You're happy your wages have stayed the
Posted By: sm on 2009-09-02
In Reply to: Wages - Taylor
same, even though:
Gallon of milk, 1992: $2.78
2009: $3.75
Gallon of gas, 1992: $1.13
2009: $2.50+
Dozen eggs, 1992: $0.93
2009: $2.25
So your salary stayed the same while everything else skyrocketed... yay!
And according to the IIAP, the median salary for a 'secretary' in 1992 was around $25,000, and in 2005 was already up to around $40,000 (no stats listed for 2009 yet). So are you still feeling good about sliding backwards?
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Hope you're enjoying those slave wages you're earning.
.
Actually, I'd be happy to work for 80s wages -- I made a lot more then. nm
We're ALL earning slave wages. Our job should
You can make more money standing in the middle of highway construction zone with a 'slow' and 'stop' sign in your hand and your finger up your nose, than you can at even best-paying MTSO, these days.
PLUS, a plumber sets his own hours and wages! As far as MT wages,
x
You're quite welcome. I'm happy to help!
I've been with Amphion for 4 months now and in the past 15 years of working from home I've never been so impressed with the professionalism and class that is this company. Best of luck!
If you're not happy with the Q...
then give your notice. It's a very easy thing to do.
If you're happy with that atmosphere
I just can't believe Transcend management is promoting such a cut-throat / get it while you can / if you can atmosphere. Everybody knows this field is feast or famine, but when the famine gets so bad that management isn't taking control of an already bad situation it becomes a scavenger hunt. What's worse yet is that they're promoting it. I wonder how many MLSs working during the day and hopping on in the evening, middle of the night, or early morning hours realize that they're working over 8 hours just to make their usual 20K? But we'll just turn our heads. Hop on when you can, wink, wink.
I have worked for Transcend before, within the last couple months in fact. I got so sick of scavenging for work and mismanagement that I left after years of giving it chance after chance. There isn't one person on earth that can tell me I didn't give them the benefit of the doubt. Once when the work was very low, I logged every single minute worked for 3 pay periods just to get an idea of how many lines I could type working various shifts throughout an 8 hour day. Every time I sat down at the computer and checked for jobs, I counted it no matter how short the time was because that's still considered working. Every time a job came in and I did it, I counted it. No matter what shift I worked, I counted it. I wanted to figure how much I could do in an exact 8 hour period. I can usually do about 250-300 lines an hour when the rhythm is there and the work flows continuously, but some times I had to work every single day to equal 40 hours per week because some days there was no work when I was on. Anything over and above 40 hours is OT and OT was not authorized. So if "Get a Life" is making 20K when the work is low, she is definitely working more than 8 hours a day or has some inside track to "know" exactly when the work is there to grab. But, if she is actually working more than 8 hours a day without figuring exactly how much time was worked, and is only popping an 8 into that little box, that's illegal. If she is claiming more than 8 hours a day, I'd like to know how she got OT when others can barely make the 11K requirement by working their 8 hours.
I wonder how many MLS at Transcend actually sat down and calculated the exact time it takes to make their regular lines when the work is slow instead of just working at all different times and just popping an 8 in the box. You'd be surprised at how much time you're actually putting in to make your usual lines per pay period. But then, hey, of course Transcend would promote this. They don't have to pay OT that way, they get the work done, and they appease the MLSs who "think" they're treated so well because they can work whenever they want, when they want. Next time the work is low, try it some time. You'd be shocked at your hourly wage, especially if building up those lines with editing.
I also agree with the poster below too that mentioned "Get a Life" never stated if the 20K lines were editing or typing. If she went from 20K ppp while typing with high volumes to 20K ppp while editing when the volume is low, that makes sense. She was able to keep her usual 20K, but 20K lines editing still makes for a smaller pay check and that wasn't brought out. Usually when a person is that evasive in their replies, won't come right out and say how many hours they worked, or if it was editing or typing, there's a reason for it. Why not shout it from the rooftops if it is actually on the up-and-up? Or worse yet, why take such great offense at someone asking for a straight answer if you're doing nothing you shouldn't be? If you make the claim, be proud to back it up with details.
What do you care, happy OSI'r? You're obviously
since you have so much time on your hands and are able to post to this board and God knows how many others all day? What do you know about 12000 lines except what you hear from employees who actually DO work.
