TAMPA, Fla. — One Hillsborough County agency is ramping up its incentives for its bilingual employees - and the benefits go far beyond the workplace.
“Sometimes, you are working your own tasks and you are called to go to the front counter and help. So it is a little bit extra but we all do it very gladly each day,” said Eileen Salas, a customer service manager for the Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts.
Salas sees it daily.
What You Need To Know
- Hillsborough Co. Clerk of Courts office rewarding its bilingual employees
- Those who qualify are receiving an extra $50 per pay period.
- Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts
“When I approach a Spanish-speaking customer, they seem relieved and grateful that we do have somebody that speaks their language,” she said.
To show appreciation for the work employees like Salas do on a daily basis, Clerk of Court Cindy Stuart is implementing a new bilingual pay incentive policy starting this month.
Those who qualify are receiving an extra $50 per pay period.
“This is one of those things that I just felt like I already have employees that are translating and they’re bilingual and we need to recognize them,” Stuart said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is the only other county agency that currently does this.
“It’s just better to have people within the organization to represent those constituents and are able to communicate with them,” Salas. “[They’re] grateful that they have someone to talk to in their language so I’m hoping that other agencies follow suit.”