If you go to the docs, be prepared to lose your job.
Posted By: Fingers on 2009-07-22
In Reply to: So what do you do when... - SO ANGRY
Although how much can that matter if you are not being paid anyway!!! I personally have never had this happen to me, but I can see where it could cause major problems on many levels (especially if you have automatic bank withdrawals). I would have to consider - Is it the client's fault? Is the company not managing money correctly? Does this happen often?
It is your employer's place to investigate this problem with the client, not you. I would strongly suggest that you not go directly to the client unless you have reached your limit with the company and no longer wish to be employed by them. Have they actually broken their contract agreement with you. If so, then I say it is every man for himself so to speak.
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
A good mix. I don't mind ESL docs. I think that some U.S. docs are worse! nm
nm
So SE lose their SE bonus, lose the ability to work as much or little as they want and just
basically lose all around with no gain that I can see. Well, good for MQ. I am sure a lot of people will be moving on.
Think of it this way, if they do lose the account, you lose your job. Just do your part and be a te
x
me three! that company is a lose-lose situation if you want
.
Prepared
You sound like one savvy person. I think any hope that either MDI or Transcend might have for getting trust from MTs would be evaporated with the way this merger was handled. It is obvious that MTs are only things like pieces of equipment. Who knows, someone will invent a faux human with a USB port and they can do away with us altogether. I am still disillusioned that America's most patriotic company could have done this.
Prepared to be bored and much more. sm
I did legal for 9 years. I even went on to get my paralegal degree too. I loved the research, client interviews, etc., but the transcription is boring with a capital B. Tons and tons of formatting and forms as everything is different for each area of law and has to be done just so.
I was good at it, but ended up moving and couldn't find legal. I love MT so much more than legal. So much more interesting and a lot more money.
If you think healthcare is a tough field, wait until you deal with lawyers. If you want to stay at home and If you're going to go legal, study court reporting. That's where the interesting stuff is and the big bucks. Most legal transcription is inhouse so that the lawyers can have you schedule, answer phones, greet clients, take care of their trailing dockets AND do the transcription which they generally crab about if it's not done in a timely fashion even though the phone rings off the hook all day.
And if you work for a lawyer inhouse, buy suits, nice shoes and a briefcase (with an extra pair of nylons in case you get a run) and make sure your car doesn't look bad next to their caddy. They generally don't like that. :)
I did have one really great lawyer I worked for that didn't really care about all of that, but he also didn't really care about paying all that much.
Good luck!
and p.s. be prepared to hear from
*supposed* employees who will tell you it isn't so. They are lying and they are getting paid to lie. They know that American MTs are getting wise to being used by them.
Don't accept anything less than $50K and be prepared
,,,
Be prepared to be let go if you don't comply.
/
How hard is it to be prepared if
your check isn't there for one day? Wow, payday is Monday; if you get it early, great; if not, maybe don't over extend yourself....flame away if you must, but if you are truly living that tightly, maybe another job or backup plan?
Be prepared to run out of work
a lot. Feast or famine. If you're planning to get that $1500 signon bonus, forget it. The indians get all the jobs at night, nary a report left for an American to do.
Be prepared to find
another job. I don't believe this can be done anonymously, and it will probably also have tax implications for you on past tax returns.
I am prepared not to break the law
Among other things.
Will I need to file past taxes? Yeah. But I've only worked for this company for a year, so it's not that big of a deal for me.
Will it mean I have to pay MORE in taxes? VERY HIGHLY unlikely. However, even if I do, it's worth it to me.
Why? Because I would prefer to stay inside the law.
There are several reasons why it's a Very Bad Thing for companies to willfully misclassify employees as independent contractors. The least of which is that misclassification - on average - costs taxpayers money.
Second, and most importantly, because so many companies are willing to dramatically uneven the playing field ILLEGALLY, it leaves VERY little room for success for an honest company willing to provide quality service and pay their employees accordingly.
Being complicit in the cheating of one company SCREWS the majority of all other transcriptionists.
Are you really so selfish to be a cog in this machine? For what cannot be much more than a few dollars a paycheck, when you start figuring in the tax issue and the lack of benefits?
If we're going to have rules, EVERYONE should have to play by them. Or we should get rid of the rules ... and then see what happens.
