Stop the abuse!
Posted By: June on 2009-10-03
In Reply to:
A few months ago it came to my attention that the company I work for does not pay their employee status medical transcriptionists overtime pay. The company took on a new account with about 50 physicians and did not hire anyone to do this work, so it was on the shoulders of us medical transcriptionists who were already working full-time hours to get these jobs done. We were receiving up to 5+ e-mails a day being hounded to get the work done and being told that the owner has to pay a penalty for anything out of the 24 hour TAT time. In many of the messages we were told to, not come crying to them come the slow season and we didn't have enough work to buy Christmas gifts or pay our electric bills. So, I asked if they pay overtime for anything over 40 hours a week. I got a reply saying, No, but you have my undying gratitude. I informed them that this was against the law, and that they might want to check out the Department of Labor web site and read up on labor laws. They did not think that they had to pay us over time, because we were paid by the line. Keep in mind that this is a fairly large company! I informed them that they had to convert our wages from paid by the line to paid by the hour and pay us time and a half! Bonuses do not count as overtime pay. They actually increase what the company owes you as it increases your normal wages. After that, I never heard anything back about this. Now, once again we had an update on your platform, which left us out of work for up to 2 days for some. Again, we start getting these nasty e-mails for us to work overtime to play catch up. We got no compensation for the time we could not work while we were waiting from them to fix all the bugs in the update! This is a direct quote from the owner -- it never ceases to amaze me the number of calls I receive around the holiday season from folks telling me they need help with presents for their kids. It never ceases to amaze me the calls I get from month to month from folks telling me they can't pay their electric bill. It never ceases to amaze me the number of calls Kathi or Jennifer or Angela make begging for help on an account and are told no. What really blows me away is that some of those same folks who call me are the ones not willing to work when the work is there. We all know that from mid-November to mid-January there's a bit of a lull, so why not make hay while the sun shines as my dad used to say? This e-mail was the last straw for me. I will post my reply. I encourage you to read the reply, so you too know the laws. We are not slaves working in a sweat shop! I thought I'd share with you some of things that we, as your employees, have been dealing with. First, did you know that during the, slow time, if we are sitting at our computers for 8 hours waiting for work to come in and we only manage to snag 2 jobs you need to pay us at least minimum wage for every hour we sit there and wait for a job! It is the law. If you do not want to do this you have to lay people off so that we can collect unemployment benefits. If people who work in-house have a slow day do you not pay them? Let me tell you, the law sees no difference as we are all employees. Second, if you ask people to work overtime you by law have to pay them time and a half. I explained all of this to the HR Department months ago. The line rate increase for producing more lines or a bonus does not count towards - us just making more. You have to add up which each person makes and convert it into per hour pay and then pay us time and a half. Third, the way you pay. If there is a holiday or we take a vacation day we automatically get the lowest line rate, which is 7 cents per line. If there is no work the day before or the day after a holiday and we cannot get our 12000 lines in, and then there is work on the holiday date and we work, we do not get the 10 cents a line holiday pay - due to know fault of our own! Fourth, I never got a bonus check for getting someone a job with you as I was supposed to. Also, I think there is some trickery as to your bonus system going on. We have to get at least 1200 lines a day for 10 our of 14 days, again if we are sick, take a day off, or a holiday we do not get it. Also, I was led to believe that to get the bonus we only had to get our 12,000 lines in 14 days to get the bonus. I was waiting months to get a bonus. haha funny right. Well all of these things are not so funny to me. Fifth, it is not very professional for the owner of the company to send out e-mails like this. The last e-mail you sent out was complaining that we were not keeping up with our TAT when YOU took on new doctors without hiring more people..and did not pay anyone overtime..and then blamed us MTs, some of whom were doing double time, for YOUR lack of preparation. Now again, as most accounts are behind on TAT, you send out this kind of e-mail, complaining to us. We did not ask for you to upgrade the system and not have all the bugs worked out. Most of us were out of work for a couple of days, and of course we will not be compensated, and we will get the lowest pay now. A few weeks ago we had a small upgrade that crashed my computer! I was out of work for over a week waiting for a new computer...again...without being compensated. Do you treat your in-house employees this same way? Again, a reminder to you that the same laws apply to us at home. As my dad says, poor planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on mine, and don't ever trust anyone who says trust me.
