DCI Policies and Procedures Guide Corey Axelrod LAST REVISION: APRIL 15,

Transcription

1 DCI Policies and Procedures Guide Corey Axelrod LAST REVISION: APRIL 15,

2 WELCOME TO DEAF COMMUNICATION BY INNOVATION (DCI)! This booklet is intended as a reference guide for freelance interpreters working as independent contractors for interpreting assignments referred by DCI. Contact DCI with any questions or comments regarding the following policies or procedures. DCI CONTACT INFORMATION Website: Mailing Address: Deaf Communication by Innovation 3711 N. Ravenswood, Suite 144 Chicago, IL Office Location: 3711 N. Ravenswood, Suite 144 Chicago, IL Telephone: E- mail: Monday- Friday: 9 a.m. 5 p.m. Voice: TTY: Videophone: Fax: Interpreting Issues: request@deafcomm.net General Topics: info@deafcomm.net Billing Issues: billing@deafcomm.net ABOUT DCI Deaf Communication by Innovation (DCI) was founded in 2004 by Raymond Rodgers with the goal of improving communication between Deaf* and hearing people through advanced technology and interpreting services. Highly regarded by clients for quality and customer service, we pride ourselves on maintaining a personal relationship with customers, interpreters and the deaf individuals we serve. Currently, we work with more than 300 freelance interpreters and continue to grow. Our interpreters are fluent in American Sign Language and possess personal and professional knowledge of deaf culture and interpreting needs. We are proud of our staff and highly qualified interpreters and we pledge to provide you with the most professional interpreter services possible. * Refers to Deaf, Deaf- Blind, Hard of Hearing, Hearing Impaired, Late Deafened and People with Hearing Loss REQUIREMENTS FOR LISTING WITH DCI Interpreters interested in listing as independent contractors with DCI must first fill out an online application form at Interested interpreters must also supply the following documentation: Proof of interpreting credentials A letter of registration with the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC) Verification of the number of years of professional experience (e.g., original credential documents, documentation from a prior interpreter referral agency) Copies of earned collegiate degrees (education level affects our pay scale)

3 DCI POLICIES AND PROCEDURES GUIDE Additionally, there will be an in- person interview with a DCI staff member at DCI s office. This will not be a formal evaluation of your skills, but a chance for you to meet the office staff, go through DCI s policies and discuss your interpreting preferences and dislikes. Please bring a copy of your resume with you and be prepared to fill out a W- 9 tax form. LOGGING INTO THE DCI SYSTEM Because DCI s system is almost entirely web- based, it is important to become familiar with navigating the online system. To sign in the interpreter portion of the online software, please visit DCI s main page ( and click on the Interpreter Login tab in the footer. The next page is where you will begin all of your online interaction with the DCI system. D EAF C OMMUNICATION B Y INNOVATION

4 The following links are displayed: View and select available assignments. This link takes you to the pages where you can browse the jobs DCI has available. View and modify your contact and certification information. This page is where you can keep your contact and certification information current. View your pending assignments. This page will list all of your upcoming DCI jobs. If a job is not on this list, the job is not yours. Also, please remember to check the jobs on this page occasionally to see if any information has changed, as well as for the names of team interpreters, etc. View your assignments archive. This is a compiled list of all past jobs worked with DCI. Submit invoice. This is where you can bill DCI for jobs worked (discussed further in this guide). View your invoice archive. This page shows all past invoices. Reset your password. If you have forgotten your password, this is where you can reset it. DCI Interpreter Policies and Procedures. This page has a condensed version of the policies in this guide. SELECTING ASSIGNMENTS Available assignments can be seen online after clicking the View and select available assignments link. These jobs are divided into two sections: those within your county and those in other counties. From this part of the system, you will be able to indicate your availability and interest for any of these pending interpreter requests. DCI s system separates requests into levels based on interpreter credentials. Based on your certifications, ISAS level and background, you may or may not be able to see all of the unfilled jobs DCI has to offer. You cannot see the jobs restricted to a higher certification/credential level than you currently possess. However, you can see jobs of a lower level than yours. While you can see these jobs, they may not be a good fit for you. The request levels are general in nature, not tailored to your experience or preferences. You may indicate your interest and availability in several ways. The first (and best method) is via the website. To indicate interest in a job, click on the box to the left of the listing. This is illustrated in the graphic below:

