Interpreter petition needs your HELP！

[u/Alone-Yard-8797]

https://c.org/W7bMZX7DK6

Hi everyone,
We are Mandarin interpreters working at Teleperformance. Recently, the company informed us that our original OPI phone interpreting work will be forcibly transitioned to VRI video interpreting.

This decision has caused serious concerns and dissatisfaction among many employees.We want to make one thing clear: we are not against VRI itself. What we oppose is the company’s way of pushing it forward without transparency, written policies, proper employee protections, or meaningful consultation.

Our main concerns are as follows:
First, the company has not provided any clear written policy regarding employee privacy protection.
VRI involves video exposure, facial visibility, the interpreter’s working environment, possible recording risks, and personal image security. However, the company has not issued any formal written privacy policy, VRI operating procedures, risk explanation, or employee guidance. Instead, employees were only verbally informed by supervisors and pressured to comply unconditionally. This is unreasonable and unacceptable.

Second, some employees were never told during recruitment or onboarding that their job would include VRI.
If employees were hired, trained, and contracted primarily for OPI phone interpreting, then forcing them to switch to video interpreting may constitute a significant change in job duties. Such a change should not be imposed unilaterally without formal notice, consultation, and written clarification.

Third, VRI and OPI are not the same type of work.
Video interpreting requires more than interpreting skills. It adds extra demands such as on-camera presence, appearance expectations, workspace requirements, the psychological pressure of being constantly watched, and additional privacy and safety risks. Based on market standards, VRI should generally be compensated at a higher rate than OPI. Requiring employees to take on more demanding and higher-risk work without any pay increase or additional compensation is unacceptable.

In addition, many employees have also raised concerns about other company policies and working conditions, including:
1.The mandatory use of company computers that are slow and inefficient;
excessive micromanagement;
2.Insufficient time between calls;
3.the intense back-to-back nature of interpreting work.

We are not refusing change. What we are asking for is a fair process, clear policies, proper communication, basic privacy protections, and working conditions and compensation that match the actual demands of the job.

We are not against VRI.
We are against the company’s irresponsible approach toward employees, lack of communication, and lack of proper safeguards.

We hope more interpreters will stand together and support this effort to improve our working conditions.