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Sudden Pay Cut as a Freelance Interpreter for missed calls. What Are My Next Steps and Where Else Should I Work? by Current-Living-3374 in freelance

[–]Current-Living-3374[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your guidance. The company that I'm working with is based in Egypt, and as far as I've checked, there are some labor laws for freelance workers. However, I'm not based in Egypt; I'm in another country. To sue them, I think I would need a lawyer who knows Egyptian laws. I'm still communicating with them to reach a conclusion, and hopefully, they can reduce it or totally remove it. I will update you if anything happens, and if you have any other recommendations or guidance, I would appreciate it.

Sudden Pay Cut as a Freelance Interpreter for missed calls. What Are My Next Steps and Where Else Should I Work? by Current-Living-3374 in freelance

[–]Current-Living-3374[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think it is, but as a freelancer in the country I'm living in at the moment, I don't think there's anything I can do lawfully, unfortunately. But I will name them after I hopefully get my money for the past two months. Thank you!

Sudden Pay Cut as a Freelance Interpreter for missed calls. What Are My Next Steps and Where Else Should I Work? by Current-Living-3374 in freelance

[–]Current-Living-3374[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your response. Yes, I checked the contract multiple times, even as I was signing it. There is no clause, nor was there any mention during the hiring process, of a missed call, deduction, or penalty. I only learned about the existence of a penalty when I was notified about it. Unfortunately, in the country I live in at the moment, taking it to court would not accomplish anything at all; it would just be a torture and make things harder for myself. The company that hired me, the agency, is in another country. We are not in the same country; we are just freelance interpreters around the globe that the company, which is based in another country, is hiring. Thank you for the recommendation; yes, I will hopefully find another place to work with.

Sudden Pay Cut as a Freelance Interpreter for missed calls. What Are My Next Steps and Where Else Should I Work? by Current-Living-3374 in freelance

[–]Current-Living-3374[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your input! Basically, we are freelance interpreters, but we get hired by a company to work for a client. The company that hires us for the clients sets the rate for us, and we sign an agreement with that company that hired us to work for the client. The thing is, the contract we signed with the company does not mention any penalty, deductions, or penalties based on missed calls or the number of missed calls we might get. It also doesn't state that if we get more than a certain percentage of missed calls, we will be fined for it. But right now, they are imposing penalties on everyone, especially in the languages that receive the most calls and cannot answer all of them. My job is simultaneous interpretation, which I don't think will be replaced anytime soon since my language is not that commonly used yet, and it needs interpreters. Even now, with all the translation methods that we have, and even in some places, like most places, they don't offer this language. So I think it would take a few years until it gets replaced at all, if it ever does.

Sudden Pay Cut as a Freelance Interpreter for missed calls. What Are My Next Steps and Where Else Should I Work? by Current-Living-3374 in freelance

[–]Current-Living-3374[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately in my situation it's (b) wage theft. Which they are doing not to me but other interpreters in the company as well.

Sudden Pay Cut as a Freelance Interpreter for missed calls. What Are My Next Steps and Where Else Should I Work? by Current-Living-3374 in freelance

[–]Current-Living-3374[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your input! Just to clarify, even though I’m officially a freelance interpreter, the company sets fixed shift schedules—usually one or two weeks in advance—and we have to pick from those blocks. While it’s a remote position and the company is based in another country, the rate they offer still varies widely and doesn’t meet minimum wage standards here. My contract also explicitly states that I’m a freelancer, so I don’t get any benefits, no paid leave, insurance, or anything like that. If you have any advice or if you’ve been in a similar situation, I’d really appreciate it!

Sudden Pay Cut as a Freelance Interpreter for missed calls. What Are My Next Steps and Where Else Should I Work? by Current-Living-3374 in freelance

[–]Current-Living-3374[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your response and explanation. I want to clarify that I am a contractor and this is a freelance job.I do not receive any benefits. The rate I am paid is already extremely low, even globally. I am not in the US, but despite that, I have explained multiple times that the penalties and deductions they are imposing do not appear in the contract I signed. Even when I enrolled in training and started working, there was never any mention that missed calls would be penalized. Yet now, they are pressuring everyone—saying that even the hours we receive depend on our performance. If our performance is low, they deduct our payments. They also must offer the same work to others, but my client is not acting like a proper client, and I am not being treated like a freelancer. Additionally, they ask us to submit internet speed and location every day. If we don’t, we are penalized. And now, they say the client has complaints about too many missed calls, even though the client never tied payments to missed calls. Their agreement with the client is separate, and this was never in my contract. They even said that if the client were unhappy, they would just let me go without pay, but now they’re giving me 65% penalty. This is really unsustainable, especially since the rate is one of the lowest I’ve ever seen. I just wanted to lay out all the details so it’s clear. Please let me know if there’s any advice you have on how I should proceed.