5 Once you have selected all the jobs you are interested in (you may select several at once), scroll down and click Submit. If two jobs share concurrent or overlapping timeslots, please select only one in the online system. Otherwise, you may be double- booked if the coordinator does not notice the conflict. If you want to indicate you can work either job, please DCI. You may also indicate your interest in a job by replying to the coordinator s announcement or by sending a message to request@deafcomm.net. Do not send a message to the coordinator s personal mailbox as a different DCI coordinator might be assigning the job. Calls to the office (or IM messages) are also accepted. Once you have indicated your interest in a job, DO NOT ASSUME YOU WILL GET THE JOB. Many factors contribute to the coordinator s assignment decision; a lost job is not a reflection on your skills or professionalism. If you have selected a job that is listed after several days, you may contact the coordinator to ask for a status update. Generally, jobs are filled as promptly as possible and if a coordinator plans on assigning you several days after you indicated interest, you will probably be contacted to confirm that you are still available. If you previously indicated your interest on a request and it no longer appears on the list of available jobs and is not in your pending assignments, the request was assigned to another interpreter. ASSIGNMENT CONFIRMATION When you are assigned to a request, you will receive an with all the relevant details. This information will also appear in your Pending Assignments list linked to your Interpreter Home page. Please check the information upon receiving the job; notify the coordinator if you have any further questions. The confirmation and the link in your Pending Assignments list are the ONLY notifications you will receive that you have been assigned to the job! DCI does not contact you via phone to confirm your assignment. Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the assignment anticipate possible travel delays when calculating travel time. If you are unavoidably delayed, please notify both the customer and DCI as soon as possible. This will allow us to develop contingency plans if necessary. CANCELLATIONS AND GIVE- BACKS The customer can cancel confirmed appointments two full business days prior to the assignment without penalty. Late cancellation (less than two business days notice) will require payment in full from the customer and the interpreter will be paid for the job. If short- notice fees or billable travel time is involved with the assignment that is cancelled late, the short- notice fee will be paid to the interpreter but the travel time will not be paid unless the interpreter already left to travel to the job site. If the assignment is canceled upon arrival, please advise DCI. The customer will be billed and you will be paid. If the customer fails to show up, the interpreter should leave only when released by a competent authority. If a person from the customer s organization releases you, please obtain their full name so that the matter can be referred to that person if there is a later question regarding your departure.

6 Give- back assignments from interpreters are discouraged except in an emergency. If a give- back is necessary, please attempt to advise DCI at the earliest possible time in order to facilitate alternate arrangements. Give- backs with less than two full business days notice must be called into the office; please do not or text this information as this information needs to be received in enough time to notify the customer and to secure a replacement. Give- backs with less than one week s notice are documented to interpreters personnel file. OVERTIME If the assignment runs over the scheduled time, the interpreter will have the option of remaining at the prevailing rate or leaving without penalty. Overtime is billed as follows: 0-10 minutes overtime is not billable; minutes overtime will be billed as 30 minutes overtime; minutes will be billed for one hour overtime; minutes will be billed as 1.5 hours overtime, and so on. Interpreters must notify DCI of any overtime within 1 business day in order to be guaranteed payment. If an interpreter is at an assignment with a second assignment pending, the pending job will usually take priority over an extension in the current assignment. The interpreter should advise DCI so we can explore available options to best satisfy both customers. COMPENSATION POLICIES Individual rate sheets will be set up separately for each interpreter and will be calculated based on interpreting certification, degree(s) and total number of years of professional interpreting experience. After reviewing all documentation and proof of experience, DCI will send out the individual pay schedule via . Interpreters will be paid for the full time scheduled, even if the assignment ends earlier. Interpreters will be compensated for a minimum of two hours for each assignment. Assignments lasting longer than two hours will usually require more than one interpreter, unless the work is determined to be sporadic in nature or to have extensive down time. If two interpreters are not available, with the customer s approval, the job will be offered to one individual at a rate of time and a half. On such occasions, clients are requested to provide additional breaks and other accommodations for the interpreter. Customers often do not understand why the market- standard 2- hour minimum is charged when the assignment is less than two hours. In order to help reduce confusion about this practice, DCI bills a standardized Initial Fee that covers assignments up to two hours in length. You will be paid a minimum of two hours for each assignments, but we encourage you to use the term Initial Fee rather than the two- hour minimum when dealing with customers. The cost is the same to them, of course, but the flat fee description tends to make them understand a little easier and resist the idea less. For short- notice requests (within two business days of the assignment) and emergency requests (less than one business day from the assignment), the interpreter will receive an additional flat fee. In some emergency cases, travel time is also billable in half- hour increments up to a two- hour maximum (unless specified). Interpreters must notify DCI of travel time within one business day to be guaranteed payment, as we must also promptly bill our customers.