Thanks - doesn't look like you're too happy about it.
The suspense is killing me - not that there is much suspense left anyway, but I still want to read it.
For someone who is so happy, you're sure a mean person.
But hey, that's how it works here, isn't it? Socially retarded person who can't discuss anything without resorting to personal attacks.
Glad you're happy, but. . .
if I may ask, who did you go with to work as an IC?
I'm glad you're happy with your pay cut...
but I'm not and do not feel that I've been over-paid. I felt that I was paid fairly under the old compensation plan for what I do and feel that I work very hard and should continue to be paid accordingly for my efforts. As I said in my post, I have always felt that Transolutions was a good place to work, and I also appreciate the intangible perks that they have offered in the past. However, at this point I do not feel that they are treating all of their people equally or fairly, and I guess I am not enough of a company man to take a paycut in any job. Someone on this board asked about the company, and I felt it was only fair to explain some of the things that I've noticed recently and to answer some of her questions that may not be answered during the interview process of any MT company. These boards are not always the most positive places, I realize, and I've never been one to be drawn into the negativity; however, this poster asked a question that I felt compelled to answer honestly and from my heart.
I will NEVER take a cut in pay in any job, as I know that I work very hard at what I do and am smart enough to demand that I be paid a fair wage. I took a paycut to get into medical transcription 5 years ago so I could stay home with my children, but that was my choice and not because of a numbers game that someone else was playing with my paycheck. I think if you asked 100 people if they'd like to take a pay cut because they've been overpaid for the last few years, 99% of them would say NO WAY, not to mention that in this day and age, most of them could not afford it.
I can also tell you that there is more than just one account where people took a pay cut, some people much more than others.
p.s. I also know my stuff and have NEVER gone below 98% on my QA, usually 99% or 100%, until the last 2 months. I also heard in the last phone conference that I was not the only person who had noticed the change. I guess you're just smarter than most people.
I plan to wait it out a couple more paychecks and see how things wash out, as I really have enjoyed working for Transolutions for the most part. I agree that they have some good people and good accounts, but sometimes companies make decisions that are more important to their bottom line than to their current employees, so I guess we'll have to see how this numbers game plays out.
If you're happy there great, but it is
the worst company I've ever worked for.
Glad you're happy but....sm
Happiness is a subjective state of mind. So just so I understand your happiness versus what my happiness is I have these questions:
Do they pay enough to live on? Or to put it differently, are you making at least 4K a month? Because that is what it would take to make me happy.
If you are making that kind of money, how many hours are you putting in? If you say you must put in long hours, that is not my happiness. I don't want to have to have a chair-ectomy when I am through for the day.
So if your happiness fits into my version of happiness then I am happy.
Of course we're happy to have jobs (sm)
However, the job is becoming less and less valuable, in my opinion. The employer is becoming more and more just like every other MT company, in my opinion, yet they're doing it while using the marketing ploy that they're remarkable. Well, they're becoming less and less remarkable.
Another issue is the fact that they were not routinely giving raises before the economy tanked. Rather than give a raise to employees, they bought an MT school.
The obvious is that we're glad to have jobs. However, I'd hope to go beyond the obvious. This reminds me of the industry's typical response to requests for higher pay (how many have you heard?):
1. You get to work at home. Look at all the money on gas and clothing you save! You should be grateful. Gee, I wish I could work at home!
2. You should be doing this for the patients and not thinking of the money. It's a service industry, and we are serving our patients. [yes, I actually heard this one before]
3. You can give yourself a raise! We offer _____ (fill in the blank with any of the following: (a) weird schedules that nobody would want to work in exchange for a small incentive! (b) an Expander program! (c) overtime! (d) flexible scheduling: You can actually sit at your computer and look for work all day, catching work as it trickles in!)
So do we really need to add #4 now? Has the industry sunk so low that the answer to our complaints of not getting paid adequately and BEFORE the economy tanked and only having things get worse, is the answer really Gee, you should just be grateful to have a job. I know X number of people who have been laid off! Are we really going to excuse YEARS of this widespread poor pay in the industry and the excuses while a company buys a school (and how much did that purchase cost?) as basically just be glad you have a job? The trash man has a job. The bagger at the grocery store has a job. If that's all it is, just get any old job and be grateful, then what's so remarkable about this company that says it's remarkable?
