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What is approx. percentage of ESLs at your company and who do you work for? sm

Posted By: Am I at the wrong place? on 2006-08-13
In Reply to:

My company has SEVERE heavy load of ESLs, probably 85% if not more and they are hard!  I have this option of going with another company.  I want to try the new company but I don't want to get in the same situation I am in now only because if it is the same situation I would rather stay where I am at because I like the people I work for.  There is no benefits and a few things concern me yet they are good to work for, plenty of work and pay is ALWAYS ontime every time.  So this is just a poll:  What is the percentage of ESLs and where do you work.


Also, do you think I should try to go with this other company part-time and keep my current job to see?  The problem is I would have to get unlimited long distance and have their programs downloaded on the same computer. Would love to have any feedback for this tough situation.  Thank you! 




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Just out of curiousity, what percentage of work was the
was it a percentage of your production or did they just pull say, 5 jobs per week, or something along those lines?

I left a company where I was doing almost 30,000 lines a month and they only did QA for my score on 4 (that is four) reports a month), so I agree, if you have a bad month, expecially if there is not a good QA ratio to productivity, the company can mess you over.
That equates to approx. 0.087 cpl. No too bad! nm
x
I have been using iType platform for approx.
a year and have had no problems. Check with your tech to see if there is a problem. 
That is simply not true. They still offshore approx. 80% of everything
and will continue to do so. That was the whole point of Nuance purchasing Focus. Whoever is telling you otherwise is simply lying to you...or you are lying to us!
Yup, lots of ESLs.. I like the company though and
after a while, once you get used to them, they are not so bad. Sometimes, I find the US physicians worse with mumbling, etc
Every company is going to have some amount of ESLs
/
how is the company? do they pay direct deposit? do they have heavy ESLs? Do they pay on time?

??


Were there too many ESLs or possibly not enough work? nm
xx
Lots of ESLs and not much work. nm

If you can work through the difficult ESLs, that is...
x
Yes, they have several ER accounts...the one I work on doesn't have any ESLs (sm)
but I'm sure some of them may have an ESL here or there.  I started there in September after being with Medquist for 8 years. So far, so good.  They have been very accommodating and the office staff couldn't be nicer.  Good luck!
Are the bulk of the ESLs you work on heavy Spanish?
Thanks for all the other information you have given me too.
Just how are they to work for as far as accounts, ESLs, etc. The usual things such as how they treat
the MTs and so on.
Thanks. Yes I heard from others many ESLs and many very difficult ESLs. nm
:
Percentage of tax
My account told me a good way to judge how much money to put back was to go off the previous year. If I made 30k - take 30%, 15k-15%. If however you find you are making more money than the previous year and will continue the trend take off what you think your yearly total will be, 50k - 50%.
what is the ESL percentage there?
I heard it was high.  Is it bad or bearable? 
ESL Percentage

 


What percentage of ESL's do you do on a daily/weekly basis?  Which ESL dictation do you find the most difficult to do--Spanish, Indian, other?  Do most companies reward you with a better rate if you tell them that you are comfortable doing ESL dictation or not?  I have been thinking about this and wondering, since I am paid the same line rate to do the difficult ESL dictation (granted, not all ESL's are as difficult as others) as I am to do the clear and easy dictators, why in the world would a person ever tell the company that they are happy to do their part in transcribing ESL dictation?  It is like a person is penalized for doing the difficult work by being put in the difficult dictators work pool and it really doesn't matter if you have 5 years or 20 years of experience, most places just want the work turned around immediately and it doesn't matter how horrible the dictation is--just do it!  


 


I think that the next time that I apply for a transcription position I will say that I am not comfortable with ESL dictation (something that I have never done in my life) in order to get put into better pools of dictators.  Instead of being paid more for doing this kind of work and not complaining, I feel we are penalized and seem to ALWAYS get the hard work, which is not fair at all! 


 


As if it isn't hard enough to be an online medical Transcriptionist these days, having to learn the different styles of a bazillion different dictators on however many different accounts you work on (so as not to run out of work) and all of the hospital specs (plus learning their local terminology--city data, names of popular places in the area, etc.), the experienced are put into pools of hard dictators and the poor MT's” (boohoo!) who claim they can't do this dictation make the good money.


 


So far in my transcription career, I have never played games with companies about things like this and have always told the truth about my strengths and weaknesses as a transcriptionist, but it's dog eat dog these days, and whatever an MT has to do or say to make the $$$ seems to be the name of the game.


 


Thanks for letting me vent tonight!  


 


 


What is your QA percentage? sm

I started with a company last month whose account is extremely picky..  QA is even more picky with their constant nit picky corrections..  I have never had any trouble with my QA.  Always 95% or more.  But this new job has me at around 85 to 89% and it just makes me angry because one person corrects a dictation one way and then another one does the opposite, removing commas that are supposed to be there, adding in them when they aren't and its all counting against me.  Anyone else experience this????????


