Doesn't sound fair or worth it at all, to me. (sm)
Posted By: San Francisco on 2007-09-21
In Reply to: I think I am having a mental breakdown. - Hayseed
Hi Hayseed,
I definitely know where you're coming from. First of all, I never heard of being on a pager for transcription. Especially if you work for a big company, which you would think have people who work a graveyard shift. I can see it for certain circumstances, for instance during normal working hours, or if you work for more than one company, and they're paging you to let you know there's tons of work or something. But if you've just put in a full day of transcribing (which I think for most of us is much longer than a standard 8-hour day!), then by all means you need to be able to get a good night's sleep.
Any supervisor worth the big bucks they're getting paid should be told what this is doing to you. But it sounds like someone is taking advantage of what sounds like a very strong work ethic that you have, and if you give 'em an inch, they'll take a mile.
Back in the old days when I concurrently ran a small horse-transporting service in addition to transcription, I was 'on-call' 24/7. After nearly running myself ragged too many times, thinking I could save all the horses in the world that had colic and needed emergency surgery at U.C. Davis, I finally had to draw a line somewhere and know when to say 'no'. One time, after working a full day in the office, then getting called at 6 pm to take a horse with a twisted intestine to UCD for surgery, I finally made it back home and into bed at about 3 AM, and had to be at work at 8 AM. And then the phone rang. It was the SAME vet that had just sent me to UCD earlier that evening! I hated saying no, because it put him and everyone else in a real bind, but I knew that I just couldn't physically do it.
Eventually I got better at knowing what I could do and what I couldn't, and it really did help my state of mind immensely, especially once I started getting 6-8 hours of sleep per night, again!
Anyway, I think you were totally within your rights and thinking very clearly when you emailed them to say you wanted to get rid of the pager. If you only got paged once in a blue moon, and got BEAUCOUP BUCKS for your time when you did the STAT work, it'd be one thing. But to be paged to the point of being totally sleep-deprived and feeling like you're losing it, is quite another.
I'm amazed that an employer would do this to you. Is it always the same person that pages you, or are there many, and they all think they're the ONLY one paging you? Whatever. Either way, I think those middle-of-the-night STATS are why the Graveyard Shift was invented, and if that's not your shift, then they should be paging someone else.
So don't feel guilty for having to put your foot down and say enough is enough. You should probably tell them a lot of the things you said in your post above, too... someone definitely needs to have their eyes opened.
I seriously doubt anyone is going to fire you for simply needing a night's sleep! But on the off-off-off chance that happens, all I can say is, you didn't lose much, but THEY sure did.
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I agree - doesn't sound like it's worth your time to fight her anymore. NM
x
You have a sound resume - you are worth a million to the right employer
MQ is just going cheap to prepare to pay out major money in lawsuits. Don't let this be a reflection on how you see yourself.
MQ always was considered the Wal-Mart of transcription companies.
I agree...doesn't seem worth it in my opinion...
nm
Oops -- that it's worth it sure doesn't belong on my post!
x
That doesn't sound right.
I had student loans and still did work study. Also, contact the school's website and financial aid office for information about scholarships. Local private scholarships are available through the National Guard, VFW, Elk's Club, BPW, etc. They're for maybe $500-1,000, but there's very little competition for them. You can find information about scholarships online, too, without having to pay or buy a subscription to anything. The information's out there if you look for it.
Thank you. It doesn't sound like it's for me then.
c
Doesn't sound right to me.
I used to re-record for Medquist many years ago and they reimbursed based on my volume. I would certainly not call a client as I am an MT, not a secretary and don't get paid to talk on the phone.
If you need a long distance provider for a small flat fee, try Vonage. I have heard good things about them.
No, it doesn't sound legal.
I'd be contacting the department of labor, better business bureau, FTC, etc. There are lawsuits out there where MTSOs tried to withhold pay from ICs. The ICs won.
I have to agree. Doesn't sound right somehow
Especially the line about "now I only eat 2 doughnuts and half a gallon of milk for breakfast," and also the part about not understanding why the exercise machines make noises when she gets on them.
Call me cynical, but it sounds like someone is trying to stir up some controversy.
doesn't sound cute...
No, it doesn't sound crazy at all.
Doesn't sound like she deserves one.
.
It doesn't sound to me like you were heard.
"Um, yeah, we got your email, and, um, could you do these right away, please? Thanks."
If I were in their shoes I'd be thinking, let's give this poor girl a break. I hope they wake up soon! Maybe at 3 a.m.!
Doesn't sound too good sm
I wonder if there is something else we could use our skills in that makes more money, maybe in medical records or billing and coding. Maybe being paid in something that pays hourly would be more beneficial. I am aware there are medical transcriptionists who really do make good money with benefits. Guess they have the right accounts to do so.
Doesn't sound real
Sounds like a game to me....
Thanks, doesn't sound like something I want to work on. nm
nm
Doesn't sound good, does it?
