands, it will not completely keep you safe from the virus. Put simply, the water will neutralize and wash away the virus while the hand sanitizer will only neutralize it. While hand sanitizer is a good way to quickly clean your hands, it is not the best way to stay completely safe.

Also be sure to avoid touching surfaces in general. The virus can survive on surfaces, and then be transmitted to you if you touch your face. So try to be extra careful about what you touch in the area that you are working. Alternatively, you could also bring gloves so that you avoid having to touch anything with your hands altogether. Or you could carry around a bottle of hand sanitizer so that you can clean your hands whenever you touch something.

Speaking of bottles, you should avoid bringing bottles of water or food to assignments. Whenever you put them down, they have a chance to pick up the virus, so it is better to just eat your food and drink how much ever water or liquid you want in your car and leave it there so that you don’t accidentally get infected.

Finally the best way to avoid being infected is to boost your own immune system, meaning to take care of both your health. For example, consider going on walks every day to stay active. The walks can be as short as half an hour. The important part is just to take time to move around and get your heart rate up. Next, make sure you have a balanced diet. Eating out and ordering delivery has become much more prevalent during the pandemic, but cooking for yourself or ordering healthier options is a great way to give your body the proper nutrition it needs. Having a healthy balance is important to make sure that you keep yourself in a good condition and avoid any problems that might arise from the new pandemic lifestyle.