Be prepared to go on welfare. (SM)
Most of the regions for Transcend are fairly good but there are a couple that the managers consistently overhire and leave us with no work. My manager and team leads do not care whether I eat or not or whether I have insurance because we have no work, but some of my friends tell me they have more work than they can do, so I guess it is just the luck of the draw. Too bad they keep a couple of bad eggs to make things stinky for some of us. One thing I learned a long time ago - do not complain or you get labeled as a complainer and then the next step is out the door. They are heartless.
Be prepared to give a schedule and stick to it.
In my personal experirence, I was titled IC but let me tell you, if I was not signed on DURING THE SET HOURS I WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE, EMAILS AND CALLS ENSUED.
IC? Not so much. More like employee without employees, IMO.
Sincerely, I do hope you're prepared to work for 8 cpl now
Apparently MDI was one of the companies that paid their experienced MTs pretty well.
With the merge, you'll be making less eventually. If you quit and look for a new job, you'll be making less, way less, than you were making at MDI.
I'm another one who's BTDT, too. I went from making 11 cpl to now making 8 cpl. I tried HARD to find any company, obscure to well known, that will start off more than that. Couldn't find 'em. Probably won't ever go up, either.
Just sayin' that you should be prepared to budget your living costs for the amount of money you'll be missing each month compared to what you were making at MDI. It's awful, I know, been through it. Going to school now to do something else, getting out.
Could be because all they can get from the docs is 11 cpl....nm
x
ESL docs
Im having a very hard time with all the discussion that I see on the boards regarding ESL doctors -- I have been in this business 20+ years and it takes time to develop an ear to be able to understand ESL doctors -- if you have a friend who is an MT, have her on instant message and ASK what the doctor might be saying -- there have been times too, with her and my experience where she has played her stuck spot back and I heard as clear as a bell what the doctor was saying -- unfortunately, the schools with their training don't do ESL doctors and this is the reason that 99.9% of the companies wont hire without experience - PLEASE resign yourselves that ESL docs are going away unfortunately
with ESL docs, you just never know..sm
You could have great ESL dictators, and at .09/line, you would be paid at least close to what a good Transcriptionist is worth (still not enough as our wages are pitiful now). On the other hand, if you have really terrible ESL dictators, that .09 could easily become comparable to making .05/line if you have to slow down to understand the doctor. With ESL's, you really don't know until after you have made that commitment. However, as a previous MTSO, I would never give one person all of the crappy dictators. Rather, I tried to distribute the work evenly to give everyone a fair shot at a decent line count. Good luck in your decision. Try bargaining. Tell them you feel ESL doctors are worth the extra compensation because often times your hourly production is decreased because they do not dictate proper English sentences, mispronounce words etc, and tell them you believe the work is worth .10/line and you will strongly consider the position.
Docs
who eat, slurp, roll hard candy or lozenges in their mouth, sniffing their nose constantly all while speaking....especially the eating while dictating drives me CRAZY! It is just like having a rude person standing right next to your ear eating smacking his food. GRRRRRRRR
the docs may not NEED it but its sm
not for you to decide. If thats what they want and you do their work, then you do it or you don't work. I don't like it either, but they don't dictate their reports to suit the lifestyle of your or me. I don't understand why people can't see its the profession, you aren't going to change it. you need to get a new profession.
As far as the grocery clerks and weekends, etc. etc. They don't all call in sick and not work. Years ago when some of these supermarket chains were union, they made good money and those people worked their hind ends off, weekends, nights, holidays the whole bit. I know because my hubby is now drawing retirement from one of the chains. Seems to me we have a whole generation of younger folks that don't want to work but like the other poster said, they just want to p*ss and moan!
Rotten docs
Dear Doctor:
While I have a great deal of respect for what you do, you aggravate me.
Please, when you are addressing a letter be courteous enough to include the CITY and the STATE, and if you spell something don't spell ROAD for me, because, trust me, I learned how to spell road in the second grade!
Don't make me search for 15 minutes to find something your lazy ### could have read off the chart, because I only made 14 cents to type that letter, and my time and skill is worth more than 60 cents an hour.
And while I am venting, how about you say pheochromatoma, instead of feo, if that is what you mean. Don't be so lazy my job is 100 times harder.
If thats all they can get from the docs, get a different account!! There are more out there
I'm tired of these companies expecting IC work for 8 cpl, have a set schedule and thats even when I'm offering to do ops mainly!! Thats disgusting. I can just as easy do the basic 4, have a set schedule and not have to pay my own social security and taxes! Dont take it!
