The line cuts are happening across the board...sm
Posted By: just had to say it on 2009-09-24
In Reply to: Have you ever considered - just thinking
for VR. This is not just about individual MTs. I know there are a select few who roam the board thinking they are above everyone else and hence their wages will never be cut, but they are just a number in the end like everyone else.
Why is it when anyone objects to having their wages cut for VR or because India can to it cheaper, there are people like you who imply MTs deserve it? Anyone who says anything is told 'obviously you are not a good MT.' This isn't an original or compelling response. It's kind of stupid.
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Probably getting together to discuss line rate cuts. nm
x
I have to admit my line count has improved since reading the board
I see how everyone else is doing, and then I can set goals for me, though I am too shy to be on the goal board yet. I have to thank the board for that. It teaches me what is possible, and also that we can only do our best. I have to agree totally about how it has been a godsend.
And on top of that QA really cuts your pay
///
pay cuts
Unfortunately, she couldn't say who gave her the information so that person wouldn't get burned, but she did decide not to apply. That seems significant since I know with all her experience she would have easily passed the test and been hired.
It seems interesting to me that you say the company has went down in the last 6 months to a year. I've been there quite a few years and have seen the company take a drastic tail spin as soon as they hired their new chief of operations, formerly from Speris, he then hired some MQ buddies of his, and now they have systematically taken a really nice place to work and turned it into just another MTSO that thinks of its CEOs (and they seem to have added quite a few of those!) wallet before its MTs!
So before the usual management/CEO posing as an MT comes on and tells me to quit, why should I? ... this is where all the transcription companies are headed, no need to change one devil for another. But retirement will be coming for me sooner than later because I can't see things getting any better for us MTs.
no pay cuts!
I dislike VR but it took some reasearch for me to understand why the reports kept coming in filled with junk/errors. I never suggested any pay cuts--heaven forbid! I do about 50/50 where I work but more traditional whenever possible.
Pay cuts
Wonder when the CEOs of these companies will figure out it's the MTs that are keeping them in business....you get what you pay for. Outsourcing to India and then having to hire a US MT to QA their work seems rather ludicrous to me. I was always proud to say that MDI didn't outsource - although I realize everyone has to do what they have to do, I have mixed feelings about this merger for that reason, whether it brings additional work in or not.
Pay cuts
I'm in nursing school at the moment and getting the heck out! I have 20 years experience and remember when I was getting paid a nice 12 cpl WITH benefits. Can't even seem to find anything, but contractor jobs at 8 cpl! It's disgusting what they have done to the MT industry.
Man, that makes me mad when it cuts off like that. sm
Bush actually supports offshoring and has implimented plenty of tax cuts to companies and hospitals alike for sending work offshore!
Webmedx pay cuts ?
I had a friend who was applying but later heard that there were going to be restructuring and pay cuts announced next week. Any one else heard this? 
Acusis Pay Cuts
True, true, true. Been there, experienced that. If you want to hear all about it, e-mail me.
Watch out, MT pay cuts are next
I know there was some trashing of someone who posted on the Company Board about Editor pay cuts, but I know someone who knows an editor, and all the editors except the new ones got at least a 30 percent pay cut. MTs are next, and we are going to have to get by on less.
If you love Spheris and the indian companies, you're gonna love Acusis.
Acusis pay cuts
Your pay may not have been cut if you're a newer MT with them. Its us MTs who have been there and know all the ropes who are getting the kick in the face. If you're an old MT with them, I'm sure your pay is cut and they just haven't gotten around to calling you yet!
Notice it's always the MTs who get pay cuts, never
Feh.
BAD - ISR pay cuts in the near future :(
Some mumbo jumbo about how their fancy new ISR program will up our production, and thus we get pay cuts, since we have to be competative in the market. Funny how we are getting million dollar accounts, but yet they can't afford to pay us a decent amount. Knew it was coming, just was hoping to avoid it for another year until done with school.
Transcend pay cuts?
At the time of the Transcend purchase of MDI, we MDI'ers were encouraged to ask questions, so I asked the Transcend president directly if my pay rate would stay the same, and her answer was yes. I have not yet heard anything from anyone at MDI or Transcend about any pay cuts. Could someone provide further information?? Thanks.
Transend/MDI pay cuts
To all Transcend MTs, I am syaing without any form of hostility, welcome to our world. I am wondering if any of you have the answers to the questions us MDIers have been asking: Is IC still an option? Will be be limited to a 40-hour work week? Will our schedule include 1 weekend day EVERY weekend? What happens if we can't (because of lack of work) meet our commitments? Can we expect a cpl drop? Will we be forced to VR? Will we have a set schedule or can we work when we want? How is the current work flow, is there enough for everyone? What percentage of work is being outsourced and what are the projections for next year?