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Star Stop works better than express scribe. If you want start Stop, yea it is kind of sm
expensive. I wish they did pay their QA hourly as I think they would see better quality work, but they per line and it is higher than the other person posted.
I have never had a problem with management, so I am unfamiliar with what the other person experienced with management.
Pay is always on time (most of the time early). I like the software. I guess you just have to see if it fits for you.
Stop taking these insulting wages and they will stop offering them.
nm
That's abuse! I wonder how far..sm
some of these MTSOs dare push. I would demand to get paid for the extra work and time.
Never have I seen such abuse of power
the ones who cake walked into their positions of power don't know what to do with it, there only about 2 really good account coordinators and QA forget that, it is all messed up
That would be very easy to abuse
anyway. My company is very honest, and QA is great and fair, but I'll bet that's not the case with a company that says it won't pay for a report with a single error.
I take errors very seriously, but I find this very suspicious. If the problem is that serious and their QA hasn't been effective in coaching the MTs, then their MTs need more training, not severe pay docking.
If they can't get more training and errors continue to be serious, then they should be let go.
Exactly the same as what happens with domestic abuse -
..
like I said below major abuse of power
only 2 account coordinators worth their salt, if they cake walked into their position they are on a power trip and don't know what in beans they are doing, QA is just a mess that is pathetic esp. the upper crust there.
Totally agree, some do abuse QA
I've done transcription and done QA. Some are just too lazy to pick up a book or even Google something. Grrrrrr . . . it's a pet peeve of mine.
I am an employee, and they ARE flexible (as long as you do not abuse)...sm
and there is still plenty of work. Medware has different accounts and platforms so just because 1 account/platform does not have work does not mean that they ALL do not have work. I have worked for other companies that have had NO work, and so far have not had this issue since I have been with Medware. As a matter of fact, the ONLY time work has been low is around a holiday (usually the day after) but picks up VERY quickly, so not an all day thing. I have been with Medware for over a year and am VERY happy! HTH.
ick, sounds like no respect for anyone, worth abuse? NOT. run
xx
Lucky at-homers' - no "in-office" abuse
It's a nasty tradeoff: Work from home and receive less pay and benefits, or work at the office and receive higher pay and benefits while being berated, verbally abused and micromanaged at the office.
Screw the benefits - I'll take a peaceful life ANY day.
Lucky at-homers' - no "in-office" abuse
It's a nasty tradeoff: Work from home and receive less pay and benefits, or work at the office and receive higher pay and benefits while being berated, verbally abused and micromanaged at the office.
Screw the benefits - I'll take a peaceful life ANY day.
Sad but true. You're asked to work NOW, then asked to stop NOW, then go again and then stop
If you dont get off the minute the hospital asks, even if you have no idea that they have requested that your to be off, then the hospital MTs steal your work right out of your queue and I mean reports you have already done. I dont understand the concept of having a contract with a hospital and then having to fight for work with the hospital MTs. We should have guaranteed work during our shift and enough of the the hospital wants you to help right now and then a few hours later they want us to stop working as the work is too low. It is crazy and I couldnt work like that so I had to quit.
Stop using my name.
pls get your own. Little it wasnt me.
Huh? Not sure what you mean when you say used to stop
nm
lol stop it man
/
They won't stop either. sm
I've been gone longer and they still cc me on things. No calls though. I'd go ballistic.
You may want to stop looking at those.
Bought by Nuance, run differently now, etc., etc., may want to stop looking at the archives if it's a different co. now.
Please stop!
I thought this board was a place to come and complain - a lot of people don't have the luxury of having people around them that understand what they are complaining about, especially when you work at home. You're there all day, typing away, and even if it's a job you love, you don't have any coworkers around to talk to. Even in an out of the home job, you're gonna complain about something - your boss, the lousy hours, the lousy pay,etc., only there, you have people in the same boat to talk to. Yes, we all keep getting up and doing our jobs every day - some of us may love our jobs and some of us may be looking for something else, but any doctor will tell you that it's good to blow off steam every once in a while - why not with people who understand your situation? Yes, life is short - too short to keep things that are bothering us bottled up! This board is definitely cheaper than Prozac!!!=)
Please. Stop. Now.
