Food for thought. What if...SM
Posted By: Leadfeather on 2005-08-15
In Reply to: Here is the facts versus myths about the SR pay.... - Current happy Transcender
I think helping to clarify the pay rate in this scenario was important for others to understand. It does show that the company is willing to try and compensate fairly for this transition, or at least it appears that way on the surface. But, what if there's more to it than meets the eye. What I would like to see us do as a profession is look at the bigger picture. Where does this all end? I see the potiential for it to end in our eventual professional deaths.
What if, for example, a significant enough number of MTs start doing the VR editing and do realize a reasonable increase in their base pay for their efforts. What I see is that, for an extra $200 bucks a pay period, they're getting us to help put them in the driver's seat. Small price to pay to ensure one's ability to eventually be able to cut out the "middle man" and have the whole profit margin to yourself. And once their feet are firmly planted on our ground and we have no where else to turn and no leg to stand on, what do you see happening to that extra $200 bucks a pay period then? I see it potentially turning into a scenario of: "We'll pay you whatever we like, and if you don't like it, hit the door. There are plenty of other hungry ex-MTs out there who would welcome a chance to come back at these lower wages just to have a job." Not a pretty picture of our collective future, but it could be an accurate one if we don't stand up now while we still have some ability to make a difference. What if?
Really, are the long-term results worth the minimal short-term gains in pay? At this rate, they're not only getting us to help them kill us off, they seem to be getting us dirt cheap to boot. From their perspective, the idea is to give us a couple hundred extra bucks dangling out there like the proverbial carrot while we help them work out the kinks, and all the while were really just lambs being led to the slaughter.
What if the way this particular company seems to have just sprung this whole deal on everyone was a glimpse of the boldness and in-your-face attitude to come? What if?
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Food to munch on
Thank you guys so much for all your input. Yes, we do have the advantage of knowing our docs, etc. We are now using tapes, so we are not familiar at all with the service's platform. There were four of us in-house transcriptionists. One has already been deleted due to not having DSL in her area. One is doing the unemployment route and going back to school, as she said she did not feel secure with going with the service, and this would be a perfect opportunity for her to advance her education. So, there are 2 of us left and we are undecided due to the issues discussed. Our CMO, who is Indian, would just throw a fit if we do not go with the service. He has refused over and over again through the years to outsource transcription. He only wants us doing it. My doctors have been told that we are going with the service, even though nothing is set in concrete. The docs have only been okay with this transition knowing this. If the two remaining transcriptionists do not get onboard with the service, I think my company will have mutiny on their hands - - IT WILL NOT BE A PRETTY PICTURE THAT IS FOR SURE.
The MT who wrote the newspapers and such - - YOU ARE MY HERO!!! Way to go.
You get to a point where you are tired of being #%#@@#. That's where I am.
I would take it. That would pay for food for the week
and maybe something better than the usual mac and cheese and hot dogs we have been eating. Uggg. I would perhaps even try to buy meat like chicken or steak for a change. LOL.
Why have cable and little food. You don't say
internet. But like you said you get your priorities straight.
Transcender who doesn't want to go on food stamps
How is Spheris as an employer? Are they hiring? Are they fair? Do they have benefits? Can someone make a decent living there? If their employees give them everything they've got, is Spheris loyal to them? TIA. 
Praying doesn't put food on the table.
I'm back in school getting the degree that will get me out of this crappy business.
Complaining doesn't change anything, but neither does putting your future in someone else's hands and "praying things just work out."
Gotta take the bull by the horns and take action or the world will run you over like a steamroller.
Can you use a food pedal with on-line tests, or do
nm
Oh yeah! A food pedal would be great..just think..
Supper time would be so easy..just hit the left pedal for the microwave, the right for the fridge..just push that pedal to the medal and whip up some potato salad and green beans..
Does that $0.9/65 Independent Contractor job come with food stamps?/sm
Does that $0.9/65 Independent Contractor job come with food stamps?
INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR |
|
EXPENSES |
$0.09/65 |
|
$0.11/65 |
lines/8 hr day/40 hr wk |
1200 |
|
1200 |
$/day |
|
$108.00 |
|
$132.00 |
$/wk |
|
$540.00 |
|
$660.00 |
$/yr |
|
$28,080.00 |
|
$34,320.00 |
Health Ins @ 60+ |
$12,000.00 |
$16,080.00 |
|
$22,320.00 |
2 wk off/pd vac/PDO |
$1,080.00 |
$15,000.00 |
|
$21,240.00 |
op costs |
$1,200.00 |
$13,800.00 |
|
$20,040.00 |
minus taxes |
$2,760.00 |
$2,760.00 |
|
$4,008.00 |
|
$17,040.00 |
$11,040.00 |
NET |
$16,032.00 |
Does credibility put food on our table, gas in our cars, and
clothes on our backs?
We must have been credible at some point in time. After all, we made good incomes because we were paid higher wages, we started MTSOs that were later bought out by the big boys with the big bucks, and we loved what we did and the product we produced. When did we lose credibility? Maybe when the big boys started offshoring? Do you think credibility will be brought back when the big boys bring our jobs back into our own country? Huh? Huh? Huh?
The company is not putting food on her table,
SHE is putting the food on the table?
The company is not putting food on her table,
SHE is putting the food on the table?
Sadly, I make $300 too much to get Food Stamps
I was going to bite the bullet and get them. So obviously I'm overpaid. Time to switch companies.
If poisoned pet food and toys doesn't keep people (sm)
out of Wal-Mart (and it doesn't seem to, read the blog Behind the Counter), I can't see it stopping offshoring.
Not to excuse it, but I've watched the trend over the last decade, and I honestly think a lot of companies offshore only because of the bottom line; transcription is one area that hospitals are always trying to cut and the pressure to drop line rates is tremendous. I used to take several calls a month at the small MTSO where I used to work requesting us to drop our per line rate. It ranged from whining and pleading to outright threats of losing the account if we didn't comply. It was a constant aggravation and stress.
I think some companies dipped a toe into offshoring just to try to keep up and then it trapped them into continuing so as to meet expenses and the TAT. JMO on the mid-size MTSOs; not sure how it worked in the big ones.
There are, Food Shelf, Goodwill, Salvation Army. LOL! nm
.
Praying most certainly DOES put food on the table! I am extremely offended by your post.
t
If they invented a food pedal, we would never be allowed to take a lunch break, lol.
Have to agree ... keeping the lights turned on, food on the table, and sm
a roof over my head is pretty good motivation! Plus, I do not want to exist. I am single, but I want the same things my married friends have with 2 incomes. Since I haven't found the seeds for my money tree yet, I work. As I mentioned below, I have been an MT for 30+ years, but I have worked the last 10 years or so at home, and it is MUCH different than having to get dressed up and drive over town. Working on a Saturday or evenings or anything is not so bad when you can sit wearing a t-shirt and shorts and have your doggie curled up under the desk.
Transtech no work situation putting me in the Salvation Army food line?
This is utterly ridiculous -- NO WORK/LOW WORK. It is not even the holidays yet. D. giving the title of an email Census does not make that the reason for the low/no work situation at Transtech! There are other reasons OTHER THAN CENSUS. That is so sickening all the time. The greatest need of us MT's is honesty from their employer --- from the very beginning of employment to the end!
Even a child could see through their excuses for NO WORK.
I actually thought of that. I even thought of trying to go back to MQ part-time!! (sm)
I just wonder about hours at a second company. I work days (and some nights) with this company. I have a set schedule but with the no work situtation I've been on the computer at all hours of the day and night. Right now I have no work, so I would love to jump on at a company #2 and start working. Do you have to have set hours at your company #2? Thanks for the suggestion.
A thought. sm
Good points. From what I've heard, managers don't have to handle situations exactly the same way as others might. They follow basic company rules and procedures, but you could get different people running things differently depending on their style, preferences, or client needs. MQ offices are like this, too, from my experience.
Maybe it's not favoritism, or misinformation, or conflicting information, but rather just a choice being made. Then again, if there are vastly different methodologies between managers, to the point that it affects the MTs, maybe that does need to be brought to the attention of a higher authority so it can be worked out to the satisfaction of all involved. The managers may not even be aware that they work so differently! Maybe this is something that MTs can address with the managers involved?
Has anyone thought that.....
the office politics we suffer from national MTSOs is WORSE than the office politics you find in hospital medical records departments? At least in the hospital you run into people and they can't ignore your communications, whereas with nationals they can not only ignore you but they can deny reality. I don't fault any MT for NEEDING to work at home, but it's not pain-free, there is a heavier downside than commuting (especially when you add in the inferior benefits: vacation, sick leave, etc.)