These are questions that us MDIers cannot get answered. Do you Transcend MTs have any REAL and credible answers?
Yikes - with the pay cuts and all? You can have 'em.
nm
Actually, a lot of careers have had wage cuts
Anything that can be offshored to India for under a penny on the dollar has seen their wages cut. Do we remember what happened not too long ago to all the software engineers that used to make really good money? They're probably making half of what they made 10 years ago. The few customer support people that remain stateside probably make at least $2 an hour less than they made 10 years ago. Heck, even the radiologists that used to make great night, weekend, and holiday pay took a beating when they discovered they could offshore that, too.
So the pain is spread around, but it doesn't make it less painful. They have to find a way to bring American jobs back to America. It doesn't do much good for the so-called global workforce to lower the price of a plasma TV if I can't even afford to buy Wonder Bread.
The only problem is, we were taking pay cuts
Do you think we'll all start getting raises from 7-8 cpl to 9-10 cpl when the times are good again? Nuh-uh. They'll just hire on more Indians, and buy more VR equipment.
Transcend Cuts Pay rates for All
Anyone else hear about the cross-the-board pay cuts for all at Transcend??? We started getting the calls today from our manangement team. Starts October 1st. This goes into effect whether you are brand new with the company, or if you've been with them 10 years. Team leads are the only exceptions. These cuts in rates are in the 30 - 35% range. There are no more shift/weekend differentials And of course, quota remains the same....you just now have to produce 35% in a night 5 nights a week to make it . So for some....guess than means no more benefits. This makes an overall pay rate cut for me of about 50% over the last 5 years. (The first 20% cut came 4 years ago when they first took over the hospital where I worked --- and now this second one for approximately 35%). Crazy, isn't ? Where else can you work 5 years someplace and loose 55% of your pay? I'm disgusted and discouraged. Is MT even worth it any more?
better than Lanier - darn short-cuts! NM
q
Short cuts go a long way with ortho. A good speed typing engine will
dd
What is happening with MQ
When I started with MQ five years ago it was great and I was really happy until the last year. What has happened? They never tell the truth about anything. They have been talking about an incentive plan for ages but where is it. All they seem to come up with is a way to pay less. When I started I got very good bonuses and incentive pay. Now all I get is foreign doctors, never enough repeat to learn the doctors to increase speed. If they ever got strict about the schedule or if they cut the pay any more I am leaving. I can find someplace better to work or I will not work at all.
that is what is happening to me
I told them I pretty much did not want to do the editing side but am soon to be put in a class to learn editing. Getting worried.
What is happening at
TransTech, any info?
I am sorry this is happening to you...
Been there myself with working on 4 different accounts with 4 very different account specifics. I was bounced around and assigned stuff from all 4 of them. Just as I was climbing out from under the pile and MAYBE getting my line count back, here comes another batch assigned just for me. I am not talking about small accounts here or a few dictators - literally hundreds if not thousands of different docs and all kinds of very different account specifics. I did this for a few months and finally gave up. Surely there has GOT to be a better way to assign work? I have 6 years of acute care and easily went some place else. Maybe that might be best if it is really dragging you down. Good luck and best wishes.
By the way it looks, Im the only one this is happening to lol
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Can't believe this is still happening
When I left 2 years ago they were running out of work. They have either lost more accounts (which was why I left) or they overhired (which they are known to do). They used to be a very reputable company and, unfortunately, I have only heard negative things about them in the past couple of years.
Who knows what is happening with TT. It is like
a Jekyl and Hyde situation. Wonderful around Christmas-time; then with the changes to help decrease the insurance costs, things have gone all strange. Suddenly lack of communication, some lack of organization, and unfortunately, a lack of job for this MT now after records were not updated by HR. Long story. But the mgmt knows who I am and they know I was #2 cheerleader (besides TTMAX),and now unsure as to exactly what happened. One day they say more work than you can imagine is here, and then a month or two later, trying to get lines any time of day or night. Finally gave up. Maybe they gave up. Never got the real story. But I would still cheer lead if only I knew what is happening and why, I would probably understand. Oh well. Moving on. As they say, don't look back; you will turn to salt, Lot!. Good luck to those who are there, and to those who are no longer there all the best to you. HOpe TT will weather the storm okay. Still believe in the place. IMHO.
Not happening. Why would
a company or facility do that? There has to be a minimum # of lines or you'd have bunches of people just typing whenever they feel like typing.