Really, before you seem like you are totally unhinged. You are an example of why no MT would/should want to work at SS.
Now, put down the mouse and back away from the keyboard. You are frightening us. Seriously. 
I never stop looking even with a job.
Just tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. It took one day to do that.
Anon's reply to my post made me realize this is not uncommon behavior and I have since moved on.
Thanks for advice.:)
You are 100% right on this, and only WE can stop it...
how?!, you say?? I'm looking for a little overflow/weekend work and before I will even test with a company I ask what the compensation rate is. If it's too low, I tell them I would not consider it for less than ___ cents a line. If we keep on taking the work for crappy hours and crappy pay, they'll keep letting us. If we stand up to them in the beginning, and NO ONE will take their slave wages, they'll eventually see they have to offer more to get quality, experienced MTs like I'm sure you all are.
STAND UP TO THEM! Take charge! Let them know that we're not working for 1990s wages anymore, it's 2009 now. I had a company offer me 6 cpl...LOL! I made that as a newby 16 years ago! The cost of living has skyrocketed since those days, yet are we being compensated for it? NO!
It's time for the revolution to start...and while you may think you do not have the power of 1 to do anything about it, you truly do. Tell them, that is NOT enough money.
It might not happen right away, as they have already bid low to get the clients' work. But enough companies out there do not want their work sent overseas...and when they get poor work back they'll see. To hire quality MTs you have to bid higher OR make less $$ on your MTs and pay them a cent more or two. What have we got to lose in trying?
This has got to stop
Companies using other companies has got to STOP! They are taking from our pay to supply an employee. What is happening to this industry? These people shouldn't call themselves a Transcription Company, but instead an Employment Agency taking our pay. Totally ridiculous!!! Just say NO NO NO!! If you work for the company they are hiring for, you get $15 an hour, but as a QA for TTD you get 0.03 cpl for the same accounts, same hours and same job? Not right, not fair, NO WAY! 
Please just stop your arguing, there is no need for it.
s
Stop saying that just because someone doesn't
share your opinion they must not get the reports you do, must not get the dicators you do, must not be an MT, must not...must not...must not.
Some have a different aptitude for this work. Others have a different OUTLOOK on the work and on life.
You're not the only MT there. You're not the only one with your outlook. Just because someone works at MQ, however, does NOT mean that they MUST feel like you, get the same work you do, etc. I get difficult dictators and reports a LOT but I don't complain about it. It's part of the job.
I really hope you can find something you are comfortable and satisfied with. I wish you all the luck. Please work ardently at doing so.
I also read that they will stop
paying for internet connection and thinkn this means January 2006.
You need to stop the trashing if you don't know.
I know for a fact that SS now pays for spaces.
I have worked there for over 1-1/2 years and the most a paycheck has ever been late was by 2 days, which is 7 days after pay period ends. I know other nationals that ALWAYS pay 7-10 days after pay period ends.
The "nasty" emails you refer to make me wonder if you are one of those people who cry at work. The emails are aimed people not working their schedule. If that doesn't pertain to you then you ignore the emails.
cant stop laughing
x
Uh....before you stop visiting here
you might want to check out the post further down the page. Doesn't sound like sour grapes to me, more like you did that one wrong.
Maybe the reason you have caught a lot of grief on this board is because you apparently know how to dish it out but you can't take it. What goes around, comes around. I hate to tell you this but you come off sounding rather bitter yourself.
I'm just wondering why you people from Keystrokes feel the need to defend yourselves so much. There must be some truth to what is posted here about you. They can't all be transcriptionists who can't cut it or don't fit. Maybe the bad fit lies within your organization. How did all those bitter people get hired in the first place?
There is an awful lot of pettiness and ugliness in those who post from your company, dear. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't cast the first stone.
I do wish you the best and I hope those growing pains that you seem to have had for so long feel better soon.
Yes, they do! STOP TRYING TO GET BIZ SVCS FOR
There! I've addressed it!
