In true IC situations, the company CANNOT set your hours...
Posted By: former bank manager on 2005-09-11
In Reply to: Not always...not all companies are flexible with schedules! - DP
However, your contract can stipulate that you do a certain amount of work within a certain timeframe. They also can ASK you for a general idea of when you will be working, but they cannot make you/tell you that you have to be working certain hours. If they tell you when you have to work, you are not longer an INDEPENDENT contractor - "independent" being the keyword here. If they set the hours, you are an employee.
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Not true about set hours. sm
I don't know who all you have talked to, but most companies hiring MTs as ICs do not ask for set hours. If your company does and you don't mind it, that's one thing, but you are no longer an IC if they dictate the hours. They should be paying your taxes for you. If the IRS found out about it, they would make them. This happened to a doctor I know once. I've been an IC for many years and have never been required to work certain days or certain hours. Every company I've ever talked to about IC work has said work anytime you want, just get the work back within the specific TAT the client requests. I really do not think your situation is the norm for ICs, and I wanted the OP to realize that. No, I am not flaming you. I just don't feel it's an accurate picture.
I certainly wouldn't recommend getting your own clients if you want to get out of the "rat race." There are a LOT of headaches that come with having your own accounts, so you should research this all ahead of time. Lots of paperwork and behind-the-scenes things that most MTs that have always worked for others do not even know about. Taxes are really the least of your problems, believe me! You just find a good accountant for the tax issues.
Okay, I guess I'm asking how can a company require you to work 8 hours a day, SM
require you to produce a certain amount of lines, but then only pay you for the lines? My personal opinion is that we need to redefine this whole production pay thing because the MTs are getting screwed in the deal. If we are paid on production, then we should be able to produce the minimum and then our work day is done unless we choose to work the entire 8 hours. If they want us on the system for 8 hours a day, then they should pay us hourly plus incentive line rates.
I personally think that companies should pay all MTs a base hourly pay, like say $12 per hour and then 5 cpl on top of that or something to that effect. Or say $12 an hour and you have to produce at least 1000 in an 8 hour period and anything above 1000 in that 8 hour period you get an extra cpl rate as incentive. I would be working my tail feathers off if I was offered that.
This may not hold true if the company is
I believe there was a ruling in the last few months that changed this for the state of New York but since no one answering you (including myself) so far is a tax accountant, you should ask a professional.
This is true for me BECAUSE of the timekeeping my company uses.
Our software only records actual keyboard hours, not just signed-in hours. So unless you are actively typing in a record, you are not considered "working" and the timekeeping stops. If you pee, you're not working. if you're in a chart and stop for more than 5 mins (like researching), you're not working. It always, always takes way more than 8 hours to get in 8 hours of 'work.' It's completely bullsh**.
That's sooo not true. The company can change
Nice try but you really don't understand what you are talking about.
Not true. I work for a company that offshores.
Good grief.
SO true! My company says they adhere strictly -
to the BOS, but then there are pages and pages of EXCEPTIONS to the rules for different accounts, and even different individual doctors. The docs are the ones who want their notes transcribed, so it just makes sense to do it the way THEY want it.
Not true. "If the company makes money"???
That's funny.
Bonuses are usually based upon production. If you reach a certain production, you receive a bonus.
Whatever criteria is set, one must meet - I agree.
However, if an MT meets that criteria, and the bonus is to be paid on a certain date, they are delinquent in pay if the company does not pay on that date. The company set the time...not the MT.
I'd still seek a legal remedy.
True. I was told this by a friend who is a computer tech at a company
here in town. He was going to do it for me. No way would I try to do it myself. Luckily, I was able to buy one with XP on it from Dell.
Spoken from the true heart of a company owner (inside)
we read all kinds of things on this site. Most of it terrible things that are done to us. Companies making gross amounts of money over our backs and to spend it buying other companies for gross amounts of money. This company knew what they were doing long before they did it, don't tell me or anyone they didn't. They never even considered this woman let alone knew she was having surgery. You guys don't think that way. You don't see our faces and feel whatever you do to make a profit justifies the means. I am not a religious person but I do know what goes around comes around. Chew that.