To the OP, I am sorry that this is happening to you ...
And I really do hope that things improve for you. When researching companies, especially on this site, you cannot take what everyone says about a company to heart, as the site lists and as so many on here will tell you, you have to make the decision yourself and sometimes that means taking a chance, just as you did.
To the person who placed the post about listening ... As stated above, no one can make a decision based on a company because of the posts on this site or any other site, that has to be a decision made based on your gut feeling. Several people may be absolutely happy with a company and several may not be, which is what you typically get when you post about a company here but again, ultimately it comes down to a gut feeling. Be nice and sympathetic to this person, they decided to take a chance and it has not worked out in their favor, there is no reason to be ugly about it, it can happen to anyone looking for a job in this industry.
All I could recommend to anyone looking for a job in this industry is to research the company, use this site and any other means that you have, try the BBB in the state that they are located in, sometimes that can be very telling, go through the interview, ask lots of questions and then make your decision on what your gut feeling is. All you can do in the end is pray that they were telling you the truth when they hired you, that is all any of us can do these days.
What is happening is that
in addition to not paying for headers, they are also taking away a percentage of the lines you type. Different accounts, different percentages. It is not ExText -- just do the math.
What IS happening?
Quite frankly, I never have been able to crack the nut with TT. Took a cut from the Q to come there, but at the time, they were so nice, so caring. It was a refreshing break from MQ, but, in hind-sight, I'm thinking I should have stayed with the abuse, at least I could pay my bills. I don't know about everybody else, but I just can't make it; 30 years of dedication and the conclusion I come to is that there is way, way, way too much brass that cuts into our pay; years ago, we didn't have the brass and everything ran just fine. The technology has killed us, as well as our fellow 25+ year veterans have sold us out. Sad, Sad, Sad. I say, bring back the tapes, pick-up and delivery and companies where everyone works, even the owners...nobody was paid salary, and bring back the day when the only revenue-producing person was the transcriptionist! Now, we are bottom of the totum-pole. Degrading, sad, sad, sad. Anyone have any plans/ideas for a different future with a crippled up back, arthritic fingered 50+ year old woman that has dedicated her life to a dying field? Geezzzz
Don't wonder, it's really happening. sm
At first they did pay for demogs and headers, then stopped without saying a word. Then they changed the characters per lines by about 10 or 15 without telling anyone. You're running out because C-Bay in India is getting it. You don't find it odd that you have to cover when there's an Indian holiday but the Indians don't cover our holidays because they get the work anyhow and there's no reason to cover; there's not enough to go around in the first place. Maybe your QA people are keeping busy if they also QA for India but I don't know that.
It keeps happening
because we let it happen. I realize the job hunt is tough but they can only do what we allow.
This is happening everywhere.
VR is the 'wave of the future', the 'new direction of MT'...but who does it really benefit and who is pushing it more than the president? AHDI, that's who. Everybody is going to VR...EVERYBODY. If you think you're secure with a company who says they'll never do VR, think again. All the large MTSOs are going to VR and they're buying up all the others. The next wave is not only going to be the pay cut, but after the initial cut for VR, they'll cut it again to be competitive. Transcend did it years ago, Alltype did it earlier this year, MDI sold out to VR, now Webmedx. That's just to mention a few, and I didn't even include the Squid b/c they're not worth mentioning anymore. I think the poster below hit the nail on the head when she/he said price fixing.
It's already happening...and all that will be left is...
the ESL that VR doesn't work on. For every 10 MT jobs, there will be 1 Editor job left. Each new generation that churns out of med school is more and more comfortable with keyboarding, and point and click. They surf the web. They pay their bills on line. They PalmPilot their entire life schedule. EMR will take 30%, off shore will take 30%, VR will take 30% and all the rest of you will be fighting over what's left. Good luck. I'm going to nursing school.
why run? whats happening
I wonder what caused you to say that...I worked for Accustat of Albuquerque, NM for a year and got let go along with about 20 other MTs last December (after Christmas) with no warning or notice whatsoever. I was told the doctors for those clinics were no longer required to dictate. Just like that with one email my job was gone. I have learned this is a very unstable job field.
Sounds like what is happening to me (sm)
I have emailed the recruiter 3 times already. She has responded each time but after 3 attempts, I pretty much can take a hint.
Happening for over a year - sm
They go through cycles it seems. I left once and went back when this issue was supposedly solved. I worked on full four-hour shift the second time around and literally had no work. Never again. They are inconsistent and do not know how to staff properly at all!!
what is happening at Transcend
i have applied there - how much less do they pay for speech rec than for real MT? i have heard some companies pay 8-9 cpl for MT and half that for speech rec. is that the way Transcend does it?
