Several years ago, they passed a federal law
Posted By: NightOwl on 2009-05-09
In Reply to: 60 days notice before a layoff? sm - Huh?????
That law says that companies with over a certain number of employees have to provide advance notice (I thought it was 30 days, but maybe it's 60 days, I dunno)before just closing up shop and doing mass layoffs.
I do NOT think that law would apply to smaller transcription MTSOs with fewer than 50 employees or so.
It would absolutely apply to Medquist, though!
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I passed with 7 years exp, but did not take job. nm
xxxx
Uh, are you sure about Federal? sm
This may depend entirely on the MTSO, but as an SE with MQ, they did in fact withhold federal taxes for me, (but not state taxes.)
So, a federal law
for payment of overtime only applies to whatever hours the facility or company defines as overtime; not all based on a 40-hour week?
It is a federal offense
If the federal government checks the time the employee is producing work from the company software instead of the falsified time sheet and finds it is consistent across the board, the company will definitely be in a huge amount of hot water. I don't work for them and never have. I have my own small company with just me and two more employees, but if this is going on, the employees would have a firm case. They should also document the calls or even record them when they are called to work extra. Just my two cents. I hope this helps.
If you are an employee, they have federal
guidelines to follow to ensure you make at least minimum wage and to reference for overtime purposes.
Clocking in/out does not necessarily mean a loss of flexibility. It does mean some accountability, though.
You can go on line and get the Federal
forms from the IRS. I never did state, they were never that much anyway.
Your federal ID is just your SS number.
I am not an IC at Transcend, but I do some IC work in my local area. All I needed for this was to get a business license in my city of residence, for a home-based business. It costs me $26 a year, but I'm sure that will vary widely depending on where you live. (And that fee is tax-deductible.)
That's all it takes to become an 'established company,' to the best of my knowledge. Instead of a W2 at tax time you get a 1099.
Just call your city hall and ask them how to get a license to set up a home-based business.
If you have a home-based business you can write off all your computer equipment and repairs, and if your accountant is savvy enough, you can even take the home office tax deduction. Mine told me that is no longer an audit red flag because so many people are telecommuting now.
Federal Trade Commission ........ nm
ss
Do they take out for all taxes or just the Federal and you pay your own local? nm
s
WHY NOT MAIL THEM COPY OF FEDERAL....SM
and labor board guidelines regarding employment of independent contractors and the difference between IC and employment status. They cannot have it both ways...have their cake and eat it, too. They don't want to pay taxes, Soc Sec, and benefits for MTs.....but they still want the same control over the MT . Same mentality of most MTSO's....insulting our common sense & intelligence bec. they've soooooooo smart and we're are, collectively, soooooooo dumb!  
I google federal layoff law. sm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=federal+layoff+notice+law&aq=f&oq=
Can click open articles.
Companys should at least be reported to the Federal labor department so those coming up from behind. Sadly people need to be MADE to be decent to their fellow humans
SE doesn't take out federal and state taxes, only
x
Heartlanders-find a Federal resource to help
Although my job has not been displaced, I can emphasize with your predicament. I have seen the decline in pay and benefits as a direct result of offshoring and only being able to find a job with a MTSO who stands against offshoring by sacrificing about 30% of what I had just 3 years ago. Now I have custody of a 2 yo and because I make just barely above the 200% poverty level, I do not qualify for goverment benefits that I have been paying into for the past 30 years; however, because of certain federal funds being administered differently at the discretion of different states, I could move to a different state and the 200% limit would not apply to me!
In researching what benefits ARE available to me, I found the website I have linked below. There are benefits available to persons who have lost their jobs to offshoring but I would like to point out one thing:
ONE of the programs requires that at least 3 OR MORE persons having been affected apply for the benefit. So please for the sake of each of you that are going through your own crises, band together so each of you can find a solution that works for your own needs. Please leave the ability to email each other in your posts so you can network. You need each other's support now more than ever! Find out what you CAN do for yourselves and for each other. What have you been paying taxes for all this time? You deserve whatever benefits you can obtain...you have already PAID for them!
Here's The Federal Law on Mass Layoff Notice
http://www.doleta.gov/programs/factsht/warn.htm
This only pertains to federal health programs
Like VA. It says if the MTSO is paid with federal money, then they are subject to all these things.
ANY federal money - included Medicare and almost
I could be wrong, but I read it to mean ANY federal money which includes Medicare/Medicaid, and there are probably not too many hospitals, clinics, or private doctor's offices that do not have at least 1 Medicare/Medicaid patient. Seems to me they would not be too worried about all the listed countries for off-shoring if it was only VA, since there was already a big stink about off-shoring VA records. But then, as I said, I could be reading it wrong. I guess only time will tell.
Overtime is calculated in Elabor, in compliance with federal law....
We enter our hours into Elabor each day, and OT is calculated. Right now, with a slow workload, I doubt overtime is approved. As a matter of fact, it is not approved.
