A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

IC contract after a month of work - confused

Posted: Feb 01, 2013

New MT here, started the 1st of Jan so I've been working for a month. The only info or paperwork I received from this company was a W-9 and direct deposit form. In fact, I had to fill them out twice, not sure why. I wasn't told my line rate until I flat out asked. Yesterday I received a request to fill out these forms again, along with an IC contract. I'm not legal savvy, so I don't understand most of it. What stood out was the start date of Feb 1 through Dec 31. So what happened to January? I emailed my AC about it and asked if I'd be paid for January. She replied only saying that the forms need to be filled out again and that I would be paid for January. So far, I haven't been paid at all. I expected payment today for work done the 1st thru 15th but so far nothing. No idea how that works either.

The vagueness I've gotten from the AC's in this company from Day 1 is unsettling. Why do I need to keep filling out the same forms over and over? Why a contract now and not when I started? Possibly I was on a probationary status in January, but if so, why not just say so? The contract also states that I agree to provide services for Feb 1 thru Dec 31 "according to terms set forth by the client," but where is the guarantee I will have work to do? I've had to rearrange my life to be at home and available for my 25 hr/week commitment, yet I've spent many evenings and weekends already staring at an empty queue.

I've heard good things about this company here and from my school, so I'm not sure how to feel about all this. If there are worse companies than this, then that's pretty sad. At the very least I expect clear terms up front. Is that too much to ask? I guess I'm just cranky this morning. I think I'm done working for this company though. I wanted to give MT a try because I paid big bucks for one of the supposed "best" courses out there, but I think I'll just cut my losses and move on.

Well - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If you give the name of the company you may get people who also work there that could reply and you would feel better about whether it is "shady" business or not.

What I would do. - me

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First of all, I would cross through the Feb. 1 date on the contract and put the date that I actually started working for them.

Secondly, call NOW and ask about your pay. Don't assume you aren't getting paid and just quit. Usually with a first paycheck it is a paper check and not DD, so that could be the delay.

Lastly, you have so many questions, yet you are typing for the company. If your manager answers you vaguely, you should make it clear that you are NOT typing until it is CLEAR about pay and CLEAR when you get paid, etc. You shouldn't have had to ask and ask to even find out your line rate, that should have been given to you BEFORE you even agreed to work!

I would cross out their date and revise it as well. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
As far as work being provided to you, as an IC they don't have to guarantee any work to you, just like you do not have to give them a specific work schedule as an IC, so I'm not sure what you mean by you rearranged things to work them at specific times. True ICs do not work a set schedule. They can provide the client (MTSO) with when they are available to render their services as a courtesy but, again, true ICs make their own hours. There is usually a window of TAT that is asked by the client and the IC works around that as well. No IC is guaranteed work though, employees are. You might try the employee route if you want a steady workflow for scheduled times.

I was required to set a schedule - the OP (more)

[ In Reply To ..]
for specific hours on specific days and stick to that schedule. IM was used to show I was working. They also asked me to exchange one of my chosen evenings for another so they would have coverage for a certain account. If I had any fluctuation I sure wasn't made aware of it. Now more confused than ever about IC status. I appreciate the advice. I admit being ignorant about the workings of being an MT and an IC.

As with any job MT or whatever - see message.

[ In Reply To ..]
You should know your pay before you start working. You should have been provided with your line rates at the time of hire or during your interview.

The contract should have been filled out and signed prior to you starting work. As an IC, you are entering into a legal agreement to perform services for the company and you should never start work without being clear on the terms of agreement and signing that contract.

If they have your start date as Febuary 1st and you started January 1st, have them present you with corrected copy of that paper work and do not sign it until then. Have someone look over the contract with you if you do not understand it, but dont sign anything you do not understand.

I would'nt throw in the towel just yet, maybe with this company you are working for now, I would. But maybe try Nuance, as I hear they hire new graduates. At least that will give you some experience in the field. The pay is not great, but sounds like you are only doing part-time anyway. I would apply with them if nothing else to get the experience and there you will be an employee, not IC. Being as though they are large, they are reputable and pay their employees. Maybe not the best company to work for, but they are at least ligit.

As a less than 1-year IC for this company, - Go ahead and call me a suit

[ In Reply To ..]
I signed a contract when I started, knew the pay rate for the account I was going to be placed on, and set my own schedule. Of course, I interviewed with the owner, who as a sole proprietor is the one who probably can give an IC that information, and she is the one who should have been asked if there was a question about the rate. Her e-mail and IM information is sent with your start up info, along with your QA and managers. By the way, I see her on IM very late just about every night of the week, meaning she is available.

As far as line counts go, they are also available at any time on the platform used by this company and one is always paid based on the line count that is shown. There is nothing "hidden" about your line counts and the only changes made are subtle and only after having been QA'd, usually in your favor and only by a single line. My pay has always come in at what I calculated them to be.

As stated, I signed a contract when I started and not having been there for over a year to back up my theory otherwise, can assume since it was a company-wide request to sign the contracts, that this is done on an annual basis. In other words she runs her contracts from start of a year to the end of the year.

I will also add, I don't know all the account managers for this company, but the ones I have dealt with have always been there to answer questions. I have yet had the need to go to the owner to have a problem or question resolved. However, I will give her the benefit of the doubt that she had one that was less communicative than the one I have been fortunate to get.

To: Call me a suit - What are you talking about? - No one said anything about

[ In Reply To ..]
line counts not being right or hidden or the availability of he owner or account managers etc.

Go back and read the original post by the OP. You post makes no sense whatsoever. The OP was venting about her confusion and not knowing her line rates. Are you the owner of this so-called company? I could have sworn I saw your nick-name on the MModal board a few days ago. I dont see too many posters going by the name "call me a suit."

