IC versus Employee Status

• IC versus Employee Status - alic32

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I am considering a job offer which will make me an employee after being IC status for the past 9 years.  This job is 2 cents/line lower than what I make as an IC.  I also have extra expense now with unlimited LD and equipment rental that I won't have as an employee.  I am concerned about dropping 2 cents/line, but without the headaches of dealing with taxes every year, it might be worth it.  Any thoughts from anyone who has gone from IC to employee?

Thanks!

I am caught between a rock and a hard place and figure this is the place to get the best advice from those in the know.  I have been an IC for the past 5 years and love the flexibility but was interested in a job with benefits.  I started a new job about a month ago with good pay (2 lph more than I was making) and benefits......very happy with company but as an employee, obviously have a schedule.  I am working both jobs currently and starting to burn out.  On the new job, I am struggling to get the 1200 lines per day required but on my old.... I can easily get 150-400 lph depending on the dictator but again, it is IC and less lph than the new job.  Obviously, the platform is different and not paid for template headers/footers wheras the old one, I am paid for those.  Now to my question.  Is it just me?  Is it because I really enjoyed the freedom of ic status and therfore seem to be struggling?   Anyone else experienced this before?  Tempted to go back told job and lose benefits/more pay because in the end, maybe it works out be the same pay because of amount of time I spend getting the job done?   Not sure if this makes sense but hoping you can all offer some advice!!  TIA

I'm getting ready to start applying and these are the companies that I'm looking at.  So give me the low-down.  Good, bad, India?

Here are my criteria:

9 cpl or better

Does NOT send work to India

Good accounts with at least 50/50 of ESL versus American dictators

Consistent work flow - no downtime or time spent waiting for work

Upper management should be professional, positive, and encouraging.

Pay for lines WITH spaces.

Is there such a job out there or am I just dreaming?  If there are other companies other than the ones I listed that would fit the bill, please feel free to let me know. I tested with TransHealth and I felt like I tanked.  It was a hard test and I had to use the mouse to stop and start the dictation as it was online test and you couldn't download the voice files.  So that made it a lot more difficult.  One of the dictators was cutting himself off through the report and I had to leave some blanks.  I'm very frustrated with this whole process of looking and testing.  Are all the tests like that?  Or are there companies that allow you download the test files and transcribe them using your pedal and software?  Ugh!  I am just so frustrated and discouraged.

Thanks for any helpf.

This is a muliple-part question--hoping someone here can help with some or all of them! 

1.  Does anyone have experience working for Shriners' Children's Hospital inhouse in Norcross, GA?  Many ESLs, how are working conditions, etc?

2.  I've been recently sent home from my small office practice (didn't volunteer!) and changed from transcription/med records clerk employee to IC; lost benefits. I think a little further on I'll have to get another inhouse job--remains to be seen if I can afford to live on this reduced income.  Does anyone have solutions regarding health insurance for self-employed, single people?  In my state an individual BCBS premium for someone my age is $300.00/month w/$250.00 deductible. (Yikes!)

3.  How to tweak my (hopefully) next interview to reflect that in my last job I was told basically I wasn't a good "fit" for the office, even though they were happy with my work quality and quantity?  In their opinion I didn't pitch in and answer phones quickly enough, schedule patients and take on copying duties cheerfully enough--in short, lacked a positive attitude, even though I DID do these extra duties politely. I'm nearly 60 years old--and don't do perky very well.  Should I just explain this last job didn't suit my skills and personality? 

Thanks for reading thus far--will appreciate your suggestions or input!

The IRS has strict guidlines as to what criteria you meet as an IC versus an employee and rest assured both the person and the company will BOTH be fined.  There is definintely one answer the IRS does nto accept and that is I didn't know.  As an IC you are considered a business and you better know your business or you will get burned by compaines as well  as the  IRS. 

Which status affords more job security with a company?  Working as IC now and love the account and the company.  I really want to ensure a long future with the company, so wouldn't going PT employee status be the obvious choice over remaining IC?  I understand the pay is a bit lower but is one really more advantageous than the other.  I do not need benefits currently; however, they do offer a 401K program for their PT employees.  Thanks for any input.

and yes, they regard the IC situation as if an employee.  They do it, as they get away with it.  As is said, people do IT (whatever that may be), because they CAN (meaning nobody stops them)

They dictate to the IC in contract form -   the lines expected  how long to accomplish this j, hours and days, etc.

Google.com    IRS independent contractor guidelines (or some such other term). 

http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/laborlaws/l/aa121800.htm

I have read this article (you have to scroll down a little, but I have found it helpful in explaining some things regarding IC vs Employee.  Just wanted to share for anyone who is interested.      

Amphion has all employee-status positions.

IC means different things to different companies.  I was an inhouse (employee) at a local company doing both rad and acute care, mainly rad.  Due to supervisor's pets not pulling their weight and management's refusal to hire help for growing accounts, me and one other coworker were stuck working all the time.  Every time I left the house for an errand, dinner, etc., and got on the computer, I had Yahoo instant messages waiting on me like ARE YOU THERE?,  Where are you?! We need your help! These jobs are out of turnaround time and Ms. X from ABC hospital is complaining!  Regardless of the fact I worked late, sometimes till 4 a.m., I was not appreciated.  I finally decided this was not worth 8 cents per line and left there.  Both as an employee and as an at-home IC, I was done dirty numerous times and had my pay docked once because another MT was sick and left me to do her (backed up) work.  Just because it was my weekend, when the account complained I was docked.  I started looking for another job that very hour.  

Sorry to ramble but my point is, it doesn't matter (from my experience anyway) what status you are, how you are treated and whether or not you are overworked depends on the company.   

I did like the freedom of being able to basically set my own schedule.  But I was so used to having taxes taken out and having the benefits and realized after I took the job that I just wasn't going to make enough money to cover my own insurance policy. It was a great company. I think if it had been at a different point in my life it might have worked out.  But I had just left Medquist and was deeply in debt because all my accounts at MQ dried up and I was getting no work. I decided to go with Keystrokes then and I'm glad I did because they take out my taxes, I have benefits again AND they are very flexible. I know there are a lot of SE's and IC's that are very happy...it just wasn't for me at that particular time.