You've stated the obvious. Yeah, we're grateful to have jobs. Yeah, we're realists. Can we get back to the point now?
Glad you're happy - however,
how can you say most MT's are happy with their gig? How do you know that?
The world of medical transcription is changing rapidly and the picture is not as rosy as it once was - in fact, pretty bleak - so just beware - your time may come.
Hope it doesn't, but it may.
:-) If you're not happy there, there are hundreds of other companies.
Truth: There is no Lanier equipment on my account; there obviously still is on yours.
Truth: If you don't want to work extra, you don't have to, and you can't say that you have been forced to. Yes, naturally, if the account is behind, the owner is going to ask for folks to help out if they are available.
Truth: Contact with the recruiter virtually ceases after your initial QA period unless you just want to email to chat.
The recruiter also is responsible for putting a team together for starting new accounts, but after the account is up and running, the recruiter has nothing to do with the day-to-day operation of the account. I have been involved in 2 new account start-ups myself (by invitation and with my agreement), and the client specs have been updated as issues came up and were addressed.
I concur with the other poster who suggested that you contact Dorothy with concerns about the recruiter (although, if you're off QA, why is that even an issue?) and your account liaisons with concerns about not having updated account specs.
Meantime, I'll get back to work. :) If any readers would like to email with specific questions, please feel free.
QA compensation - anyone happy with what you're making?
I'm sorely tempted to look into a QA position and I was wondering how the compensation compared to transcribing. I would love to be paid hourly, but it seems most offer by-the-line pay. I know there are variables (platform, ESL, etc.) but I'm trying to come up with some type of comparable compensation formula just as a jumping-off point for negotiation. Anyone care to elaborate on what they're earning, how they're paid, and how this compares to their transcribing earnings?
When you post something like that and sign it that you're not happy, sm
the bashers have a field day. I wrote a post a few months back that was taken wrong and by the end of the thread, it appeared that KS is the worst company in the world. To me, it is the opposite. I have been around the block too many times, and they are far and above the others out there including all the bigger ones and most of the smaller ones!
Things written on a public board can be taken wrong and can damage the reputation of a company or person. My daughter is going through a bad time right now because of a post that was supposed to be a joke. She's 14 and they are no different than adults when they see something to jump on.
Glad you're happy, that place has gone WAY DOWNHILL.
x
I honestly am very glad you're happy! I juggled 2 nationals for a while, and it was exhausting.
Though if I could, I would probably go back to Spheris. Long story there, but probably would not be rehired as I never made it thru training. Just trained with the biggest bunch of, well, MTs. If one more person clapped those little hand icons at some lame joke, I thought I would vomit. Actually did vomit...I was very ill, and just folded...Get rid of the clapping hand icons!!! 
Glad you're happy -- I love MDI-MD too, although I missed out on the signup bonus. :( nm
x
I wish you well. I wish I could have stayed myself. nm
tttt
believe that your pay stayed the same.....
Even if you 'fly' ???? through the report, you still have to READ every word, so you cannot double or triple the line count.
Can you still use Expanders doing VR? I doubt.
Are you catching every mistake if you just FLY through the report?
CRAP !
I doubt any MT has ever stayed
that long at Heartland to enjoy his/her vacation!
Stayed with Medware
Heard only a couple left but were replaced quickly. Now Medware has 3 new hospitals starting next month. I applied for a shift lead position that just opened. Very happy at Medware.
I stayed with them for less than 3 months.
Yes they are nice and yes they pay on time (they deduct $1 a week for your direct deposit)
There was never enough work. Their system is clumsy compared to most, the bookkeeping/record keeping is awlful. After having been off training and on full earnings for several weeks, they put me back on training wages because of a non-medical mistake. They even did a QA rating on me and I had almost 99% but still lowered my pay across the board. I was in absolute shock, gave notice and moved on. I cannot work for a company that I cannot trust. Good luck.
I never stayed busy....
I worked on an ortho account and they kept running out of work, so I quit. They had way too many MTs in the typing pool. They do not assign the MTs doctors and you are in a pool so the work is on a first come first serve basis. Good luck! Not the job for me.