Does your MTSO take out all federal/state employee taxes? nm
nm
MTSOs have a unique loophole in the FMLA Federal
MTSOs have a unique loophole. I got caught up in it a couple of years ago when trying to use medical leave for my personal medical illness.
Here are the Federal Requirements:
EMPLOYEE ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for FMLA benefits, an employee must:
• work for a covered employer;
• have worked for the employer for a total of 12 months;
• have worked at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months; and
• work at a location in the United States or in any territory or possession of the United States where at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles.
The loophole for MTSOs is the last one …”50 employees… within 75 miles.” MTSOs can interpret that to mean “50 employees who WORK FOR SPHERIS” within 75 miles of EACH OTHER. So, if you live in the middle of Wyoming, there may not be 50 employees within a 75 mile radius of your home. Thus, the loophole, which some MTSOs actually do use.
HOWEVER, some employees do have a counter-loophole. States also have FMLA requirements, and the State that you live in supersedes Federal requirements. In my case my Sate does not have the “75 mile radius” requirement, so after I contacted my MTSO and informed them of that, they backed down and approved all the leave I wanted.
Check out your State requirements to see if they are different. If they are not, if you can survive with 6 weeks and want to keep your job, I would not rock-the-boat any further. Personally, I would use those 6 weeks to find another employer who is more employee friendly, if there are any left out there.
Good Luck and Congratulations on the new Baby.
To be independent at Transcend, have to have own company established and federal ID number?
I guess that about tells it all, does it not? In other words not just the required 8 hour weekend but also you have to have established company. I wonder how many fit under that category?
Passed in 08/07.
No dentistry involved. Or math, thank heavens!
An MT bud rcd this & passed it on to me (sm)
The will not make a decision on the rate of compensation until they see the results of your testing. They do not offer incentive if you go above and beyond.
i passed the....
RAD test. Had interview. Emailed Amanda as instructed--3 times. Nothing. Tells you how they LOVE to communicate. Found out they overhire and run out of work anyway.
Passed it...sm
98% or higher required. Blanks don't count, but don't pepper the report with them.
Don't use s/l or anything else like that with your blanks, however.
NN is passed out at the keyboard
 with empty bags of Cheetos strewn around, Cheeto powder all over the keys, guess she'll have to call in sick today.
I'm in same position, where were the others that you passed on...nm
x
I tested with them and passed.
I got an e-mail from Cymed congratulating me and they would be in contact but I never heard from them since. That was about a month ago. My advice is if you plan on working for them you keep in touch with them.
Well, after all that, I passed the test! nm
x
I passed the test...
but it did take 4 months to be notified. I just kept in contact with them until I was finally notified of the results. Candace, the contact person, was always very nice about keeping me informed of the status. Unfortunately, by the time they sent me a contract, I was already gainfully employed. I do think they would be great to work for; they sent me a list of contracts with the compensation amounts and the pay would have been fabulous! I do wish I could have worked with them, but I found myself needing benefits. I just think they have high expections for their employees, as they should. If you ever get the chance to try again, I certainly think you would not regret it. For people who are anxiously awaiting results, it takes this company quite a while to notify you. It also may take a while between finding out that you passed and getting your contract. It has always been this way with them for whatever reason, and it may just help them weed out candidates even further, depending on what type of attitudes people have when inquiring about their results. If at all possible, it is best to just check in from time to time and wait patiently. If you are successful, you will certainly be rewarded in the end. Hope this helps someone!
If they are calling you , then yes, you passed - sm
otherwise you'd probably never hear from them, or maybe get an email saying try back in 6 months. Talk to them, you have nothing to lose. If you like what they say accept the offer but tell them you cannot start until January. Or if they don't like that offer to work PT until then and go FT in January. It usually takes a week or more to get all set up as it is. As for looking around, you face a lot of competition, jobs are hard to come by. I just lucked into a backup job for my main job (both are totally IC, no set hours and on the new one just have to meet 500 lines a day) (getting bad vibes from my regular job, another MTSO is trying to get the account away from my employer, and if they succeed I am out of a job--they have been up front with me at least at let me know). The pay for the new IC job is not great (average), but for now is it extra $. If it becomes my B&B I will be making less, but it is easier work so it would all work out in the end. You could accept the MW offer and keep looking, no law against that. Good luck.
I just passed on a position with them.
Can't find any information on them and their pay is low. My gut feeling was not good with this company.
I took it last March and passed
There were no reports per se--they were snippets, and easy to understand ones at that. It was not a detriment using the mouse to control the audio in this case. The written portion was harder than I expected, but the transcription portion was much easier than I thought it would be.
Waiting for the results to pop up was a loooong few seconds. Good luck!
OMG - I know Vicki....I did not know she passed. sm
I feel terrible about that!
I also know Penny and yes, she has been at almost every company.
passed RAD test...