As far as "preparing ourselves," how do you do that when pay is low, you have to work umteen hours for a halfway decent line count, and then get let go at Christmas time?
As far as short-sightedness? What is astounding is you would even say such a thing as you are probably sitting by a Christmas tree done done by Neiman Marcus. It is hard to save any money with what is happening to the transcriptionists today.
Do not answer this with attacking me. I don't answer trivial, cruel people.
sometimes these situations
can be a blessing, by causing us to realize we can't do it on our own, that we NEED God...and again we learn to TRUST and depend upon Him.
Sometimes there are situations where
"forgive and forget" don't work. Leaves it up to all parties involved to work with the best solution. Gifter may have solid, personal reasons for having issues. I can relate. You have to respect that.
I also have been in these situations before sm
I have been working at home now for 17 years. My kids are 18 and 16 now, the 18 year old in college; however, while growing up both were athletes and in every sport year around. I have seen other kids who never had a parent at their games or special occasions. My kids always appreciated the fact that I was there, never missed a game or event, and always home when they got home from school. That in itself is reward enough.
It brought about a sense of love and security, at least for my two kids, while growing up and knowing Mom is always there. They could call me at lunch or after school before practice if they needed something, etc.
It grounded them and brought stability into their lives and they excel academically.
All-in-all, I would never trade this profession for anything else. It has paid off big time for me.
Now, I just have to wait about 10 years or so for grand kids and the cycle will start all over again!
Isnt' this one of the main reasons, we who have children, work at home?!!!
Those situations different than STAYING in bad
Robbery or scamming are an in and out situation that you have little control over. Staying in a bad job is usually a long term situation that you CAN control. It is hard to change jobs. However, the longer you put off starting the process, the longer you are allowing yourself to stay in a bad situation. It is sad to think you would give someone else such control over your life that you let yourself be abused. And the only one that can change something like that is YOU. The buck stops with you when it comes to who has control of your life.
There have been similar situations posted before.
I'd be looking for another job and if they owe you any money I'd start trying to get it. Send a certified letter, contact labor department, etc.
You seem like a person who can look ahead and do analysis of situations...
you definitely should take the at home job. You will make significantly more money as long as you actually are on the keyboard. I think it's a surprise sometime as to how much time is actually spent transcribing and how much is wandering around. If you time yourself at home, just to take the laundry out of the dryer can add up to 10 minutes in no time. So take that into consideration. You won't get paid for 8 hours - you'll only be paid when your fingers are actually making contact with the keyboard. Check your line production at work if you can to get an idea of how many lines you are actually cranking out in a day.
Now, that being said, you need to take a good long look at what is coming down the pike for MT. In all reality, MT is not going to last until you retire. Don't forget, what is left of MT is going to have to be either a) spread around amongst all of us or b) competed for by all of us. When there are more MT's than MT jobs, you can bet pay and working conditions is going to go down. So right now, while you have a job, you need to be thinking and planning where you are going to be when you lose your MT job and can't find another - or at least another that pays decent...Ask yourself, what would I do if next year I lose my job? and start exploring options that way. Me - I'm enrolled full time in nursing school for a BSN. I wasn't sure I could go back to school at 46, but I am and doing it quite successfully, no less. I still have at least 15 more years to work before retirement...so just plan ahead...
Did you ever notice how many real life situations (sm)
there are where you can say it reminds you of a Seinfeld episode?! I still watch reruns - never get sick of it.
Not all 8 cents a line situations are created equal sm
I am coming off a job using Extext and going into one using ChartNet. I have used Smart Type for over a decade and for Chartnet I have to go to Instant Text. I am able to do over 200 lines an hour after about a week at the new job. I will get to 300 again in a month or so. I say again because I have not done that much in a long time.
