Individuals who do not speak English or who are limited in their English proficiency (LEP Customer) may be unable to immediately obtain meaningful access to Labor and Industry's services. Thus, it is the policy of the Department of Labor and Industry that once the individual with LEP is identified, the Labor and Industry staff must contact a qualified bilingual person through the DGS Language Service Contract to assist that person as soon as possible.
A. Department of Labor and Industry staff must use the interpretation services provided through the DGS Language Contract "Language Line", if no other interpretation service is available in-house, for an "Essential Language", or for other languages needed for interaction with a customer. This language assistance is to take place within the same time frame that services are delivered to non-LEP customers.
Suggestions/Tips for Using Language Line:
Commonwealth agencies may issue BLANKET CONTRACT PURCHASE ORDERS against this Contract. Such orders may cover all anticipated requirements for a set period of time (i.e. a month, quarter, or year.)
Explanation: This means that you can have a purchase order to cover one instance of service needed or a purchase order that will cover all services needed in a specified period of time. This period of time may not exceed 1 year.
The Contract for Over-the-Phone Interpreter Services for 3rd party non-English translation is Contract No. 9985-30 for all agencies.
Only one (1) Supplier has been awarded the Over-The Phone Interpretation Services portion of this contract.
Explanation: The vendor is Propio.
Once you've identified the vendor that you would like to perform the needed services you must create your shopping cart. If you have any questions please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity at 717-787-1182.
B. Department of Labor and Industry staff serving customers must use "Language Identification Cards" to help identify the customer's language. Instructions on how and when to use the language identification card or "I-SPEAK" card will be available through the Department of General Service's Language Service contract and the Office of Equal Opportunity. An example of a language identification card is the yellow, tri-fold Language Line Card. All staff must have and make this card available to customers, so the customer is aware he/she has a choice of languages. Staff should demonstrate to the customer how to use the card to point to his/her primary language. If a customer cannot identify a language on the card, then the staff person should call the Language Line for assistance. In using the Language Line for assistance, the staff person should remain on the line, and be available to read, in English, documents that require interpretation, including notices, administrative decisions, hearing decisions and questionnaires. The staff person should also remain available to answer questions. The Language identification card must be kept at the greeter/information counters in all field offices and at the Department of Labor and Industry's lobby.
C. Section and Field Office Managers and Administrators must promote and encourage the use of the Language Line to serve monolingual customers when no bilingual staff is available to assist those customers.
A. Multi-language insert to seek assistance: All written communication mailed to customers regarding benefits information, adjudication, or hearing decisions, will include a Language Service insert. The insert written in Arabic, Chinese, French, French Creole, German, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese will be a notification instructing the customer to contact the Office if he/ she does not understand the information sent.
B. Notification of Available Free Language Assistance: Notices regarding the availability for LEP customers to receive free interpretation and other language assistance for Department of Labor and Industry's services and programs must occur in the "Essential Languages", in brochures, pamphlets, manuals, and other materials disseminated to the public and to Department staff, as appropriate.
C. Translation and Interpretation Services Contract: (BLANKET CONTRACT PURCHASE ORDERS) Commonwealth agencies may issue Blanket Contract Purchase Orders against this Contract. Such orders may cover all anticipated requirements for a set period of time (i.e. a month, quarter, or year.)
Explanation: This means that you can have a purchase order to cover one instance of service needed or a purchase order that will cover all services needed in a specified period of time. This period of time may not exceed 1 year. Once you've identified the vendor that you would like to perform the needed services you must create your shopping cart. If you have any questions please contact this office:
Lori Michaels, Procurement Manager Department of Labor & Industry
Room 210, Labor & Industry Building Phone: 717.783.0326
Fax: 717.787.0688
The designated LEP Program Contact will need to oversee the interpretation and translation services that are not performed by Department of Labor and Industry bilingual staff and that are needed and/or requested by individual programs and offices. Where the awarded contractor(s) agree(s) to provide language services to qualifying entities under Act 57, Workforce Investment Act Partners would be eligible to use the contract pricing upon award on a voluntary basis.
D. Preference of Oral Communication in the Customer's Language: It is the policy of the Department of Labor and Industry to interpret through staff members who were hired as bilingual employees; through employees who volunteer to serve as interpreters; or through the use of the DGS Language Services Contract, for limited English proficient customers as their first means of communication.
E. Maintaining a List of Translated Documents: The translation of written materials and forms needed to access the Department of Labor and Industry's services must be accomplished by using the above-mentioned federal 4-point guideline (Federal Register, Vol. 66, No.11, January 17, 2001). Several Labor and Industry's service providers have already translated many standard documents as required by law or determined to be necessary by the Department's Office of Equal Opportunity. A document (or the information it solicits) is "vital" or "essential depending upon the importance of the program, information, encounter, or service involved, and the consequence to the LEP person if the information in question is not provided accurately or in a timely manner.
To determine when a document is "essential" or "Vital", programs and offices must carefully consider the services provided and the needs of individual programs, e.g.,
- Consent and complaint forms, Intake forms with the potential for important consequences
- Written notices of rights, denial, loss, or decreases in benefits or services, and other hearings
- Notices of disciplinary action
- Notices advising LEP persons of free language assistance
- Rule books/ manuals
- Written tests that do not assess English language competency, but test competency for a particular license, job, or skill for which knowing English is not required
- Public participation hearings
- Community outreach
- Applications to participate in a program or activity or to receive benefits or services
- Customer satisfaction surveys, request forms, FAQs, Enrollment forms, Employer Recruitment List, Core Information Session descriptions, Training Account requirement forms, civil rights statement, WIOA applicant signature page, approval to access information (waiver of confidentiality), grievance and hearing procedure, application for Individual Training Account, selective service status, pre-application forms, Individual Employment Plan - Master Plan (ISS), Needs Payment Policy, Needs Payment Determination.