Was called the next day with info about an upcoming RAD account the following month. When that month came, I took the time to follow up with the RAD account. Was set up for an interview. Had interview. Recruiter Amanda thanked me for interview through email, gave me a couple things to look at, and said to contact her if I had any questions. She unprofessionlly did not respond even after 3 emails. Nice impression about company communication she gave me, yes she did.
Why should I ask about my score if I passed....sm
Usually one asks why one did not pass.
A lot of MTs on here never passed their test
and these were MT's with years of experience. I think the Focus test is rigged. I didn't pass the test either and I didn't have any problems with the test recordings.
I think they do it as a loss leader. That way they can justify giving the work to ILPs instead of the US labor pool, since they can claim that the US labor pool doesn't pass their testing requirements.
i passed the RAD test...
A couple of months ago and was told I would hear from them soon. Two ads came up since then so I requested an interview both times. After the second request, a call came in at 3 AM my time when I was asleep. When I listened to the message, the person asked me to call her. BUT when I Read the email from her, she made it sound like my butt should've been expecting her call. Maybe even drop whatever I'm doing?? Oh no no no!!
Wonderful job and you passed it by because
of a 1 day weekend work? For me it is work and make money. If you want to pretend to be prima donna then go for it. Hospital work is 24/7, not when convenient for you to work. If family time so important, why not just quit altogether? Oh, I forgot, some need to make a living. I am sure someone out there very happy you turned down such a wonderful job. Your loss, their gain.
Yes, and passed with a high score -
but that was a while ago (last summer). I don't know if the test has changed at all. Good luck.
I passed test and started very next day
It was a 50 question transcription test on their website. Open book and not timed. I think I missed one. Recruiter called, verified employment and I started the very next day. That was three months ago and so far so good. Medware has been keeping me busy and I especially like the direct deposit every other Friday. The bonus of an extra 1/2 cpl for 6000/week gives me $60 more for my mad money every pay, but that usually goes for groceries.
I took it and passed with flying colors
and it was not worth my time for what they are offering - to anyone who had not taken it - my advice is DON'T.
I did this one time when I knew I had passed--sm
a big national's test and I was told that they did not release that information to the testee. I even asked what specific questions I had gotten wrong and was told the same thing...they do not divulge that information to a testee. why not? it is OUR test! I was told I could retest in 6 months....ha! not me!
Then why when I applied and passed the test
That is most definitely bait and switch. I had a phone interview with a recruiter and a barking dog in the background and her having to let the dog out... need I say more? This was the recruiter. Very unprofessional. My reason for leaving the other job should have been asked on the first interview, not as an after thought to bother me again and to tell me they have no work after it was posted, I applied, I tested......... on and on. Huge waste of my valuable time. The dog having to be let out was a hold on a minute and the phone got put down while the dog got let out. BAIT AND SWITCH! I call it like I see it. If they called and offered me 17 cpl I wouldn't work for them. I do hear they hire new grads, which is great. Keep up that good work on their part giving new grads a chance. 
Obviously, others have passed so it must have just been me, sound quality, I am not sure.
I went over and over it but I just did not hear what they docked me for. Maybe, I am going deaf. Please give it a try and let me know how it turns out. It really could be that I just stunk. I was schocked though. I thought I did well.
Yes I did test, passed and they offered me
Keystrokes is full of promises, promises, promises and they very seldom come forth with their promises. Don't hold your breath!!
Don't know the platform, but applied, and passed,
I have heard nothing. Have you been accepted in a position?
According to another poster, J passed away LAST YEAR
And that certainly sound like RD on this board. And the tone of the posts by SS Management has not changed AT ALL. So, you get with the times and stop trying to dupe people into joining this awful, and I do mean AWFUL company.
You didn't answer the other charges, did you? $165 for a footpedal because only SS footpedal works with the software? What about the supposed qualifications of the office staff? RD, the hairdresser/HR person, now probably running this company because that sure sounds like her style on this board. And that's the sad thing...this is what you can expect if you choose to go to work for SS.
I passed their test, but now I'm put into their "pool"
I took the time to take a long test and passed, originally said I wanted part-time, and when I got my results back, I get the, well, we're only focusing on hiring full-time right now, so I say I would love to try full-time, then they tell me I am now in the pool. Come on, people, I am sitting here day in and day out looking for work, I can work right now, give me a job, already! I think being put in the pool means, sorry we don't want you right now:( I'm just so tired of taking all these tests and I do great and then then don't want to hire to me, what the?!
Took their test and passed, then failed
I took their test about one year ago, passed it and was offered a job. However, the job training would not start for another 6-8 weeks, so I declined it because I needed to find employment then, not 6-8 weeks from then. Anyway, approximately six months later I retested to reapply and was then told I did not pass the test the second time. It isn't even a difficult test. If anyone figures out what they actually do want, please come back here and post it.
To the person who asked why people keep asking about Focus: Things and people change and there are always new people entering the market as well as policy changes in every industry. Asking about Focus or any other company periodically is certainly a legitamate inquiry. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.
I passed the test without a problem.
I just took my time and made sure I referenced everything.
I recently took the test and passed.
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