Since it's the line coming to your house that matters and TW apparently has the monopoly on that, you may have to crunch some numbers to see if it's worth it to rethink how you pay for your entertainment bundle. Ours is bundled as satellite TV/phone/DSL. If we had cable as opposed to DSL, it would definitely be easier to regroup. I wish you luck.
so whose job was it to hire these MTs? doesn't sound like they did a good job.
who else you want to relieve of their work duties? the recruiters, the testers, the trainers, the owners?
Yuck! That doesn't sound good...thanks! :) NM
d
Something doesn't sound right, here. Testing centers
nm
That's it??! Doesn't sound like a lot of lines to me in 4 hours. nm
x
This doesn't sound right. Your MTSO was paying
I thought they could only charge for COBRA what their premium is, plus a small (2% ?) administrative fee.
I'm sorry. This must be a nightmare for you
but then again, your "empty folders" symptom doesn't really sound like a
nm
Doesn't sound round, makes no sense.
It doesn't sound HATEFUL to me, this person is just saying that suddenly
those who celebrate Christmas are forced to conform for a few minority religions? That's not right. A friend of mine who is Jewish regularly has her children out of school during Hannukah and the school doesn't penalize her children for it. As far as Christmas plays are concerned, I don't think it's right to force children to be in a play that consists of a bunch of different beliefs if they are not of that particular belief system. If that is how it is going to be, then they need to completely do away with Christmas/Holiday plays altogether. There are many holiday songs out there that don't recognize ANY religion at all. If religion is the issue, than children can easily sing Santa Clause is coming to town or, Jingle Bells, etc. without offending since those songs lean more toward the commercial aspect of the holiday season. And then, those who want to participate in separate PRIVATE plays can do so. There are options that can be chosen without hurting anyone's feelings about their religious beliefs.
It doesn't sound right to me. That one MINOR error should only be counted
as 1/2 point because it's not critical to patient care.
Nope! I only stress over things worth stressing over, which doesn't include turkey & taters!
i'd worry more about that's getting into the food, from the bowl. Microwave doesn't sound
that doesn't sound like insurance, sounds like a discount plan:
x
Fair is fair -- relative or not, 1 house or 100.
She's earning income and the only fair, right, just, ethical and LEGAL behavior is to report it wholly.
Why are YOU attacking HER? Just because she doesn't want kids, doesn't mean she needs a psychi
xx
Has anyone disconnected the internal sound card and replace with another sound card?
I am having problems with my sound on one of my computers. Several different ExText program have been on it so I don't think it is the program and the sound is just now as clear as on my other computer. Has anyone switched (disconnected the internal sound care and replaced) to a new sound card? Did it make a difference.
Everyone on this board is so knowledgeable, I really appreciate you. You have helped me many times.
You do sound FAT, but you don't sound RICh.
Go live in Iraq or something.
I don't know but I try to be fair, but I can tell you
that I have had some management jobs that required 25 years of experience plus QA experience and MTs with less than 15 have applied and I had to tell them that it was not enough experience. That was hard, but they did not know what all was involved. I have had people get bent out of shape about it, but to be honest, I had my orders specifically from a company and nothing less would suffice, plus it was posted clear as day.
Also, there have been situations where people did not have resumes--yes, can you believe that? They said they had less experience yet they did not have it in a resume.
I think many do not understand what a recruiter has to look at and what we deal with.
still not fair
I understand how you feel, I too am in the same position. Its like you want to do a good job with quality work and once you prove that to whatever company you might be working for instead of appreciating your high skills they treat you like a door mat and start sending you all the work that none of the others want to do. We lose time doing bad reports/dictators just like any other MT and just because we can get through it with no blanks or it having to go to QA is no reason to give us all of the bad dictators/reports because its not fair and it doesn't make me feel appreciated what it makes me feel is used. I get no extra for doing these type of reports back to back to back even though we are supposedly working from a pool and the MTs who don't want to do these bad reports/dictators just keep zipping along. ITS LIKE THE BETTER YOU ARE THE WORST DEAL YOU GET AND ITS NOT THAT I MIND DOING IT (because I do want to keep my job) BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT JUST BECAUSE ITS TOO DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAKES THE SAME cpl BUT THEN END UP MAKING A HIGHER LINE COUNT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THE BAD REPORTS/DICTATORS.
There should be some kind of way to be compensated when you are put in that kind of position but right now there isn't and you just do it because its your job. I have been in a situation lately where 95% of my work is from the list of bad dictators to be aware of and I am so frustrated. If there was some kind of compensation for say a multi-specialist Transcriptionist or ESL transcriptionist then it would make the situation so much better and there would be less resentment all the way around, I think that is something most companies should think about.
Of note I am not complaining, not whining, and not venting but just saying.
That is not really fair -
It is not as easy for some of us. I have gained 30 pounds in the past year from just sitting and emotional eating. Once you get down on yourself about it - well that makes it worse. A terrible cycle. Has anyone tried hypnotism?
