As an HR professional or people manager, you’re responsible for ensuring that policies, processes, and expectations are clearly communicated and understood. But in multilingual workplaces, that’s easier said than done.
In England and Wales, over 4 million people speak a language other than English as their main language. Nearly 1 million say they don’t speak English well or at all (ONS). In Ireland, more than 470,500 people speak a language other than English or Irish at home (CSO).
This has direct implications for how you manage and support your workforce, especially in frontline sectors like manufacturing, construction, hospitality, retail, and care, where many employees are non-native English speakers. Relying on English-only policies and HR communications can result in:
If your team doesn’t fully understand what’s written, they can’t be expected to follow it. That puts compliance, performance, and trust at risk. All of which fall back on HR and line managers to resolve.
HR Duo now enables automatic translation of HR policies, guidance notes, and key documents into 30+ languages, built directly into the platform.
The feature is powered by advanced AI translation technology, ensuring every document is contextually accurate, legally sound, and aligned with your company policies, without the need for external tools or manual uploads.
No copy-pasting into third-party software. No version control issues. Just clear, compliant, and accessible content for every employee, no matter their first language. With intelligent translation built into your HR platform, your organisation can:
Clear, accurate communication is a key part of compliance, safety, and performance. With HR Duo’s AI-powered translation, it’s built in and ready to go.
When HR policies, contracts, and guidance are written in English only, businesses open themselves up to a range of avoidable risks, especially in industries that rely on multilingual, frontline, or shift-based teams. Let’s break them down:
If employees don’t fully understand what’s expected of them, whether that’s in a contract, a disciplinary process, or a health and safety policy, you’re at risk of accidental breaches. This weakens your legal position, especially in disputes or tribunals. A lack of understanding won’t hold up as a defence if procedures weren’t translated or clearly communicated.
In sectors like manufacturing, construction, and care, misunderstanding safety rules can have serious, even life-threatening, consequences. If health and safety protocols aren’t clearly explained in a language your team understands, the likelihood of errors increases, putting employees and your business at risk.
When line managers are left to "translate" policies or explain them informally, it creates inconsistency. Each manager might interpret policies differently, or explain them in ways that don’t align with HR or legal guidance. This can lead to unfair treatment, miscommunication, and a breakdown of trust between employees and leadership.
Without translation tools, HR ends up fielding repeated questions, chasing clarifications, and manually explaining key documents to employees one by one. This adds to already stretched workloads and pulls HR professionals away from more strategic, high-value work.
As teams become more diverse, the cost of unclear communication increases. From safety to compliance, relying on English-only content is no longer a sustainable approach. The data makes it clear:
HR Duo’s AI-powered translation tools help you stay compliant, reduce admin, and support every employee, no matter what language they speak.
Translate HR policies, contracts, and documents into 30+ languages, ensure legal compliance and reduce risk, and improve clarity, engagement, and trust across your workforce.
Book a free demo today to see how HR Duo makes inclusive, compliant HR communication effortless.