Sometimes I wonder why I even stayed in this business.. sm
I don't know how I did it back then, working at home on an electric typewriter, before computers and fabulous references, google, and the internet in general. All I had was Dorland's Medical Dictionary, samples, and pages and pages of notes for each of my 2 or 3 accounts. We could call the office if we got really stuck but that was it. I had a long hiatus between the 70s and the present. I have been back for over 7 years now and still cannot believe how easy it is now compared to then.
I also did QA for about a year a few years ago. Nope, not for me. Unbelievable the quality of the work that I very frequently saw, zero grammar and punctuation, absloute basic to this job even before medical terminology. I couldn't make my quota because I would at a glance see so many errors and spend too much time fixing them! Ai-yi-yi! It was awful. This was after all the offices closed and no one really had any communication with anyone anymore for the most part.
I am not a really high producer because I am a perfectionist. I research and try to leave as few blanks as possible, invest in good reference materials, have a thousands of Expanders for all kinds of reports, and try to keep up with the new rules for everything the best I can, not that I agree with them all. That's life I guess. I do love this job!
My hat goes off to all of you who have stayed as long as you have ...
I left Spheris a little over three years ago. It was one of the worst employment experiences that I've had in this industry. Poor benefits, low pay, terrible dictators, constant turnover in supervisors (with the last having no experience at all in MT'g). Leaving was the best decision I could have ever made, and I've never looked back.
Those who have stayed at the same hospital- sm
And just switched to VR are a different story. They are not the norm and I can see why they would be okay with it because they are accustomed to the account. The rest of us who go in cold and must spend an inordinate amount of time learning the account can't make any money and then the MTSO switches us and we have to learn it all over again. It doesn't work for us.
When I was started on VR and why I stayed on
I did not ask to be put on VR. I had been at my inhouse hospital job for 14 years when we were told going to VR. I loved the job and frankly, in my 50s and did not want to go out looking for another job. At that time had no idea about the companies out there, never had worked except inhouse at hospitals. After learning VR soon learned we would be outsourced to a company and most of the MTers there went with the new company rather than quit. I have done over 2000 lines per day straight and considered myself not only fast but an excellent transcriptionist. I did not jump on any band wagon, what choice was there at over 50? Most here talk about how they do not want to start a second profession, well I was one of those at that time. I did not work from home, had no clue could even do that so working at home was not a draw for me in doing VR, not even transcribing. To put all of us doing VR as traitors, well that is not so. I too used to go home at night learning transcription in tears with hubby telling me if it is that hard, just give it up but stuck it out. I learned on the job, at a hospital with over a year's training before put out making production and incentive. Yesterday I did mostly all VR and made over $175.00 for the day. Oh, you are probably saying you could make more which might be true but I am satisfied. I no longer work full time, double full time, triple full time because I have worked my time in the past and now time for part-time for me. I have earned it. I still work because I have said before, I draw my social security, have retirement check from the hospital where I worked 14 years and have my salary on top of that and love it. If the work goes out tomorrow completely, then it goes. I have had 2 jobs pulled out from underneath me in years past with over 10 years put in at each one and rebounded. If a person does not like VR, then GO somewhere else, get another profession. You cannot group everyone into 1 fits all because it is just not so. If my job is stamped out in a few years, well that has happened before and still around. The only thing you can count on is yourself, not a machine, not a company, just yourself. If you are suspicious, paranoid, etc., then do something else. Simple.
Ditto. I wish I had stayed with them. I had to quit because I
accepted a full-time job elsewhere. The full-time job turned out to be a bad joke. I went from three part-time IC jobs to one full-time employee job to NO job at all. It's really bitten me in the behind with bills and Christmas coming. Never again will I trust a recruiter or try to work as an employee for a national. transcriptionoutsourcing.com was the best of the bunch.
You stayed with Medware for 3 years and now you
state you didn't stay with them very long. What is it? I think we can all read between these lines, I know I can.
Great company!! Wish I would have stayed but
needed benefits.
