Translation

Getting your handbook into your crew's language

Translation services will quote you for a handbook. Before you pay for that, it's worth knowing which parts actually change behaviour — because a translated policy document sits in a drawer, while a translated closing routine gets used every night.

Build a routine free →

No app for your staff to install · Works on any phone · No credit card to try

In short: Translate the safety-critical and job-critical parts first, keep every number and temperature exact, and get a record that each person confirmed they read it. A translated handbook is worth having; translated work instructions are worth more.

Order of priority

Chemical handling and safety procedures first. Then the jobs where a mistake costs money — allergen handling, equipment, vehicle intake, closing. Then policies. Most owners do this in exactly the wrong order because the handbook is the thing someone told them to have.

What must not change in translation

Numbers, temperatures, dwell times, dilutions, product names. A translation that rounds a temperature or softens a warning is worse than no translation, because you can't read it back to check.

Proof it landed

A signature on an English acknowledgement page proves receipt. A confirmation in the worker's own language, dated, proves they were given something they could actually read.

How it works

Talk it in. Walk through the job out loud, in whatever language you think in.
Get a clear routine. Tiendo structures it into steps, safety notes and checkpoints, then translates it into your team's language — numbers and times kept exact.
Your team reads and confirms. Post a QR code or hand a new hire one link. They read it on their phone and tap "read and understood."

One routine, every language your team speaks: EspañolKreyòlTiếng ViệtالعربيةPolski中文

Questions operators ask

Do I need to translate my employee handbook?

There's no blanket requirement to translate a handbook, but training on workplace hazards must be given in a manner and language employees can understand. That makes safety instruction the priority rather than policy text.

How much does employee handbook translation cost?

Traditional translation services charge per word and per language, and the document goes out of date the moment a policy changes. Generating and updating from one source avoids re-paying for every revision.

What should I translate first?

The parts where a misunderstanding hurts someone or costs money — chemicals, equipment, food safety, vehicle handling — not the policy sections.

Is machine translation safe for workplace instructions?

The risk is a changed figure or a dropped warning in a language you can't verify. Keep numbers locked, review safety-critical text, and add photos where possible.

Start where it matters.

Build one routine free and see it in your crew's language.

Build your first routine free →