Do you find this is happening to you
Several months ago we were low on work at my company. No excuses were given to us, no apologies. Just make up your lines whenever because you had better give your best. So, sit and wait. All the time.
Now, the last month or so, the sudden sups are suddenly in contact with us several times daily, saying we'd better do work all the time, especially nights and weekends if we want to keep our jobs and not let it go to India, or so they don't overhire. (Not just veiled threats, but outright.) We are lucky to have a job in this economy, forget the soccer games with our kids, we'd better get to work! All times of day and night we get these e mails. We sign on the end of the weekend, there are lots of these kinds of e mails.
Then, today they send an e mail the sup is excited because our team is growing, and this will help. Okay, so does this mean it will help the team because we won't have to be working overnight and weekends every week in addition to our sitting and waiting during our schedule, or does it mean, we now will be sitting and waiting overnight and weekends along with our doing that during our schedule.
What is this kind of thing? Making us frightened all the time and lucky we have a job? This MT does go the extra mile, always has the correct number of lines and more every payperiod, this MT stayed through the slow work periods, hanging on, and now is getting tired of veiled threats, outright threats, and incidious you are lucky to have a job because we are hiring more... comments.
Thanks for listening to me vent. I sit here and do the best I can, and my DH says to ignore the e mails. But it does grate on my ego, which I guess is the purpose of this. I do try to please and work and seems like I get more uncomfortable every day with the situation. But reality is, it will go to India, and my kid's soccer game has to be sacrificed just to make sure my family eats. Are you seeing this happen to you, and how are you dealing with it? Thanks in advance for your input.
It's happening where I work too..
Don't know if this is because the work fluctuates or if cues are not monitored. Maybe everyone just jumps on during the day. Maybe I will work extra weekends as the company suggests.
The same crap is happening to me - sm
You wouldn't be working a company based out of Chicago, would you be?
First, it shouldn't have been happening sm
often enough for anyone to notice, meaning if they are truly monitoring, that person should have been dealt with immediately, not only when people complain.
Second, why would an email like that be sent to all the MTs? If all of you aren't doing it, why punish everyone with these threats?
Whoever the **same person** is, that person should have been called by management and given an ultimatum.
DO NOT WORRY, NOT HAPPENING
I have worked on the same VR platform now for about 4 or 5 years. It has not learned (Escription, supposedly 1 of the best) what it should, I have to make countless number of corrections every single day and it goes from getting something right last year to a total hot mess this year. I am telling you, I know from experience. I have not changed accounts, not changed the platform, etc., etc. and I am NOT worried about the transcriptionists being phased out, not with the platform I work on. Right now it is taking so much time just to correct and it is very irritating. There is 1 physician that dictates operative reports. I do not care what his preop diagnosis is, his postop diagnosis is always chronic renal failure, whether he says it or not. Now really, why is this. It has been the same for all these years. I am telling you, it just don’t get it. It is NOT taking over our jobs. It cannot even start to do the first thing right loads of time. It does not have to be a foreign dictator, it can be with simple English and good dictators at that. You are worrying needlessly.
sorry that is happening. I hope it is sm
not going overseas!
Gourd, I am so sorry that this is happening to you,
Isn't it bad enough that we all have to worry about our jobs on a daily basis, worrying if work will be there, if the company that we are working for will actually pay us for the many, MANY hours that we have put in and having to work literally almost every holiday because in this industry, that is just how it is? Now we have to worry for expressing our opinions, something that, IMHO, is my God given right, after all, last time I checked, we were still living in the United States of America!!
To me what makes this entire situation even more sickening, is that someone is being paid to watch this board. This company could use that money, the money that they are paying for attorney fees, court fees, etc., to pay their MTs what they DESERVE and instead of worrying about looking bad on a website, they should do everything in their power to make their company the absolute best in its business. Again, IMHO.
Happening all over the place
I work on VR also. We were told our pay would be cut as soon as VR was able to start picking up on the dictations. I along with everyone else thought, well this will take some time. Did not happen and within about 2 weeks my pay was cut in half so that is how I have been working now for the past probably 5 years now. My livlihood is not totally made up now with this 1 paycheck or else probably would have to work more hours. I can understand why so many upset but then again, am surprised that the company has not dropped your rates before now, every one else seems to have.
Don't know what is happening with my brief post below, so will repeat. SM
If most of the drafts you get are truly all that good now, then it sounds like you won't even be needed in the not too distant future. Pretty soon those drafts won't need editing. What then?
How long have you noticed it happening? For me, just
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