7 VIEWING YOUR PENDING ASSIGNMENTS Once you have been assigned to a DCI job, the information will appear in your pending jobs list and will be accessible from your interpreter home page. Please check this page regularly to make sure your calendar matches your assigned request and that no information has changed. The Pending Assignments page lists the brief details or each of your assigned jobs. Further information can be found by clicking on the job number link on the right, which will bring up the full job record with all the details (a copy of this detail page should have already been sent to you via ). OTHER FEATURES If the assignment has a partner or team of interpreters, the name of the other interpreter(s) will be displayed on the job record if they have been assigned. By clicking on the team interpreter, their contact information will be displayed, provided they have included Team Contact Information in their interpreter account. On the Assignment Details page, you can click on Mapquest or Google Maps for a map where the job will be located. Driving directions and satellite views of the region can also be obtained through Mapquest and Google Maps. INVOICING DCI collects invoices twice per month. Interpreters should submit one comprehensive invoice for each pay period rather than a separate invoice for each job worked. All invoices must be submitted through our online system; faxed or hard copy invoices will not be honored and may delay payment.

8 Invoices are due before midnight on the 15 th and the last day of the month. Late invoices will be honored, but will not be paid until the following pay period. Jobs Worked During Should Be Invoiced Will Be Paid 1 st through the 15 th By 11:59 p.m. on the 15 th On the 1 st of the following month 16 th through the last day of the month By 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the month On the 15 th of the following month Any questions regarding invoicing or payment should be submitted via to billing@deafcomm.net. If your address or certification level changes, it is up to you to change your information in your online interpreter account. Paychecks will continue to be sent to the address entered in the DCI system until you specify otherwise. HOW TO SUBMIT AN INVOICE From your interpreter home page, click on Submit Invoice. This will bring up an itemized list of the past assignments you have completed for DCI. Click the check box to the left of the assignments you wish to include on the current pay period. If there is a discrepancy with the date(s) times, number of hours, hourly rate, assignment, or invoice amount, please abandon your submission and call or DCI immediately. Once you are satisfied with the list, click Create Invoice. This will take you to a page where your proposed invoice will be displayed for your review. All special rates, including night rate, Sunday/holiday, special legal fees, etc., should be calculated into the invoice automatically. Additional fees such as parking and billable travel time will appear on an attached invoice that appears on the page below the standard invoice. Please re- check the proposed invice(s) for accuracy. Once you are satisfied, click Submit Invoice and a copy will be sent to DCI and to your address. While DCI can adjust an incorrect invoice manually after you submit it, it is far easier for the office staff to make corrections before the invoice is submitted for processing. Don t wait until 11:00 p.m. on the cutoff day to view your invoice for the first time. Generate a copy of your proposed invoice a day or two before the cutoff day and check for errors. This way, all discrepancies can be corrected before you submit your final invoice. MISSING ASSIGNMENTS If you are about to miss an assignment due to unforeseen circumstances, please contact DCI as soon as possible. The best way is to call DCI s main number. This number is answered even after normal business hours. If you realize that you missed an assignment after it was to have taken place, notify us as soon as possible after this realization occurs. Interpreters who knowingly fail to notify DCI of a missed assignment or who miss an assignment on two occasions, have consistently arrived late to jobs and frequently give assigned jobs back to DCI within a 6- month period will become ineligible to future assignments on either a temporary or permanent basis at the discretion of DCI.

9 REPRESENTING DCI ON ASSIGNMENT Please remember that while DCI is a referral agency and the interpreting work is your responsibility, your conduct while on the assignment reflects on DCI. Therefore, we ask that you conduct yourself in a responsible manner at all times and follow the guidelines of the Code of Professional Conduct set forth by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. If a customer has any concerns not related to interpreting (such as billing or pricing, rescheduling of an appointment, or policy questions), please refer them to DCI rather than trying to field the question yourself. Our policy or rates may be different clients, and such concerns are best directed back to DCI. If a customer asks to contact you in the future for other work, we ask that you provide them with DCI s contact information or an interpreter- referral card supplied by DCI. Tell the customer that they can certainly request you specifically, and we will make every effort to assign you if you are available. Please refrain from giving out your personal contact information, or the contact information of another interpreting agency, while you are on a DCI job.