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

I am so frustrated, it seems I took a cut in pay - am on IC status and doing more

Posted: May 07, 2012

and more that is unrelated to transcription. This just seems wrong. I get paid by production, yet I am doing all sorts of work that involves something a clerical worker should be doing. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Why? - mt

[ In Reply To ..]
Why are you doing it? Have you tried refusing? Asked to be paid? Looked for a job.

Anyone who writes, "it seems I took a cut in pay" makes my head spin.

Speak up for yourself. Give notice. Do whatever you need to do so you KNOW if you are taking a pay cut or that your job will entail being paid for what you do.

I've been looking just like everyone else on this board has - not just having a pity party, sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Would like to know if others have been facing this same situation. I'm not a newcomer to this situation. I have had no less than 7 or 8 (cannot count them all) jobs in the last 2 years. Seems the same thing just keeps happening.

Did you say you have had 7 to 8 jobs in 2yrs? - Wow.

[ In Reply To ..]
thats more then what some people work in a life time.

Unfortunately, yes, and the reason being lack of work for moving - on from most of these, nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

don't get me wrong, I have maintained 1 primary job in that time, but - trying to make a switch to another, sm

[ In Reply To ..]
company has not worked out. I end up working for 2-3 months just to find out there is not enough work to maintain the line count that I desire. I learned long ago not to give up a job you have been with for a while like this unless it is worth it, but working 2 jobs has become exhausting along with the search for something better.

to answer one of your questions, I like to eat and all the job - hopping is exhausting

[ In Reply To ..]
My head has been spinning to 2 years now. Welcome to my world.

If that's what the company requires, you can't refuse to do it. - mt

[ In Reply To ..]
I also feel like I am going more clerical work - i.e. filling in all dictated info when a copy goes to a doctor, header info, and more. I wouldn't mind IF I was paid for that and IF my wage was decent. Most companies don't pay for "extras"

Thanks for actually reading my question. I appreciate your - input on your own situation

[ In Reply To ..]
.

You will be exploited this way as long as you put up - with effectively shouldering data entry costs

[ In Reply To ..]
from the client. These ARE being transferred to you--passed from the client that's laid off input clerks, to your company which, worried about losing the account if it charges more for more work AND unwilling to raise your pay, instead passes the additional work (and thus the cost for doing it) down to you. So, you pay--just as long as you'll agree to.

Regarding MT's statement, I WOULD mind doing data entry if I were paid for it, and here's why: Data entry is significantly lower-skill work and thus would be paid less than MT/ME. Plus, it's boring and a waste of my skills.

Bottom line any way you look at it, though, you need to get out of there. May I suggest one full-time job? The fact is, part-time employees are usually less valued than good full-time ones, and goodness knows if we full-timers are hurting for proper treatment these days, what about part-timers? BTW, many managers routinely give better and more work to people who have proven themselves, letting new employees get the rest until they do something to move themselves up into the pool managers make some effort to take care of, and even in some cases take good care of. Plus, some new employees truly stink and/or won't hang around long for various reasons anyway, and it's usually in a manager's best interests to identify and weed those out as quickly as possible. Think of the time that may be needed to identify yourself as a good one as an investment, because it is.

thanks, I have a full-time job and everyone on the account I - work on is treated the same, sm

[ In Reply To ..]
we all have to do the same things. The account I work on has over 60 MTs on it, so I'm not in the boat alone. Perhaps I'm the only one who doesn't like it. I've worked on this account for 2 years, I think I have proven myself.