I thought they might get better, but...
Sorry, you are having a rough time. Are you new to MT or just new to the company? I have to say they do pay well, but it doesn't matter if you don't get paid for all your lines!!! I like the accounts I am on, don't mind ESL, but QA has gotten really bad, very inconsistent. It is hard to get a hold of anyone if you have a problem, too.
sorry, I thought you said w/o
Sorry, thought you said w/o.
I never thought 40% though.
I thought maybe 20% or 25%, so I was shocked with the 40%, and I would not be so angry had they told us ahead of time. I think it shows what they think of us not to at least tell us on August 1st, but then that is just my opinion. Some people let others treat them as door mats and don't have a problem with it. I do have a problem with it and think I deserve better from any employer.
Have you ever thought about....sm
the fact that usually people post only on the forum (and websites like this) only when there's a problem and not when things are going well? I and others that I know of on my account aren't having the problems that you're talking about (knock on wood!).
just a thought
Does anybody else think that medical transcriptionists and migrant farm workers have a lot in common, such as wages, supervisors and working conditions? I think the MTSOs and the migrant/illegal worker supervisors have very similar character and personality traits as well as business practices. I wonder if they get their training in the same places.
Thanks. I thought that is what that was.
just wanted to make sure.
just a thought
Sounds like you need to spend less time whining and more time working. You might actually make some money! Boo-hoo.
That's what I thought nm
I thought
rofl
the more I thought about it after sm
I read that ad, I finally decided to send that little whipper-snapper an E-mail! I told her obviously she didn't have experience in this business or she wouldn't run an ad like that to begin with! I reminded her this was not entry level clerical work this was a skilled technical profession! I am quite insulted by that whole ad. I also told her that folks like her needed to be booted out of the MT business. That infuriates me. Maybe she will reword her ad or take it off all together! Arghhhhhhhhhhh!
OK, I thought it was just me
I had great training, but then got switched to another hospital and I'm just barely making a dime now. This account is HUGE, there is a ton of work, but the dictators are so stinky you can't make your way through the pile. And, I'm not whining - I've been doing this for 13+ years, do ESL docs on a regular basis, etc., and survived the earlier rounds of awful cherry picking at MQ (and I got stuck in the evenings with all the awful dictation that was skipped), so I'm trying to give Transcend a chance, but right now - it's awful. Then, even if I do get a good shift of dictators, when you have to stop and bold this heading or that heading, or keeping checking the AI sheets because everything is constantly changing ... pretty soon I'm going to need a job flipping burgers to supplement my income. So, still looking, haven't found the right fit yet.
I thought I was the only one. SM
I just started with a hospital at home. I have over 30 years' experience, have heavy experience with ESL physicians. I have no content errors, but it's all the hypens and commas and fine tuning. It is really discouraging to me. I have always been praised for my work. The notebook from the hospital was about 4 inches thick and I was supposed to remember it all the first day! I am not making any money, but worse than that, for the first time in a long time, I am losing confidence. I can certainly relate.
I thought it was just me
I have tried and tried with them - I live very close to them and thought that would be great, did great on the test, too - but can't get a response from anyone. Maybe it should be questioned by the administrator as they keep posting here and another site for MTs, but has anyone actually been hired by them?
Thanks - I thought it was just me
I got trained on 2 hospitals from this huge account, and they were great! Great dictators, good sound, no problems - then when I went off training, I got put on the other two hospitals for this large account, and I've had nothing but headaches. What a complete mess. The dictators stink, the sound quality is awful and I keep having technical issues, for which you have to E-MAIL tech support and they answer you (usually with more questions) via e-mail maybe 6 hours later. So you've lost your entire shift. The last time I got so fed up, I paged the supervisor of IT. I am so disappointed because my training went so well. I've been hired at two other companies, one PT and one IC, and I will be kissing both MQ and Transcend good-bye. I've since learned, neither are worth the aggravation, or the time and effort.
I thought it was just me.
Interestingly, though, I had a job come through that was 10 hours old -- and one of the crap dictators -- someone must have been sitting on this one. Wonder where those new accounts waiting to come onboard are per their old help wanted ad on MT jobs.
that is enough now...I thought you were
working for this company, or have decided to work for them, just do not understand the debate...
no need to respond, I am not that interested...
good luck
No, I thought you really thought there was a law. :) sm
Yes, laughing is good. Here's hoping we all get a lot more healthy belly laughs in 2006! We deserve them.