MDI Maryland I think has stayed clear so far. nm
s
If you stayed with her for years this treaetment, it
x
My god, and you stayed in this career while failing
the only one to blame as I can't imagine why you would think that summation of your career any step of the way was a success. Per your description, sounds like nothing worked for you after a year or 2 at best. I've been in the biz the same length of time and experienced the complete opposite of your story. I would never have endured what you have endured, as I would have had the common sense to realize that the job was not cut out for me or vice versa. You have thrown your entire life away on this industry, and yet came back again, and are on here bitter and spewing hatred at complete strangers to you. Honestly, you need to re-evaluate - read your own life story and take some accountability, realizing that you should never ever have stayed in this industry. You have nothing to show for it, have lost everything per your own claims, so please reconsider and have the back half of your life mean something - anything, whatever is important to you. Obviously this industry is not suited to you. Please don't lump us all in with your experience. I can't imagine many MTs have suffered as you have - why would we? We would find a new line of work ASAP and move on with our lives, not sacrifice them as you have. I can't even feel sorry for you as a reader - none of your story makes sense as to why you have persevered - its just a sad meaningless synopsis.
Worked there, wished I had stayed. sm
I left OSi thinking I could make more money somewhere else, which I did at first but not so now. The sound quality was good. I liked the platform. QA helpful and nice. They communicate a lot with e-mail and IM. They will have conference calls if there is something on the the account that everyone needs to know about.
I stayed an IC....employee status is optional
x
The main reason I stayed with MQ through all the BS over the last years was the flexibility and that
will be gone. I worked more than 40 hours and so that will be gone as will the statutory bonus and to top this all off I got transferred to Amherst. Well talk about sucky.
OSI rocks. Easy lines. 900+ in 4 hours - now wish i would have stayed with them. nm
nm
I stayed 3 months and then bailed out. Ran out of work, lack of communication, etc. nm
s
I had the WORST foreign doc cardiac caths there! I only stayed a week. nm
, m
QA wages
Anyone out there have any idea of how much a QA person should make per hour working at home?
Low Wages
When I got my VERY FIRST job transcribing, it was for a national service, and the pay was 7 cpl. It's been nearly 10 years since then - The pay for MTs has not gone up at all, and even worse, it seems to be DROPPING!!
wages
Yes, I totally agree. We need to unionize.
My wages are more than that
and like I said, you must be slow not to be able to make at least $20 an hour and yes, I can add.
about my wages. My wages and sm
my job are just fine. Yes we are allowed to have freedom of speech so I have mine too.
Wages
Since this board has become a they pay what? board, let's talk about pay. In 1992, I was working as a receptionist and got paid $10.00 an hour. Today, I looked in my local paper and saw ads for receptionists for $8-10 an hour. Hasn't gone up much in 17 years! I worked as an administrative assistant for $14.00 an hour in 1994. Today, they are paying anywhere from $12-15 an hour. I worked in-house for a hospital in 1999 doing medical transcription and got paid $15 an hour, plus a bonus for going over my daily lines. Today, our in-house hospital is paying $13-15 an hour. The local Sears store is starting their sales reps at $7.50 an hour TODAY. My first work at home MT job was almost 10 years ago and I started out at 8 cents a line for straight typing. Pretty much standard today.
I really don't understand the constant complaining about wages on this site. VR is terrible, I agree with that, BUT it isn't terrible for an experienced MT. What it has caused is a way for NEW MTs to compete with the experienced ones. If you work on eScription or a similar platform, the program really can learn the doc, therefore allowing a new MT to learn while on the job. So, us experienced MTs are working right along side someone just out of school for the same pay. Oh well!!! I make $120 a day on VR in 8 hours 0.04 cpl (around $16 an hour), I have hit $160 if I work a couple more hours. So I am still making the same as if I worked in-house and I get the benefit of working from home.
Please stop the complaining already. This job is not that hard. When I first became an MT, the job was hard. Well, 10 years later it is a piece of cake and I would rather make my $16 an hour any day then go work at Sears for around 7 bucks an hour.
Am I the only one getting tired of the constant complaining about pay and jobs going to India? Gag!
MT wages
What is the point of your post...to irritate already upset MTs? I think people are angry that their wages have decreased so much. I would be okay if mine stayed the same, but I am currently making 1/3 of what I did 10 years ago and working twice as hard.
You compare our job to a Sears employee making 7.50? Well I would like to see that employee type medical records.
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