Pardon me, but an investment in what? - could not keep quiet

[ In Reply To ..]
If we're talking about working as an IC for some "company", are we investing our hard-earned knowledge and skill in something/someone who treats us as nothing more than a commodity? Someone whom they care little to nothing about and can throw away whenever that someone (or some thing) doesn't suit their needs anymore? I have had the same experience with ICs, but not because I have been asked to do overtime. I have signed on for 3 of these IC situations in as many months. Initially, I got the party line, everything they thought I wanted to hear about the great things they had to offer. Invariably, I would get set up to work, work a week or so, and then the work would become nothing more than a dribble. And the "company" was MIA - GONE. I mean never even an answer to your e-mails or phone calls. But, as the above poster said, if you figured out their scam and called them out in an e-mail or a phone call, your dribble of work would stop altogether. A new one on me: One of them offered 7.5 cents a line to start and then 8.5 cents a line after you got off 100% QA. Then, guess what? ... you guessed it ... it appears that you never get off 100% QA!!! (MT Rule #1: All MTSOs are liars [well, maybe I'm being a little harsh .... all MTSOs who hire ICs (and there seem to be lots and lots more of them)] are liars.) THEY HAVE NO SKINS IN THE GAME. IT'S ALL CALCULATED TO BE IN THEIR FAVOR. And they do it because we let them. The best bet is to look for an employer, whether it be one of the MTSOs (after tons of research on them, that is) or a hospital. Someone on the other side who is MAKING AN INVESTMENT. It may be hard, but everything these days is hard and getting harder. But this IC business has been sorely abused, and at least in my humble opinion, the only way to put an end to it is to stop feeding the beast.

Take it easy, mt - ltdn

[ In Reply To ..]
She came here with a question, not to get raked over the coals for why she's doing it, has she refused, asked to be paid or looked for a job...chances are, she's probably putting food on the table and sadly, has to keep doing what she's doing. Every danged one of us who have gotten screwed in one way or the other have frustrations and look for feedback to find out if we're crazy or if it's happening to others too. Apparently you've refused, asked to be paid or looked for another job. Good for you; but your head spinning over what someone wrote seems a little brash and probably could've been toned down or answered in a different way. You have no idea what her situation is.

freebies - amuzed

[ In Reply To ..]
I can relate. I do not get it, why we do this type of work and not get paid for it. I even asked once, why don't I get paid for this work? The answer was that is what they expected and how "it's been." Those minutes that are spent in demographics add up to an hour or so at the end of the day. Why is it expected we do this for free?? What other occupation would ask for this?

I do it, too! - experiencedmt

[ In Reply To ..]
We have to verify all kinds of things instead of straight typing....... Over the last several years it just seems to keep adding up and pay has remained the same........ which equals a decrease overall. I'm not responsible for all of this stuff, but yet I'm held responsible for it somehow.. ?????

Clerical work along with transcription - just me

[ In Reply To ..]
Yes! I am expected to manually fax long distance the surgeons and whoever else listed on the operative report. I have to print, and then fax, as modeming in the report caused significant damage to my computers. This is the facility's duty and not mine.

When I am asked to FAX, I just put a CC at the bottom. Not my responsibility - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
xx

To Just Me - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
No way on God's green earth would I do that, why are you? If you do it you should be paid for it. This is time and money out of your pocket. I don't understand what you mean by "modeming caused damage to my computer." I would think it is some sort of HIPAA infarction for your doing so. Why are you telling us and not your work? I understand we all need jobs, to be paid well, what I don't understand is why people stay and put us with things such as this. If we keep doing it, so will they. Don't say I don't know what it's like because I do. I was a single mom with 2 kids and raised them on one income. It wasn't easy, I often pooled groceries with a friend just so both of us would have enough to feed our families. Yes things were different 20 years ago, but no easier!!!

My experience when you speak out, you pay, and not for - the better, nm

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Yeah, I've been told what a privilege it is to work for company - and who many people are waiting, sm

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in line for my job.

Me too! sm - Another MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been getting the "I get calls everyday...." spill. (eyerolling) That along with all the mandatory overtime is making me a really cranky person!

Just want to put in my 2 cents. - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I can relate and sympathize with the MT who claims to have 7 or 8 jobs in 2 years. I have not had that many, but I find it is hard to find a good company that pays well and has plenty of work too. I delayed resigning from an in-house job that I absolutely hated, cuz I was afraid to work at home in the unknown and uncertain world of remote transcription. I am not sure that was a good decision as my former job working at a hospital was very stressful and hazardous to my health. My blodo pressure went up uncontrolled for awhile and had chronic headaches from all the stress. Still I had a paycheck regularly and could pay my bills, without worrying of losing my house or having enough to eat.

I guess that I am saying is you have to figure out what is most important and make your decisions accordingly.

Good luck to all MT's who are having a rough time making enough money. My prayers are with you for a better tomorrow.

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