It is not so much the percentage...
of what they do now, but it is in their company forcasting goals and desires to continue to increase the usage of overseas markets.

It just reminds me of the great linen/towel factories we had here all up and down the east coast that are now no longer because labor was so much cheaper than in Southeast Asia/Asia.

We are the great consumer market of the world and prices have to be kept low so that the market keeps being driven higher and faster to keep the global economy ever profitable and everyone keep their job.

Looked what happened last summer when the Americans stopped buying cars. I rest my case.
I can figure out the percentage, but...
How does one go about figuring their estimated tax?

According to what I've read on the IRS site, we have to pay estimated taxes. Well, great. I can estimate my income at what I'm making now, just starting out, but I don't see my income staying this low, so I would eventually be underpaying. I could estimate it at a higher amount, but what if I don't make as much as I think or hope I will? I can see where getting a refund is a good thing, but I'm more worried about underpaying.

Do you pay the tax on what you've ACTUALLY made in a quarter (it kind of sounds like it) or do you go about estimating your income, say you figure you'll make $20k a year, and put 25% of that away?

Confused.
I don't know the percentage number, but I'd say
there were no more difficult dictators on the accounts I'm working on than on any other big city hospital that I've worked for over 20 years. And I say difficult dictators versus ESL, as ESL seems to be a negative; people think that foreign-born dictators are difficult to transcribe. There are a good deal of dictators on my accounts who are foreign-born, and if you look at the list of names in the physician's list, you'd think you'll be slogging away all day for very low line counts. That's not so. Most of the dictators are very good. As anywhere, there are a few really horrible dictators, both foreign-born and good old red-white-and blue Americans.
I have absolutely no complaints about TT.
They do some ASR but a very small percentage, something like less than 10%
of all their work is ASR. I am not sure what the pay for it, as I only do straight transcription.

They do pay shift differentials. I think it's a half cent for second shift and a penny for third shift.

They are wonderful people to work with and for. Everyone I have ever spoken to has treated me well. Even the President of the co. has been wonderful to me and will take my call anytime I need to speak with her (which has only been twice).

I would go for it. I am so glad I did.
Percentage and be very careful

how you fill out your return.  We had an accountant who was under investigation by the IRS which led to our being audited and we found that much of what he said was allowable was NOT.  i.e.  You cannot deduct a room for an office unless that is all the room is used for.  A guest bedroom with a bed in it is not an office.


I only know about my accounts. Percentage of

ESL relatively low.  There are maybe 4 that are very challenging, a few USA born that are very challenging, but I don't have any of them on a regular basis.  


Someone else answered your other questions I believe.


ESL percentage is definitely account

specific.  However, my personal experience has been that I was only given 1 account, thereby allowing me to get used to the dictators.  Secondly, my account has been broken down into specialties, thereby allowing me to get used to the lingo of that specialty.  Thirdly, I fully believe that MDI does try its best to make sure that the client understands the need to speak clearly.  I'm not saying that's how all accounts are or that that's everyone's general experience at MDI.  I'm only commenting on my experience. 


I think the ESL question is a standard with any company, too. 


Only a small percentage...sm

They do not off shore a lot of their work, only when the client specifically requests it.  I believe the percentage is like 12 or 16 (can't remember which).  They do try to get the clients to keep their transcription here, but if the client is adamant about sending it off shore, that's what they do.


I've been working OT lately due to someone leaving and not being replaced yet.  There's always a need for good US-based MTs at Transcend.


Some companies pay a percentage of your sm
regular line rate. Webmedx compensates at 70% of your regular rate - so if you make 10 CPL, you'd get 7 cpl for VR editing.
outsource overseas a percentage, which could go up...(nm)
xx
it's the percentage of reports from that batch

that random percentage number is the break-down of percentage of reports/pages from that batch that you had to have QA listen to a blank, that's all, not your QA percentage.  when you leave no reports for QA, that number remains 0 percent.  clear as mud?  sorry.  it's really no thang....


Yes it is, and ANY percentage is too large for my comfort
ANY percentage is too high. There's no excuse for it except profits for greedy American MTSOs.

There are literally HUNDREDS of US MTs more than willing to work these odd hours that Transcend and others claim they are 'forced' to offshore because they cannot get sufficient help here.

I strongly disagree. In fact, I disgree just short to calling it out as being a bald-faced LIE.

The purpose is nothing more to increase profits for the powers that be, while all of the time hammering down the pay of the American MT.

I hope I am not alone in my stand on this. I would rather somewhere else for less money who DOES NOT offshore and who respects their MTs. Respect is something MDI-MD obviously chose to cast aside when they began negotiating their moneymaking deal while we starved, lost sleep, wondered how we would pay our bills, and yet STILL tried to be loyal to these yahoos.

Nope, not happy and checking out before my work goes to India.