No ESL docs, no op notes (as far as I know) SM
They are mainly consults, soap notes, some radiology. You use their templates and get paid for headers/footers.
I don't know if everyone makes the same, but I make 8 cpl (55 characters per line) without spaces. I compared it to the normal 65 characters per line with spaces, and it is equivalent to 8 cents per line with spaces. So, not too bad...just average I guess.
But the dictators are really clear and there are a lot of samples. I think the work is pretty easy. I think it makes a really good p.r.n. position.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)
Chickadee
You need to realize that about 80 pc of the docs sm
practicing acute care in this country are ESL. It is what it is.
I like them a lot better than the native English speakers, who slur words, like to play with the language. ESLs learn one way to say it, and they say it that way every time. You just have to get used to it.
TransTech and ESL Docs
Well, you know...ANYONE who wants to continue to be a Transcriptionist had better become proficient in ESL docs. They are here to stay. If you had YOUR own business you would take the accounts to. I can do them. I moan a lot of times when I see a particular doctor's name come up for me to transcribe for, but it's all just part of the job. Like I said, better get used to it as there are more and more foreign doctors every day. I transcribe and I get paid and I don't feel cheated ONE bit.
All the decent docs have
TransTech did a big hiring blitz back in October last year for a new account, but the account almost immediately started going to VR, so the doable dictators left in a hurry!
The jobs that get sifted towards the MT's out of VR machine, thus, are the very difficult dictators that should be warned about their dictation habits.
The ExSpeech (editing platform) is very awkward and time consuming, so it is a catch 22 for the MT's. ExText has a good spell check and is easy platform to learn.
TransTech does not allow the MT's to check/verify our lines in the manner in which, in my opinion, we should be able to do. The CTRL I function does not give even a close line count and our pay stubs do not show it either -- just the word *piecework*. We can go to iChart; however, it does not show an immediate line count nor the jobs or line count per report -- only a total line count for a period of time per TransTech's counting method. It is a lot of trouble to go to iChart to get an immediate line count each time you choose to check your pace. We should be able to do this right from the platform/software that we are working in, IMO.
It seems our lines have been much harder to obtain in the past several months -- I suppose more to the dictators shuffled our way from VR, than anything that Transtech is doing with the line counts. I can't imagine them messing with our line counts in any form or fashion, as some companies have been accused of doing.
VR is the way of the future in order for the companies to be more profitable for themselves, so this is what we have to look forward to -- those of us who remain in the MT profession.
They use their own software. You get docs
s
all those horrible docs got you
Schizophrenic? You're like one of those people who sit in a bus & just starts telling and calling people names with no thought. All bark, no bite.
Number of docs
Are there any companies that assign a certain number of doctors? I have too many to EVER make a good line count.
Docs using PC's instead of charts sm
The younger docs are now carrying laptops into the examining room, no more charts. My husband and I had extensive, large charts (which we earned through serious stuff) and now they have been replaced by the young staff coming in with a laptop, no more charts. I was not brave enough to ask at my last visit but I will this visit, Where are our huge charts? Mine used to make comments about the large chart and too many papers. I wanted to say, Do you ever read any of those reports? Very curt, very non-caring attitude, told me last time had had input all my allergies (which are serious) into his computer. I am really worried as my husband and I have been through a lot. I think they could very easily print a H&P from there if you went into a hospital. Two of my clients used to do open heart surgery and they would ask me to print out a H&P from the chart just before the surgery. Some of those people they had not seen in years. I explained that I would not do that as the patient could have developed an illness since last seen. You gotta thank computers for replacing us. Between outsourcing and electronic medical record, we are becoming distinct as the dinosaur. Just IMHO from this area anyway.
When I was inhouse the rad docs liked it
And at that hospital those same docs were pushing for VR. Most of 'em liked to goof off for hours wandering the halls telling jokes, then wanted to read like mad when our MT staff was down to a couple night people, and whine that we didn't get it all typed for them to sign off before they went home. So I think its fitting its going to bite them in the butt.
assigned docs
On my account, I have one doc that I am assigned to. My main priority is his work for that day. If other MTs are out or busy, I can be asked to help them out. It is hit or miss. Last week I did 10,000 lines (my hands were killing me) just helping out for the MTs on vacation.