The problem is all of you people who want to use residential services for business use! Pay up or shut up!
And, it just doesn't stop. Normally it is a
for your accounts even in the evenings and weekends. If an MT doesn't work or your account goes out of TAT, it is your fault and you must take the blame. So, for 32K, definitely is not worth the hours you have to put in. I used to be a manager too and worked at least 10 hours a day, sometimes 12. I always felt the need to go to my office to make sure that everything on my accounts was ok. Once I stepped down, I realized just how much it was affecting my life. You need to decide for yourself if you want all the responsibility of TAT on several different accounts, even when you are not scheduled to work. Think of your family, your hobbies, your life outside of your office, and realize you will need to give all these things up. Definitely not worth it, IMHO, speaking from experience, of course. Good luck with your decision.
Stop the lying
We're on to it.
Time to stop
I have bills to pay and wish the companies could get our money to us just like we are there to type their reports.
Junie, why are you still there to type their reports? You are working for free and they are stealing. This is an ethical, as well as legal issue. This is no different than you walking in Bloomingdales, taking a coat, and saying I'll pay you when I get around to it. That's stealing and so is not paying you for a service you provided. Stop typing and start looking elsewhere as this is proof of their integrity. Can't you see the writing on the wall?
It probably won't make them stop, but may..
give you some satisfaction. When you pick up the phone (if you have caller ID) just mash one of the buttons so it makes a really loud noise right in their ear!
RUN. Do not stop or look back.
Not a good place.
I think we did stop a few, but on the whole, they are jumping at it!
:(
Stop Insurance
Write the company as soon as possible. I have been here (MDI/Transcend) for over 5 years and cannot imagine them stopping it for 1 time...especially since you were ill. But write then HR person today so they can check into it. Please update your post! Because they surely would not do this...but if they need, your coworkers need to know. LOts of changes in the company right now and I hope that is not one of them!
LOL... u betta stop dat
-
Stop lying
Keystrokes does not give pay raises. I have been with them for several years and have not received a pay raise. I meet my line requirements when there is work available (more often than not). I would suggest that if anyone is accepting a position with Keystrokes, do not leave your other job until you have worked a couple of days to make sure it is really what you want.
ah..stop your whining already..
get some work done so you can pay your bills and feed your kids LOL
stop being rude about others
lack of work.
Then stop replying
No one is forcing you to read the posts and respond.
Stop and think for a minute....
about the AGENDA of those who want to bust up the unions...
The AGENDA is profiteering.
Unions attempt to stop the greedy capitalist from turn people into quasi-slaves.
Doesn't mean they always meet their goals or arent subject to corruption as well...
but be suspicious of any attept to demonize unions. If you buy into it without question, you could very well be helping the same parties who would dearly love to return to the days when THEY decide if or when their workers will be treated with basic decency.
PLEASE STOP THE DEFAMATION!
Hello! Me again! (Original poster of lack of response from Keystrokes).
Let me say again that I have always heard and read only positive things about Keystrokes.
I do believe this is company is composed of a rare combination of talented and caring individuals..
I believe this is a very good company........that is why I wanted to work there.
I was just tyring to let someone know not to be disappointed with a lack of response as I was.
I do not deserve to be maligned, nor do they.
Yes, they do. Can the sniping please stop?
x
You will never stop offshore.
So go back to not paying your mortgage and blame everyone else but yourself.
I make it a point to be responsible for me, as others MDI made it a point to be for themselves by finding part-time jobs.
I have no idea what you consider a good line rate, but no line rate is any good IF THERE IS NO WORK FOR MONTHS ON END!
Did you ever stop to think perhaps not the MTSOs
who are putting VR into place? This was not so in my case. The hospital where I had worked for over 10 years went to VR before I knew there were companies out there that were transcripion companies. The cost of VR, so I hear, is astronomical and would seem out of reach for a lot of the companies.
I can't stop laughing! Nice one! nm
nm
I think she was just trying to stop an unnecessary panic
nm
Stop being so pompous. Some of the worst MTs are US MTs.
.
Stop posting names ...
Keep first/last names, phone numbers, and addresses (even company e-mail) to e-mail.
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