The Linguist

20 The Linguist Vol/60 No/5 2021 thelinguist.uberflip.com FEATURES After 18 months, Sue Leschen examines Covid's long-term impact on interpreters' working conditions and practice F or interpreters, 2020 will be forever remembered as the year of Covid, WFH and RI. This translates as having to work from home (WFH) on a multitude of different audio and/or visual platforms. Some public service interpreters (PSIs) continued to work on site (particularly at health venues), but most PSIs and business interpreters gradually noticed our diaries filling up with more and more remote interpreting (RI) jobs. That progression was much slower for conference interpreters, who had some empty months before much of their work, too, went remote. In 2021, RI is seemingly still the rule rather than the exception, subject to two emerging trends: 'hybrid' assignments, which are part on site, part virtual; and a return to some on- site events. Having the requisite interpreting skills is one thing; having the tech know-how to be able to work remotely is another. Getting to grips with Kudo, Interactio and a host of other platforms is now a must. Legal savoir faire has also been part of our learning curve, as few of us can say that pre- pandemic we had a viable set of terms and conditions in our interpreters' tool kit – let alone one suitable for distance working. Personally, other than some fairly basic RI terms to cover the occasional telephone or Skype job, I didn't have many useful RI terms at my disposal until now. As with most new ways of working, we tend to learn the hard way, and it has been a challenging work in progress over the last 18 months. Take the disturbing downward trend in rates due to a common client delusion that RI is somehow 'easier' than on-site interpreting because "you can work in the comfort of your own home and don't have to travel anywhere". While it is true that WFH doesn't involve travel, colleagues are increasingly complaining of screen fatigue on Zoom and other platforms. Some are their own (and our) worst enemies because, for them, it is an admission of weakness to ask for a break after 20 minutes of non-stop RI. They undermine their fellow interpreters by telling the client "I'm fine, I don't need a break". Some may do this due to a lack of confidence and the fear of missing out on work if they are seen to be 'difficult'. Others seem to think it's some sort of point of honour. It isn't. It's unprofessional. A spot of client education wouldn't go amiss here. Interpreters' sight and hearing are likely to be strained after just 10 minutes of RI. Where decibel levels are unacceptably high there may even be a risk of acoustic shock, although interpreters are increasingly purchasing noise-limiting ISO-compliant technology to avoid this. Clients also need to be aware that the longer interpreters spend online, the more our concentration levels will plummet. If other family members are also WFH it can be a distraction, and we should guard against dips in concentration. The 'RI is easy' delusion Another aspect of the 'RI is easy' delusion is that clients are increasingly only booking one interpreter for 'short' events – anything from a couple of hours to half-day assignments. We need to challenge this client cost-saving tactic by highlighting the dangers of lone working, such as the sole interpreter becoming ill or losing their internet connection. Interpreters also need to ensure that there will be a practice run in advance of the actual event. Initially, many of us were attending these trials for free – until it became obvious that we were often starting and finishing late due to technical problems that had arisen through no fault of our own. We should be billing for all of our time, whether we are attending a trial run or the event itself. WFH! Interpreting change IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK

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