The other account I work on is a pool, so I go there when I am done with my assigned work. This week, my doc is out and I am only working in the pool. It is backed up and getting further behind, and it is mostly very short jobs (20 seconds), so I much prefer my other account.
I understand there are some new docs coming on, so hopefully this will pick up.
I love having a few assigned docs since I get to know their style and makes my job much easier.
no exp with this, but what have you got to lose?
x
I think its use it or lose it. (sm)
Can't carry it over year to year. I think if you don't use what you have earned before your termination day you lose it, most calculate what they have and take it in lieu of working their last day or 2. I would call them directly on the telephone and ask though. Forget the email, talk to a real person with the answer in the HR dept.
Use it or Lose it?
How can this be? If you are leaving the company, then you evidently cannot use it. There is ridiculous.
Well, you'd lose that bet... :)
Re: I'm betting, though, that you just want stay on these boards to stir the pot and whine.
Sorry, you'd lose that bet, but thanks for that useful information anyway.
Curious: Why are you judging me so harshly? My post was to see WHO would step up to helping RESEARCH the possibilities...
Let's not lose this
http://forum.mtstars.com/company/v/1/70000.html
Did you lose this job from the
good company because they expected you to work? To look at it as a real job?
When people who work at home only work when they feel like it, it reflects on the rest of us. Maybe that contributes to the our salaries going down and being offshored. We don't look like we need or want to work.
Thanks for the contribution to our demise.
You'd lose that bet
because if MY company sold for 16.7 million, I absolutely WOULD have given all 450 people a decent bonus. (The world is full of stingy people, but I am not one of them).
I can tell you the news of the merger would have gone over MUCH better had she shared her good fortune with the folks who helped her acquire it.
So its nice for you to come to this person's defense but I don't believe she didn't CLEAR enough to share.
There is pretty much an even mix, but my ESLs are better than the US docs.
I am very happy with my account, my pay and the way I am treated.
Exams is what I mean. Docs are stretching
reports/exams out so long, I wish I was being paid by line.
Spheris is paying between 1.35
and 1.45 per exam.
Was getting 11 cent a line before but home-based hospital
employee. Much better.
I am PT. I do 600 lines/day. I share one of my two docs with
another person and it works out well. Key advice: Let your lead know if it is too much. They would rather know early than miss deadlines. I learned the hard way but now with sharing the one doc it is perfect.
NEVER whined about the hard docs...
I was offered by them when there were a lot of certain docs up they would assign me some different ones to break them up, but...I have not asked them to do that. So don't assume....
If a lot of MTs, hosp. personnel, & docs are on all
s
If you hear docs discussing it,
I'd be very cautious to work for them. Chances are, they're going to fly through that dictation faster than a speeding bullet. You might be better off with an MTSO that pays by the minute rather than a private office.
If docs would spend 5 seconds...sm
spelling another doctor's name, which they believe we're automatically supposed to know how to spell, it would save a lot of grief. But MTSOs are quiescent about this, even though they know it's a hardship on us...what the heck, it's not THEIR time. Don't want to spell a doc's name... their 5 seconds is worth more than 10 minutes of my time looking it up. Tough!! Blanks are in. Let THEM fill it in.
That is docs who think you can read their mind.
Sorry, needing a little QA on my post here!
A flyer for individual docs:
*If you're like most doctors, you never read dictated medical reports, anyway! Yours, or anyone else's! So why pay through the nose for something you'll never look at?*
*At AchooQuist, we understand the needs of busy docs like you.... men and women who laugh in the face of malpractice suits. That is why we've tailored our MT services to suit your busy, careless, greedy lifestyle.*
*When you joint the AchooQuist team, you'll pay what YOU want. (next-to-nothing). And you'll get exactly what you pay for.*
*We GUARANTEE it.*
just edited a few docs & almost 1/2 was missing
Because they will lose more experienced MTs...
And they need to ensure that they have enough people to handle the accounts. If they bait the newbies with the good $ now, then they can put them on editing and cut the pay later but will have a large enough work force to handle the work. That is the reason for the lack of work right now. They have overhired in anticipation of the mass exodus that is currently happening and will continue to happen over the next couple of months. The newbies will be brainwashed with the good pay into believing that Transcend is the best thing since bubble gum and will try to make it work because, as you may know, when you are a newbie, you are happy to get that first good MT job and are more willing to put up with the BS while they work the kinks out of the system, etc., whereas seasoned MTs aren't going to put up with that crap.
|
