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I left ALS

Details

Category: RPSI Reports/Opinions/Concerns

Published on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 19:24

I am a registered Interpreter with ALS, this was a big mistake I made in my life and I have decided not to work with them any more, because:

1. When I registered in August 2011 it was for obtaining a security clearance of GMP Greater Manchester Police, to continue on my Interpreting work and to be able to work for other police forces other than the forces which had an agreement with ALS.  So GMP told me that they could not provide a security clearance unless I register with ALS... OK, I did and started working for them between Oct. 11 until the New Year 2011/2012, imposing my rates which was confirmed in writing by them.

Then suddenly in Jan 2012 I discovered my payment was different from the one I had been paid before. They told me the payment "from now on is going to be according to the contract with MOJ, which started from 1st Jan 2012" although I explained that I had an agreement and confirmation from them that I work at a particular rate but no one wanted to listen. The only thing they suggested was that I should go and read their website to see the payments and tiers.

 2. I am a NR Interpreter and feel that they humiliated me by unprofessional telephone manner negotiating about their rate each time they were calling me, and by such little amount of payment they offer to Interpreters.

 3. Their system of administrating the business is just chaos, still I am not sure whether I get paid or the payment is getting lost in their system, for example I did a job for them in January and I wanted to submit the timesheet on their system but the system didn't allow me to close the timesheet as I usually did before, I contacted them too many times but they couldn't find any trace of it so I just ignored it. Plus their payment is a mess, money is coming to my bank account but they don't show which payment is for which reference.  Unless I say I leave you and will not work for you any more, they try to do something about it, and still nothing is solved.

 4. Their rate is crap and not sustainable, from my experience any Interpreter even for a very demanding language cannot earn more than £15000/annual gross. As I have over 10 years of experience, my earning with ALS will never exceed £15000/year and every year I need £7000 for expenses like petrol + parking fee + car servicing + MOT + Road Tax + eating out (lunch)...etc. Then at the end of the year I take £8000 home, I have to be very happy if the tax office believes me that I have nothing left to pay them.  Bearing in mind the personal allowance in UK is £8150 which you don't need to pay tax on.

We are coming to a conclusion that the maximum earning of an Interpreter who works for ALS with a language in demand is less than a minimum wage in the UK, in this case it will be the same position as of someone on benefit, so why bother????!!!!