Extext...I loved it when I first used it, but after 18 months I can't get above 170 lph and that is with echoes and normals with lots of free lines, and that includes dozens of normals and report shells I have made myself. It won't get better and that is poor pay at the 8.5 cpl base rate, but then again I always have bonuses of a couple of kinds and shift differentials...but I can't do better than 1200 lines a day with any consistency, not in 8 hours a day.
I work a job in MedRite. Like Extext, it is a Word client and rather similar. Top rate for MedRite is close to 300 lines an hour on a horrid account with 80% PLUS ESLs. It is just a faster platform.
Enter ChartNet...never used it. Had to switch to Instant Text...never used it. I have been working about 5 days on it and I can do 200 lph and only one doctor so far who throws me for a loop when I can't do that. She is not an ESL, but a slurring motor mouth who skips around and forgets what she is doing on the phone in the first place.
The Extext work has been 90% OP notes, my specialty. The others are all the basic 4, and I have to say that I went from clinic for many years to OP notes, skipping the rest in between. I have very little experience in DS, CN and H&P notes, VERY little time with those. I'd be faster with them if I had done more of them before.
Part of speed is the expander, part is the platform and part is you. It doesn't matter how great you are as a typist and how perfect your expander, if the platform isn't very good you can't make money at any line rate. If the platform is good, but you are not Expander savvy, you won't you make it either. You can, however, be like me and a poor typist with a great expander and a decent platform...and STILL make money. LOL
In MY experience, the largest problem with making more money is the expander GLOSSARY, not which program you choose. I have heard some of the craziest stories about how to use an expander while on this board...ridiculous, wonky, time wasting, counter intuitive toro pu pu!!!! If you are struggling with an expander FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME. I am happy to spend my time helping anyone who will genuinely give my methods a shot.
Life's full of situations where you're backed into a corner
a winner thinks outside the box and takes a chance rather than be ASSURED of a life-time of misery.
You're the type of people who live in the same town their whole life even when there are no jobs and complain that they're unemployed.
Complacency will get you nowhere, neither will whining about having no money when there are other options but you refuse to look into them.
Your employer may be partially responsible for the trouble in your life right now but the only person keeping you in this mess is you.
Interesting! Fiber is used in constipation and diarrhea situations, which I always thought was
:+
Wow. After reading all of these sad situations and posts I actually feel pretty blessed. I did sm
Have my car repoed about 8 years ago and it was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I've since come out of a rut with me working and having a husband who works FT. We are blessed. We have definitely struggled with our bank acct. being overdrawn to the tune of 700.00 before, but we luckily came out of that and it only happened once. To everyone who is in a dire situation, may you find grace and peace in God. Believe in miracles. Don't give up. Good luck to you and I mean that in all sincerity.
Situations change. We are all in this for the money. Loyalty is great but appreciation (monetarily
And be honest. This is a financial issue and a matter of there is only so much time in one day. They may be shook up for a bit but in the end, they will remember you for the work you produced and your day to day performance and personal character traits. Give them plenty of time to find someone new if you are very fond of them and, in this case, you could offer to train the new person.
Proof positive that an hourly rate would eliminate those types of situations.
For us slow pkes---my best would be 3 hours, worst 6 hours - just depends on the dictator ,
I have to look up (i.e. Dr. names, addresses)...I have to do a lot of that and it majorly slows me down, without all that and good not too horrible dicators, in 1 hour I can do anywhere from 15-20 minutes of dictation.
But in transcription, if you are good at what you do, you can do 8 hours of work in 4 hours. So eit
you slice it, both companies will still get 8 hours worth of work out of you.
That is the problem I've been having lately being an MT. Companies want to pay us on production and they set minimum productivity standards, but want us timed in for 8 hours a day. My thinking is, if they want 8 hours of work out of me, pay me hourly with production incentive. If they want to pay me on production and tell how much I have to produce in an 8 hour period, then when I hit that mark, I should be able to call it a day even if I've only worked 4 hours.
Seems these companies want it both ways and it is simply not fair to us MTs. JMO, tho.