I've worked too hard and am too advanced in my career to be a sitting duck.
Those of you doing VR, what percentage of the report do you have to correct?
How accurate is the VR? Just wondering.
What percentage of American MTs are they using these days? (no message)
xx
It all depends on the percentage of the error assessed.
I have worked for a couple of companies who charge an extremely high amount of points for punctuation errors.  If this is the case, one can definitely dip into the 80s with punctuation errors.
Small percentage to India at night....
Transcend sends less work to India that most companies, and it is public record. Deventure also sends work to India. It is a fact of life in these times, some hospitals request it. Escription work with Focus doing the most of it, has been historically sent to India. From what I read, Transcend has the largest domestic staff on Escription.
how do we work it? Easy answer - work for another company. That happened with the company
I was working for. I would wake up at 4 a.m. AND ON THE WEEKENDS TOO because they needed "coverage" supposedly and I would sit until 9:30 or noon without any work. Sorry, but my rent of $1450/month could not be paid with only $57/day. So I got another job and when I got the equipment and everything, then I quit for the other employer.
I wonder what the number or percentage of MTs that need insurance versus those that dont is. Which
is greater I wonder.
Signed up for second session. Dying to hear what percentage of cut is. (sm)

Hopefully people will post as soon as they find out.  I know we are lucky to have been kept at the percentage we were.  MQ cut us 10% one year and then 10% again.  Have a feeling they are going to skip the gentle repeated insults and just hit us with 20 or 30% right off the bat.  I hope I am wrong.


Good luck to us all.


right now plenty of work, also plenty of ESLs.nm
nm
Must be a small company. I have never talked to the owner of the company I work for. sm
He wouldn't have time. Why would someone talk directly to the MTSO? Most do not know (or care) about the details just the big picture.
Let me know if you pursue this company. I would like to work for a MN company as an employee?
Let me know! Thanks!
Chasing work from company to company - Have any of you ever watched (sm)

5 year olds learning to play soccer?  The ball is in play and no matter what the coahes say ALL the kids go running for the ball.  Maybe we are like that, masses of us going from company to company in search of work.  This company has a new account BOOM here we go.  Now it is out.  Let's go here. 

Yep, I think it is a big game someone is playing with us.  Not a particularly funny one either. 


What is the best company to go to for IC that is a nice company to work for that has work for you
and also is interested if you want to work part time at some point.
Absolutely not! I work for the best MTSO. I am have been so blessed to work for the small company I

I will share this about the MTSO I work for.  I called her late last Wednesday night after Church and told her I was compelled to help out with Hurricaine Katrina in some way and an opportunity arose for a small group from my Church to go to Louisianna this coming week.  Would she be able to cover my work.  She told me no problem without any hesitation and even donated money for the trip. 


And I am sure there are plenty of good companies out there to work for.  To compare us to migrant workers is just not right.


Like I said - it depends who you work for. I work for a hospital at home - not a company. nm
x
I used to work for a company who separated the MTs by work type daily. sm
regret ever leaving that company. we had a max of 4 MTs typing a large training hospital with clinics. i was assigned consults and discharges with consults being my priority. another MT had ops and admits, etc. it worked so much better. we were RARELY out of TAT and each of us were trained on other report types for backup in case someone need to take off. not to mention that we were easily able to learn the ESLs because we got them repeatively enough to learn them, set up templates, etc. much, much more productive for us as MTs, for the company as work flow, and i am sure for the dictator because they got someone who knew them and their dictations well enough to be accurate. i don't understand why large MTSOs cannot comprehend how much more beneficial that would be.
I actually left about a year ago and work for another company that's running out of work. Have to
x
I so wholeheartedly agree with you. Don't work for KS but work for SS - another company bashed
Works GREAT for me and I love SS. I never really care what the negatives are as I have found they are usually people that can't make their lines, don't work the hours they commit to or just overall do not care!
I work for an all-US company and refuse to work for one that offshores. Best of luck to you. nm
nm
Why would you want to work for a company with no QA? Anyways the only company that comes to mind is
I worked for in the past which is Medquist NJ Radiology.
Work PT for a company and noticed something odd. When I work the day shift I get (sm)

actually fairly good dictators, a couple of toughies, but no more than one would expect.  When I do the late afternoon/early evening shift it is like night and day.  I get some really crummy dictators and tons of problem/miscoded reports.  



They have said that there is no cherry picking able to be done with this program so I just have to wonder if the crappy dictators can't get to the dictate stations until after 4 p.m. or what?


Nuff said, back to work.  Thanks for letting me air it out.


The percentage of offshoring is higher than 15%, much higher - sm
Two more points - the Indian transcriptionists seemed to get the easy American dictators while the US transcriptionists get the Indian doctors and other ESLs.  Never made sense to me.  Also, a poster said the work is QA'd before being sent to the client - not all the time and if was then QA needs better training.