Come to think of it, your name was on the MM board. - I thought you worked for MM? but you

[ In Reply To ..]
are saying in your above post you work for this company? Do you work for both?

Isn't that the next step in assuming on - go ahead, call me a suit

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this board? The company's credibility has been put into question from the OP, and the rest are already assuming the business is trying to cheat her. So, if I take the time to explain it was a company-wide process and her hiring situation was a very unique one with this particular company, what else is left to question but the line count. Because there isn't one decent business owner out there is there?

In any event, I apologize for offending you with bringing that up. Should I ever post again, I'll be sure to address only the points brought up in the post and not extend beyond them to provide any unsolicited information, although it may be of benefit for someone.

What company is it? - ?

[ In Reply To ..]
It's okay to put company names on here and if you disclose the company name perhaps someone can help you better understand and you can also see if that is common practice for that company or if you are being railroaded since you are a new MT. BUT, it is very difficult to get a job at a reputable company without five years of experience as an MT.

was hesitant to say - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
but... QMedET

Never heard of that company before. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
hmmm...gonna google it.

I googled it. - Q

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Never heard of them either. They had good reviews from 2009 and couldn't find anything at all past then. Maybe most folks are so happy there that they never have to hire? I don't know.

This is not a true IC position.... - Nikki

[ In Reply To ..]
if you are being required to set specific hours on specific days with no flexibility. That's the beauty of being an IC, you make your own schedule! I also don't like the sound of how they do business with all the multiple requests for the same paperwork and start dates changing, etc. If they sent you a contract, then your line rate should be clearly defined in there somewhere, along with the date(s) you will be paid. If it isn't, it's a big red flag. This all sounds a little shady to me. Maybe you should research the company more thoroughly before signing anything further. And certainly, if you don't get paid soon for January, don't keep typing for them!

You treat an MT job just like any other. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I understand that you are new to the MT profession, but just treat it like any other. As far as beginning work without knowing what you will get paid, that is pretty bad. For future reference, make sure that is clear to begin with.

IC shouldn't be such a confusing thing and perhaps the MTSO is taking advantage of the fact that you are new. TYPICALLY, a job will offer you IC status and they will provide you with a contract BEFORE you start or they will ask you to provide them with a contract, that you both agreed upon, BEFORE you start.

As far as you waiting around and not getting work. They aren't required to give you work and you aren't required to work a schedule. Many companies require IC status to agree to a certain amount of lines daily, or they can even suggest what days/times would be best for them, in which you can agree or not agree that is up to you. If you choose not to agree, they can choose to find a different MT that will agree. I would not sit and wait for work though, for sure. Nowhere, anywhere does it say that an IC is supposed to do that.

Unfortunately, I can't say it's a bad company since you are not getting your lines, because most are like that these days. It is very hard for even the most seasoned MT to find a good company that didn't over staff and will be able to give lines. My advice wouldn't be to throw in the towel. IF it is a legitimate company, then you are FORTUNATE to have even gotten a job with no experience. I would at LEAST try to stick it out for the experience and then maybe you can move on to a different company.

Right now, as I understand, you are just confused about your pay date, so I would get that cleared up. In the future, if your check is late or if you are given excuses like "We are waiting for the client to pay us" then just RUN at that point. Don't continue typing for a company that has not paid you for previous work.

FYI - Just me

[ In Reply To ..]
I would suggest you speak with you supervisor to to get your questions answered before coming on this board and saying the company is fishy. Being a newbie I understand you might not have known the questions to ask, but there is no excuse now not to ask those questions. The next pay date will be Monday for work performed 1/1 through 1/15.

She di d not say the company was fishy, but your post - sure is fishy...see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
The poster "call me a suit" posted a fishy message to. Like she was trying to do damage control for this company or something. The OP never said anything about the company other than she was confused and didn't know her line rates. Yeahj, she did mention not having any work, but a lot of folks are posting about no work on these boards lately.

She did not cut your company down in any form or fashion and this is a public board so she should be able to post here without being reprimanded or being accused of making the company seem fishy. Sounds to me like the company needs to brush up on their communication skills with their new hires and make sure the contract and pay is clearly understood before services are performed.

If I did not know any better, I would swear you or "call me a suit" are either managers or the owner of this company judging by your posts.

FYI - Just me

[ In Reply To ..]
Go ahead and call me a suit. Doesn't bother me. But to try to drag a GOOD company down with all the bad ones out there is wrong. If I'm confused about something I go to the person who has the answers, not a forum. I informed her when she would receive her pay since she didn't know and seemed to imply that the pay was screwy. As far as not knowing her pay rate that's on her for not asking. I certainly wouldn't accept a job without knowing what I'm being paid. Secondly the IC tells them what hours they want to work. If there is no work the hours you need to work then maybe you need to change your hours. It seems everything on this board is negative and most of the time it is deserved but not in this case. I'm not a suit just someone who is happy with there job. If you don't like it tough.

She did'nt ask questions, people were just giving feedback - on her post.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

To original OP: Confused... - Amber

[ In Reply To ..]
I also work at QMedET. When I read your original post, I thought that's who you were talking about.

I have been there since 05/2012. I also had to fill out a contract and did not have to fill one out when I first started. I didn't understand the dates either.

I thought it was a little strange that I had to fill out a schedule as well with being an IC, but after reading other posts apparently this is the way things are going now. Basically, they are saying you can work whenever you want, but you have to let them know ahead of time when you are working; doesn't really sound like a true IC position to me, but being desperate for a job, I didn't question it.

Before starting with this company, I also tried to do a little research on them. I went into the archives on the Company board and found some info on them. None of it was bad.

I have always been paid and have been paid on time.

I would like to chat with you more about them but not on a post.

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