I just thought of this...
I would think that you don't even have to know where the money was withdrawn, as long as you can identify the date(s) and amount(s) that she did it on your statement-these transactions always have location numbers to identify where.
Another thought
First of all, that's you. You don't know what her relationship was with the MTSO. Maybe the MT thought they were friends because that's what the MTSO wanted her to think. This particular MTSO does not give you the opportunity to fix your mistakes. Three strikes and you're out, honey. It doesn't matter if you've bent over backwars for her for years. It doesn't matter if those three mistakes happen over a year of you producing 175-200 reports a day. If you do something to tick her off, or she thinks you're lying about a power outage, the internet being down, etc., the client wants you off the account is her way of getting back at you. She thinks you can't make it elsewhee and you'll run back to her. Brilliant way to run a business, isn't it. She may have been ticked off at someone else and took it out on the MT. It happens.
The MT did own it. She came on this board telling what she did. She didn't bash anyone. She told the truth. I admire her courage. Only on this board is bashing synonymous with truth.
Yes, we all make mistakes. Doctors do also. Some of them catch their mistakes and some don't. That's why their malpractice insurance premiums are so high. Does it then become the transcriptionists fault because SHE/HE didn't catch it? They airhead out while they dictate, eat, mumble, don't know correct pronounciation, good English, dictate a mile a minute, talk to someone else, and can't spell. Yes, and it's our job to make them look good and question them when they dictate right at the beginning and left at the end of the report. No one is perfect. Not even you. I had a doctor apologize to me the other day because she couldn't get a complete thought out. Her excuse: I got distracted.
You don't know the whole story, the MT, or the MTSO.
I'm amazed at your lack of compassion and your naivete. I wish you a life that's a breeze: No worries, no elderly/ill parents, no kids to support on your own, no deaths in your family, no jury duty, no internet problems, and no power outages! Oh, and that you are able to schedule all of your appointments on your days off.
I thought so, too, but I keep seeing
big banners for Naukri.com, India's No. 1 Job Site advertising on this site, so who knows?
Not what I thought it was going to be ...
Enough work, yes ... but rules change as you go along. Not very pleased with them right now, and contemplating leaving.
not what I thought
It's not what I thought it would be either, I'm the one who always has to change my hours to get the work.
Thats what I thought!! :)
nm
That's what I thought.
It was for 65. Thanks guys/gals; I needed that little slap in the head. lol
thanks again
I thought it was 800? nm
nm
That is where I thought
So I suppose I should have asked in one question if you know which town the main office is in - probably St. John's I was thinking, is that correct? I am thinking about moving back home from the states to Corner Brook, not 100% sure it is going to happen but just looking at some possibilities. Thanks for the info.
another thought
One of my docs has been on vacation for the last two weeks, that could be another reason
Perhaps you did not do as well as you thought or perhaps sm
your experience was not what they wanted, or maybe someone else tested and interviewed at the same time who was more qualified for the position.
WHY IS IT THAT TRANSCRIPTIONISTS FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD GET EVERY JOB THEY APPLY FOR? THAT IS NOT THE WAY IT WORKS ANYWHERE ELSE, ANY OTHER INDUSTRY. EVEN BURGER KING WILL TURN SOMEONE DOWN IF SOMEONE THAT BETTER FITS THEIR OPENING COMES ALONG.
I thought it was okay, but (SM)
I had to resign due to a death in the family. I felt the editing was hard to learn (keystrokes only using shift, control key, etc.). Hand placement would be key. Then, all of a sudden you have to actually transcribe. So, it was kind of in/out of one mode/to another. Real choppy, etc. The training was not that great, too many people at one time. The tech support was not really that great either. I was willing to give them a shot, but it just didn't work out for me at that particular time. Also, they'll change your hours with no notice, and they have you sign a paper stating you are okay with that, but don't really say that in the interview. Tough call! Good luck!
That is what I thought
I have been doing transcription for about 7 years. I have only been an IC for about a year. I like the flexibility, although keeping back money to pay taxes is hard. I am willing to accept this because of the flexibility. I was looking at job postings because I was thinking of picking up some extra work. Seems like these companies should be reported to the IRS. If they had to fork over SS taxes they might change their tune.
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