If it's my fav doc with lots of shortcuts, 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours max
x
I see, we sit at the keyboard for 40 hours and then throw on 20 more hours
Is this how you do it? Me? I got a PT job so that if my FT job didn't have enough work to meet my needs financially, the two jobs together would.
They hired me to work a specific shift and that is what I am working. If they want me to type after I clock out, then I will happily do so.
I must say, I work long hours, sometimes 12-14 hours a day.
I thought it was important to mention that. However many hours it takes to get the work done is what I do. Some days 12 hours, other days 6 hours and sometimes 14 hours. So, I guess there really is no easy answer.
I do 2000 lines in 6 hours - so maybe 3 hours - nm
x
typing 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week
is TOUGH.
on my wrists I mean.
and not getting any benefits... and for a salary of less than 30K? not really worth it...
Thank you ghost! So true! So true! More than one person!
xx
Yer crackin' me up! True, true, true! nm
x
ROFL!! true, so true! nm
nm
true, true but out of about 90 flicks....1 or 2...nm
true, true - but what you see as arrogance...sm
I think a lot of people go the extreme -
so, if I had to be one way or the other (being a humble extremist myself...*LOL*), I'd rather have too much self-esteem than not enough (been there, done that the first 30 years!!! *L*). And I am a truly humble person, been recognized for just that.....but because of *been there, done that* - and all sorts of therapies (not drug therapies), some end up the other way. Oh well, this was a fun couple of posts - so I thought.
Gave me much to chew on :) Have fun! 
True but to say there are no good MTs not true.
asdf
ROFLMAO!!!! so true! so true!
Everybody sees it but her, though! I love it! Thanks for the giggle! ":^)
What Company is This? I have been hired by a company that is sending a foot pedal.. Don't want t
.
The company cutting cpl, the company stopping paying for headers
:{
Good of the company? As IC, I am my own company. Not my problem if she has problems as long as I do
:P
Accepted a job with a new company, gave two weeks notice to my old company..
Old company, let me go before two weeks was up. New company, said they were having trouble getting me set up and my equipment ready, but they would pay me while I waited. It's been a month, still no check from new company even though I was told it was "in the mail." I have no income and am at a loss.
I have a signed offer letter from the new company, contracts, etc. I applied for unemployment, but old company is saying I quit and technically I am currently employed with the new company! New company is not returning calls or answering email.
What should I do!?!?!?!
I started sending my resume out today, but the process of getting a new job will take at least two weeks and I need money now to catch up on what I'm behind!
You don't want to work for this company. Call your current company and
tell them that you have decided against the new position and tell them that you would like to stay. It is cheaper for them to let you stay than to train someone new. A company who could be so tacky as the one you just spoke of is one you do not want to work for. You can rescind your resignation. If you are a good MT, they will be glad you did.
With my company, ICs use their own emails, employees have company email.
x
COMPANY INQUIRIES belong on Company board, please!
Goldbird
....3 months later my old company rehired me; can you return to your 1st company?
nm
Local radiology company, not transcription company
who has only 5 transcriptionists and are not hiring at this moment. We all work at home and get great benefits, no insurance out of pocket and 22 days paid vacation in the first year, after that it goes up. I feel very fortunate to have found them, but again I chose them because they did not do production, so now that they are, I'm a little disappointed.
I think it varies greatly from company to company...sm
I was hired five months ago by a national straight out of school at 8 cpl. I think it just depends on your knowledge level and ability, and of course, what the company is willing to pay.
i think it varies from company to company and/or location
VR company? Not when the MT company owns its own VR equipment. n/m.
xx
That was PT at EACH. Isn't PT up to 32-35 hours?
She could be working 70 hours a week to make that kind of dough. Ergh, not me, no how, no way, uh uh. I'm happy with the 35 hours total that I've been putting in lately.
hours
Contracted to work 8 hrs M-F but I usually do more, may be 1.5 after baby is sleep. If I have to work on Friday nights I can make my personal quota in 5.5 hours.
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