Before you think all companies are evil... - jm0405

Not all companies are bad.  Through my 20 years of being an MT, I only have 2 companies I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy - Siance and Superior Global.  They are sweat shops, nothing less - nothing more.

The other companies?  I went through a period of being REALLY irresponsible when I started working at home.  It was easy to get sidetracked.  It took me about 5 years to get really focused.  The 15 years prior, I had a steady income with a job out of the house and the MT money was extra income.  When I started working at home 100% - YIKES!!  What a wake up experience that was!!  Discipline was tough for me.  In that period, I went through a ton of companies.  My fault - Never had anything bad or good really to say about them.  I had a few pet peeves like I felt some companies (Softscript and Breitner) had awful line counters and odd deductions that could cut your income down by 20% each paycheck.  QA was fine...but what about my money? LOL

There are odd companies out there - I mean one guy was a speed freak that would call all hours, he never slept, talked really loud in the phone and was over demanding and rude.  I left his company cause I figure in record time, hospitals will fire him.  I am sure they did since his company disappeared within a year later. 

There are some companies I am loyal to - PTC, Proscript and Focus.  I love those companies and I am thankful I have had the opportunity of working for them.  I left Focus after 4 years and 11 months because of Nuance bringing on new management that was losing accounts left and right.  I was laid off.  No big deal - I still appreciate what that company taught me.  Proscript has worked out very well for me with only a few glitches here and there.  No matter what, I will always be appreciative cause management took me back after I was homeless for a few months due to Superior Global not paying me and I started with Proscript too late in the game to remain in housing...timing was off. There's a lot of respect to be said for a company that took me back when they didn't have to. 

If it seems like I am some bitter, hateful person about companies, I am really not.  What it is - in the last, about 6 years, I have worked for 2 companies at a time so if one runs out of work, I still have income.  I keep my "pet" companies and have secondary income.  With this freedom, I will admit I am picky.  I mean when a company micromanaged and fired me for having to take a bathroom break - TTS - LOL - I am sorry but it had to be asked, I asked that sorry supervisor, "Would you have had coronary arrest if I had to take a sh*t?" I felt no guilt quitting/leaving that fine facility.  I also have left many companies over the years when their training leaves you with a check for $4.91 and the paper that check is printed on, the ink used, the stamp and envelope all cost more than your check itself. LOL! It's just the way I work things, I have room to be picky and settle for what I want.  I have been with Proscript for almost a year with a break in there for 3 months due to homelessness - I tried to retain hope for SGS and its work flow and that failed...but I didn't fail the company, the company failed to prove itself worthy in the 11 months I was employed there.  When a job makes you homeless, you don't need it - that's no job - that's them making money off you working for them for free. 

I am not some doom and gloom person.  I have my favorites.  I have others that are okay for others, but not me - Softscript - I couldn't get the line count up, but I know others who did just fine.  I didn't like Medquist because my checks were always late, but I did like having a 40-hour work week that paid me $14 an hour - was not paid by production.  Having a violent hubby that beat me cause he accused me of hiding my money from him when Medquist was paying me late, I had to quit the company.  My life was in danger and they refused to resolve that issue and pay me on time. 

I am not some wicked little person that speaks evil of all companies...in reality, there are many I don't care about.  They weren't worth the effort or they were so meaningless I forgot them.  The ones that stand out were the ones that just went overboard - don't pay, firing me over a restroom break...in retrospect, one can look back and laugh.  For all of you out there wondering what companies are worth working for, you will find them.  If one shoe doesn't fit, try another and another until you find a pair that won't rub blisters.  :)  Everyone has a different what's good, bad and ugly.  Take the people out of the equation and concentrate on if they pay, pay on time, have honest line counters, benefits, etc.  People?  You can work around just fine.  QA?  ALL THOSE OPINIONS...MAN!! HOW DO YOU GET AROUND THAT MESS???  Easy...Question?  Type your question, insert examples and send your email to all the QAs at the same time, in addition to your supervisor.  Trust me, you will get 1 answer with everyone quickly on the same page.  WELL, WELL, WELL - ONE LESS WORRY AND STRESSFUL THING...IMAGINE THAT... 

If a company doesn't pay you or pays you under minimum wage and you are an employee, not an IC, then I am all about filing unemployment supplemental benefits and sending paperwork to the Labor Board.  NOBODY WORKS FOR FREE!!!!  SWEAT SHOPS ARE FOR INDIA - NOT THE UNITED STATES!  Stand up for yourselves.  Nobody else can do it for you. 

No employer is perfect.  However, with teamwork, integrity, perseverance, hard work, communication, passion and flexibility, any MT and any company can be a great person or place.  It seems that sometimes the bashing comes easier than the compliments.  It happens.  People are mad because they aren't getting paid, had a low QA score, had a bad hair day at the salon, has unruly children, etc.  Walk in their shoes for a minute.  Are ALL companies that bad? Are ALL mad MTs that bad? No.  It's all about reacting to a circumstance and these online forums are a great place to blow off steam, vent, let go and share information so other great MTs avoid the mistake you made and you're currently beating yourself up over for wasting all that time and energy.  However, keep in mind, with these little events, we become wiser, stronger, more analytical and better prepared when something goes awry - we're better for it.  The whole industry is not that bad.  Not all QA or management is evil.  It just sometimes feels like it.

Felt like saying something positive...food for thought...boost morale a little maybe.