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As a true IC, an employer cannot dictate

Posted By: se on 2008-10-07
In Reply to: Don't know what to do, or how to feel! - StressedMTMom

your hours, you decide when you work. However, they have the right to terminate anyone who they think is not working out to what they need. They can request you work, but they cannot force an IC to work.


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E-Dictate...sm
Anyone have info regarding this company?
ALL those who dictate
should be informed that their transcription will only be as good as their dictation! I'm also tired of listening to dictators who sound as if they're speaking underwater or with their mouth stuffed with cotton!

I just leave more blanks now than I did as I'm just tired of having to spend time trying to figure out their mumblings.
I do some NPs who dictate for doctors
Just seem to have a little trouble pronouncing some words..It's kinda funny, but I always know what they are trying to say.
Not trying to dictate what is posted..
This is a forum where people come to get answers and share information. Most people know that there are archives...no need to post that to every question.

You tell the OP to do their research...that is exactly what they are doing by posting a question here. If you can't answer the question that the person has asked (other than with a snide remark), why post at all?
As an IC, an MTSO cannot dictate your
hours or production. However, if you signed a contract for a specific amount of lines, they can hold you to that. However, legally they cannot hold you to specific hours UNLESS you tell them specific times you will be working.

An IC means the freedom to set your hours. Where I work, I let them know when I can work and how much work I can take. All I have to do is have it in by a certain time the next day. I can work at 4 p.m. or 2 a.m., whatever I want.
A company cannot dictate your hours if
you are an IC.  If you are an employee, they can! 
Or the ones who dictate a whole sentence while yawning!
nm
An MTSO cannot dictate the hours you
work or hte amount; however, they can stimulate that the only hours work is available is such and such, so if you want to work for them, that is when you work. It is your choice.

There is nothing wrong with an IC committed to a specific set of hours. It is their choice of when to work and they want to work M-F, 10 to 6, and tell the MTSO that, that the MTSO will expect them to work unless they are notified otherwise--there is nothing wrong with the MTSO expecting the IC to work when they say they will.
What do you mean the president is going to dictate how transcription gets done?
I don't think the President has any feelings whatsoever in how transcription gets done. His idea is to go to EMR - that has nothing to do with not having transcription - that has to do with the way the transcription is stored - electronically, not paper.

I worked for a hospital that has had EMR for years now and believe me, we had more transcription waiting on us every day than we could possibly do.
Anybody ever heard of a company called E-Dictate? (sm)

If so, are they good, bad, or somewhere in between? How are they to work for?


Anyone else lucky enough to have all nurses dictate for doctors?
I just started a new account and can hardly believe my good fortune--all nonESL nurses dictating for the doctors for a specialty clinic. What a joy after the last account I had!
Split shifts are allowed. You can dictate your
shift within a Tu-Sa, or Sun-Thurs schedule. 
Glad that's true for you for 8 years. Not true for many. I love the company, but I do run out of
as do many others. Wish I were as fortunate as you.
Not necessarily true. That is not a true test of skill.
Do you know how many people get others to take tests for them? It happens and it happens more often than you might think. The only skill that shows anyway is that you can do it.

We are actually more than a transcriptionist. We are specialists in our field and we are supposed to know some things regarding anatomy and physiology as a working base. That's how we can judge if a physician dictates something in accurately and many do because they can't pronounce or just are not thinking. That's why our skills of basic knowledge come into play and that means basic knowledge of body parts. If our job was just to sit there and type without thinking about what we are transcribing, then all patients are in trouble and this is just based on what I see as a QA person.

It's more than just knowing how to transcribe and some of the companies have discovered how to know what your basic knowledge is based on what you have picked up with your experience by utilizing your references etc. Hopefully that utilization of your references has taught you something that does stick in your head.

Beliefs like yours are just so far off base. You have to know what you are doing. It's not just about being able to listen and type. Base knowledge is a very important thing and the services have to find a way to know that knowledge base that is there in your head.


