LanguageLine Adopts AI Scheduling Software Amid Reports of Interpreter Pay Reductions

The company stated that interpreters rarely handle these tasks today.

LanguageLine barred workers from working for other translation services in its code of conduct. Multiple workers told NPR that downtime between calls disappeared, leaving only a mandatory 15 seconds. For video call interpreters like Valerus, this means barely time to stand and stretch.

LanguageLine stated it 'absolutely and categorically do not want this for our interpreters' and has a health and safety committee that reviews workplace matters. Valerus and fellow workers are trying to unionize with the Communications Workers of America, demanding higher pay, paid bathroom breaks and better benefits, with efforts starting in 2024.

Over 200 interpreters signed a petition in 2025 protesting hour reductions.

At a press conference hosted by labor organizers at New York City Hall, city comptroller Mark Levine said, 'As comptroller, we are looking at all the contracts that LanguageLine has with New York City to make sure they are in compliance,' and called on the company to respect workers' rights to form a union.

Valerus, who worked a stable full-time job with a regular schedule, set hourly rate and benefits for a year and a half, helps people bridge language barriers over the phone during hospital visits and court proceedings. Many interpreters said their jobs are intense, translating insurance policies or helping judges deliver prison sentences through phone lines and video calls.

There used to be one or two minutes of downtime between calls. LanguageLine includes the UK's National Health Service and multiple New York City agencies among its clients. Its parent company, Teleperformance, was accused of trying to surveil remote workers and reached an agreement with a labor union federation over its surveillance practices.

The experiences reflect broader trends over the past decade, where hourly workers in industries like retail, restaurants and call centers grapple with erratic schedules from technology designed to minimize labor costs and maximize productivity. He added that software like NiCE helps companies transfer business uncertainty onto workers.

Hotel cleaners have pushed back against software mandating room cleaning order, leading to back-to-back heavy lifting and movement across floors with heavy equipment, increasing injury risk.

New York's Attorney General investigated 13 major retailers in 2015 over scheduling technology matching hours to customer demand. Public outcry led to state and local Fair Workweek Laws setting minimum scheduling standards, but in most places, only retail workers are covered, according to Susan Lambert, a professor emeritus at University of Chicago who studied low-wage jobs.

Scheduling software has become prevalent in restaurants and call centers.

Virginia Goellgast, a professor at Cornell University who has studied unionized call centers, said unions tend to bargain on scheduling practices and protect workers from economic fallout. LanguageLine stated it acknowledges schedules have been more unpredictable than normal and is calibrating the system for more stability.

Valerus and her colleagues encountered the effects of algorithmic scheduling.

Valerus is taking part in the unionizing efforts and looking to take on new jobs to supplement her income to better support her children. By the end of 2025, her pay was almost 20% less than in 2024.