Signing a Service Level Agreement for Linguists/Service Providers
Thread poster: Albana Dhimitri
Albana Dhimitri
Albana Dhimitri  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 13:49
Greek to Albanian
+ ...
Nov 3, 2008

Hello all,

I would greatly appreciate your responses as it is urgent.

I have been asked to sign a *Service Level Agreement for Linguists and other Service Providers* by an outsourcer who I am for the first time collaborating with. My concerns are:
1) Is this a usual translators' practice?
2) How do you digitally sign on a PDF?

Thankfully
Albana


 
Maya Gorgoshidze
Maya Gorgoshidze  Identity Verified
Georgia
Local time: 15:49
Member (2004)
English to Georgian
+ ...

Moderator of this forum
Hi Albana, Nov 3, 2008

Albana Dhimitri wrote:

I have been asked to sign a *Service Level Agreement for Linguists and other Service Providers* by an outsourcer who I am for the first time collaborating with. My concerns are:
1) Is this a usual translators' practice?



Not very usual, but service providers are sometimes asked to sign an agreement this way.

Albana Dhimitri wrote:

2) How do you digitally sign on a PDF?



Please see:
http://www.proz.com/post/967159

Kind regards,
Maya


 
Albana Dhimitri
Albana Dhimitri  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 13:49
Greek to Albanian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Dear Maya, grateful to you for taking time to answer! Nov 3, 2008

I worry if there are any ways this signature ( on agreement) or the agreement itself can be used imroperly by the agency (which, as I already mentioned, have had no previous contact with) or at my expence, in any way.

Thanks.


 
Astrid Elke Witte
Astrid Elke Witte  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 12:49
Member (2002)
German to English
+ ...
Well, I guess you will have to read it through carefully Nov 3, 2008

Do not sign any parts that you are not happy with. Discuss these with the outsourcer, find out why they are included, and, if necessary, agree to sign a version with them excluded.

 
Albana Dhimitri
Albana Dhimitri  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 13:49
Greek to Albanian
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks a lot, Astrid. Nov 3, 2008

Astrid wrote:

"Do not sign any parts that you are not happy with. Discuss these with the outsourcer, find out why they are included, and, if necessary, agree to sign a version with them excluded."

Yes, that seems to be the best way to prevent any (possible) future problems.


 
Paul Merriam
Paul Merriam  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:49
Russian to English
+ ...
Answers Nov 3, 2008

First, the fact that they have sent you an agreement puts you under no obligation to sign it. However, being asked to sign an agreement is not in and of itself unusual. Make sure it's an agreement with which you are comfortable.

As concerns signing a PDF, are they requiring it? Can you print it out and mail or fax the printed copy with a signature?


 
dd dd
dd dd
Local time: 19:49
English to Chinese
+ ...
The Express Mail or Postal Charges Jan 26, 2009

I was asked by a Singapore translation agency to sign a Confidentiality Agreement and mail the signed hardcopy to them before I can be on board as one of their External Translation Partners.

I inquired first with an express service company which quoted USD20 for airmail that will arrive in Singapore within 2 days. But I thought to myself, why should I spend so much on this before I even get any job from them? So, finally I sent the document to them by sea mail, which costed me USD
... See more
I was asked by a Singapore translation agency to sign a Confidentiality Agreement and mail the signed hardcopy to them before I can be on board as one of their External Translation Partners.

I inquired first with an express service company which quoted USD20 for airmail that will arrive in Singapore within 2 days. But I thought to myself, why should I spend so much on this before I even get any job from them? So, finally I sent the document to them by sea mail, which costed me USD1.00.

My opinion is, if a translation agency wants the translators to sign and send them any hardcopy agreement, they should expressly offer beforehand to reimburse the express mail/postal charges.
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Lana Rachkovskaya
Lana Rachkovskaya  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:49
English to Russian
+ ...
Service Level Agreement is Different from Regular Freelance Agreement Feb 6, 2009

Albana Dhimitri wrote:

Hello all,

I would greatly appreciate your responses as it is urgent.

I have been asked to sign a *Service Level Agreement for Linguists and other Service Providers* by an outsourcer who I am for the first time collaborating with. My concerns are:
1) Is this a usual translators' practice?
2) How do you digitally sign on a PDF?

Thankfully
Albana


Dear Albana,

Actually, Service Level Agreement is different from the regular Freelance Agreement. Service Level Agreement means that besides translating you also outsource your work, which means you either work with a team of translators or own a company. Service Level Agreement protects the translations company in terms of taking business away from them (totally justified), as under Service Level Agreement more detailed information about projects is usually disclosed (which is not disclosed under Freelance Agreement).

This type of Agreement is usually used for small translation companies, freelancers who outsource work, work in teams with large volumes or/and different languages.


 
torres70
torres70
Spain
Local time: 12:49
German to Spanish
+ ...
Translator's Agreement May 18, 2010

A translation Agency asked me to sign up a Translator's Agreement but I feel really uncomfortable about it. What would you do? It says that in the case of violation of the customer protection obligation, excluding the defence of continuation, the translator will pay the Agency a contractual penalty amounting to EUR 20,000. And for each breach of the labour poaching prohibition clause, the translator pays a contractual fine amounting 5,050.
I don't know. I really need work, but is this real
... See more
A translation Agency asked me to sign up a Translator's Agreement but I feel really uncomfortable about it. What would you do? It says that in the case of violation of the customer protection obligation, excluding the defence of continuation, the translator will pay the Agency a contractual penalty amounting to EUR 20,000. And for each breach of the labour poaching prohibition clause, the translator pays a contractual fine amounting 5,050.
I don't know. I really need work, but is this really necessary? What if it is their customer who contacts me on the Web? What do you think?
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Signing a Service Level Agreement for Linguists/Service Providers







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