Sorry, that should be employer!
NM
If I were an employer
and observed the way some of the people behave on this board. I think I'd be giving psychological tests as well.
As with any employer..
They expect you to work your shift. If you want a schedule that is flexible, become an IC.
You need to ask your employer how they
count lines. Vary from MTSO to facility. Everybody is different.
No. If you are an IC your employer does
not withhold anything, you are totally responsible for federal and state and SS taxes. Most companies pay the IC a higher rate than employees because taxes are not withheld.

They are an at-will employer
and if you can't do x-number of lines in an x-amount of time with 98% or better accuracy, 40+ hours a week on a strict schedule, don't even bother. You can just imagine the kind of accounts they have.
No, this they cannot do, not an employer,
this is discrimination.
Health insurance company operate like that.
Do you ask your employer's permission to do everything
in your life?

I don't. I did what was best for me.

They purchase my skills and expertise from me while I am on the clock for them. I don't share their secrets with the enemy nor vice versa. I have maintained my quality and production the entire time I've worked for them.

I don't ask for permission before I go do what I need to for my household.

You're right. MQ doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Spheris would not feel the same way, probably.
MDI is very good as an employer, think they
have IC status but not sure and also may have SE status.  They are flexible as long as the accounts stay in turn-around time.  They are good to work for.  I have been there since 3/2004, started part time, went full time in 05/2004 after I tried them out to see how I would like it. 
To tell current employer or not? SM

I am currently looking for a new job.  I love it where I work now, but need benefits and they do not offer them.  On applications they want to know if they can contact current/prior employers.  I certainly don't want to put no (as I'm quite sure that would raise a red flag), but I just worry how my current employer will react if he gets a call from prospective new employers asking about me.


Should I write my current employer and explain why I'm looking for work rather than let him be shocked to get a call out of the blue?  Guess I already know the answer, but am so worried.  Would hate to burn my bridges if the new job doesn't work out.  Ugh...I sound terrible.


What would you do?


Thanks!


By all means ask. I have and my employer was
They want you to be as productive as possible. If you're not producing lines, they aren't billing and receiving for them either!


Do you always believe what your employer tells you?
I worked for a local company and transcribed university hospital and VA reports.  The company was pretty busy - 100 MTs across the country and the owner whined all the time about how he couldn't make ends meet and couldn't pay MTs more - blah, blah, blah - but I certainly never got any tissues out during these meetings.  We found out from the bookkeeper later that the company charged and got18 cents per line and that was 6 years ago.  Then he increased his charge to a large account the next contract bid and lost it and and didn't have the guts to lay off by senority and just let everyone keep working with promises they were seeking new accounts that didn't happen very quickly at all while we were all out of work and scrapping to find what we could.  It is called GREED.   
been there, done that - on the employer side..sm
not a lawyer, and not MT environment at that time. Did briefs, etc when working as secretary in legal dept of company (factory type/employee paid piecemeal wages for on-site work). Unless you can prove the time card was fraudulently filed (the hours were not actually worked), the company is responsible for payment of the OT. The advanced approval is not part of the law, only of the company policy. The company's recourse is through discipline for failure to follow company policy, but cannot withold pay. The laws have been tweaked some since then, but not to that point.
If you are IC, the company is NOT your employer.
x
Best employer who provides equipment
I may be changing jobs soon.  I will spare you the gory details of why.  Anyway, can someone tell me who you consider to be the best employer?  I need one who provides the employee's equipment.  I am also looking for one that does not offshore, pays well (I have 25 years experience), good insurance, steady work, minimal ESL, HOPEFULLY DAY SHIFT OPENINGS M-F, and let's see, I guess that would mean I am looking for the perfect employer!   Opinions invited!
As long as the new employer does not
contact them, and you can request they not, how would they know??
If Transolutions is not your employer
I don't care what location your talking about.  Transolutions in Illinois advertises they do not outsource. The connection to India is clearly the company in Illinois. 
Is that employer's initial FI? nm
nm
Depends on who the employer is ...
and if it's okay with them ... signed confidentiality agreements and QA issues can make this a deal breaker.... not to mention income reporting for the IRS ...