Fair enough. I see what you mean.
I didn't mean to imply going straight for .12--lol! And I see what you mean by "demanding." I didn't mean that either, but I should have been clearer about what I DID mean. I do mean that the OP has SOME control over the situation--maybe not total control, but some control. As ICs we need to remember that we are in business for ourselves. We ARE a business, and we need to act accordingly. I'd be looking for another client as well. No need to put up with that!
I can't say I do, very fair here.....
No sideburns, no moustache, a few hairs under arms and not much leg hair either. I'm a freak! LOL!
3 cpl isn't fair for ANYTHING!
k
Seems more than fair, to me! nm
.
fair
I think that your employer is being harsh, but I do believe that by the end of a year 1200 lines a day should be possible, especially with your background. Of course, if you are working with extremely difficult doctors that may be different. I have what I consider to be a very good account with few ESL and most doctors are very clear, and was able to produce up to 1600 lines a day with relative ease if I actually typed 8 full hours at about 6-8 months. I had no medical experience, but I did have writing and editing experience, along with two college degrees. In part, I think it's the ability to use Expanders as tools efficiently that makes that possible. Are you able to use online resources well? Do you have a good drug reference on your computer with a flexible search tool? Do you have an Expander that you are using to advantage? In order to be productive at the rates people expect these days, I think all of the above are a necessity. I also think that even with experience as a medical secretary some training is needed in order to get up to speed as an MT. In fairness, it sounds like you just jumped right into the job, and that must be difficult. Good luck!
fair
There is a world of difference between a good Expander and using auto correct. An expander will show the possibilities with a few keystrokes, whether you know the words or not, and often as soon as you see a new word you will know it is what the doctor is saying, even in a new specialty. They usually include a very complete medical dictionary, some give the possible words with any letters typed in order, not necessarily having to spell it correctly at the outset, like a mini wild-card search function. With auto correct you are only able to get what you put in yourself for expansions. I would say that using an expander during my training was what made it possible to become proficient quickly, above all else. If you can, try one of the commercially available products before leaving. It can make life SO much easier as you learn.
what is fair
I worked for a small rural hospital and we (3) were on call 24/7/365 and rotated carrying a pager on weekends plus working on Sundays.
That isn't being fair
Whoa there - my husband has a terminal disease and we usually end up hitting a 0 tax bracket because of medical expenses (we file long-form and itemize). We spend well over $700 per month on co-pays for drugs every month and then when he has to get certain IV drugs as out outpatient, our drug bill hits over $2000 for that month. Why should my family be penalized when I work my butt off seven days a week, 365-days a year? I pay in a huge amount of FICA and Medicare taxes each year. Until my husband became ill, we paid in a huge amount of federal income taxes every year. We also have two chldren in college and we are allowed to deduct some of their expenses we pay out of pocket. And, yes, we usually qualify for some Earned Income Credit, but not near what you mention. My family can use the extra money just as much as any other family and I don't think we should be penalized because of exorbitant medical bills that place us in a 0 tax bracket.
That's not fair --
I never said I have common sense!
Seriously, sometimes the most obvious things can be right in front of me, and I miss them completely. I might be slow to get some things (although I am highly intelligent; doesn't make sense to me), but once I do 'get' something, then that's a completely different story. Some day I'll tell y'all about all the other common sense things I shouldn't have needed help with --- but did.
{;-)
Is if fair to ask
a company what the average line counts of other MTs on same the account are? I know there are others who feel this particular account is hard to make a decent line count, so I would like to know what the average is. Otherwise, how do we know if their expectations of us are fair?
Seems fair to me. sm
As long as accounts are consistent 1200 is a very reasonable expectation.
I would think 1 would be fair, it probably would
not scare them away.
oh well. no one said life was fair
you just have to make what you can out of it. There are many, many other subjects that can be debated as well. That is what makes life what it is; a great variety of people and view points. Enjoy the day. 
I think I get a fair mixture
I get ESLs, some I can understand easily enough, others I really have to work at and it slows me down. Then I have some docs who are very easy and good moneymakers. I get a mixture. I am not a newbie and can do harder docs. I just find that my managers are great at evening out the work. IMO.
FAIR and Honest... sm
I have worked for DSC (Document Solutions Center) in Alabama for many, many years, and have become good friends with the owner of the company... she is very fair to her girls - they come first, she is very flexible, they have a tightly established management team, and the work is abundant... she pays very fair, and gives bonuses and raises as often as she can... Another GREAT company is OSi... I am currently working for them, and they are just the BEST... I get the best pay per line, the greatest accounts, never-ending work, constant bonuses, gifts, 24/7 contact with staff... I can give you contact information on either if you wish... and no, I am not looking for a finder's fee... I am honest, and just enjoy helping those out who are asking for help... Contact me by email anytime... Bobbie
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