You MIGHT be able to act as a and MTSO or subcontractor ... but I'd check the fine print of YOUR contract. I've known of people who did this -- usually an older MT mentoring a newbie family member with 100% QA on all work -- but problems with keeping within TAT and, I think, the requirement to use a very very basic platform in which overlap of login/hours/senders would not intrude ... might work, but might not be worth the effort.

Doing such a thing behind an employer's back is a gonna bite you in the butt move for sure. IMHO there's a fairly strong likelihood you'd get caught, so get it okayed before you try.
The IC who works on an employer-SM
directed schedule and is required to ask for time off and other things only employees do is the same as the person who wants to come in and do transcription for 4 cpl.  It DOES impact the situations ICs can find in the future - the first thing the MTSO says is **well, I have ICs who work the schedule I tell them to and if you won't I'll find more people who will**
eTransPlus is my employer (SM)
and they do not have any VR accounts. Sorry about the confusion.
From what my employer says, the 50 have to be within so may miles of one another
Yes, there have to be 50 but they have to be within a certain mile radius before we are eligible for FMLA.  It really doesn't count for home MTs if this is the case.
Let me get this straight. Your employer
sold out to a company who offshores to India, and now you may well be going the route of Cbay, Medquist, etc., with all your work dwindling & being sent to Indians, and YOU feel guilty? That's absurd. I have no sympathy or loyalty or appreciation for ANY company who sends our work overseas, sacrificing patient safety for the almighty buck and thereby screwing over American MTs.
3rd largest DOMESTIC employer
Besides MedQ and Spheris, who else has 750 domestic MTs?  And to answer your question before you ask; yes, CyMed really does have that many.  I work in the corporate office and they've been stuffing envelopes for employee Christmas cards and gifts all week.  (Finally getting them out the door on Monday.)
that employer requires employees not to say anything on the
.
Any employer who is late or gets the pay wrong better think twice
about what they are doing. If you think word does not get out, it does. The statement this poster made about paying well rings true. I know several people who work for one very popular MT service that is supposed to pay well who never get paid on the day they are supposed to or the pay is always wrong (this service is not mentioned in this thread) and their reason for staying is that their pay is so good. I say ditto what this poster is saying. If you have to pay late fees and such what good is good pay? I know a couple of people who are always worried about whether they are going to get paid on time and if it is, if it will be right. There is something wrong with this picture and no, I will not mention the service but it has not been mentioned in this thread.
Isn't it illegal now for an ex-employer to bash?

What questions should I ask an employer before I accept the job?

I am new in this business and have already been screwed by empty promises.  I want to try and get it right this time.  I would like to know what I should ask before accepting this position. 


 


Thanks


They asked for client not employer
Told them employer. She asked 3 times for the hospital I transcribe for on behalf of the employer. Thanks for confirmation. Glad I didn't get hired...shame on them...they offshore anyway...
you will find ESLs with every employer, nm
XX
Nothing wrong with that but many recommend to their employer
privately so nothing gets posted just to weed out those that might not be qualified...understand...protecting a good employer from having to wade through resumes and resumes of nonqualified applicants. Referral by word of mouth is very much accepted without having to post publicly but rather privately to those MTs that are known to be good and this has been happening since the internet
So who is their 2006 Employer of the Year?
xx
Agree. And it is up to you if you want to be non-IC but yet not have your employer pay the taxes
:+
Thanks...I'll check with new employer to see which one (sm)
they have..Hope it's Meditech Client! 
Harassing e-mail from ex-employer.
nm
Every employer makes their own decision about that.
nm
If IM is an employer requirement, just load it and put on your..

WORKING BUSY or AWAY message.