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Disadvantages & Advantages of "Work at Home" - Not an MT


Posted: Jun 03, 2010

I am not an MT. I am a student who is given a research assignment on "Advantages and Disadvantages of Work at Home Individuals". I have posted this question on few other work at home forums as well. Can you please share your experiences?

Please keep in mind that I need opinions from both sides i.e. employers and employees.

Thanks in advance.

Briefly - it is what it is

[ In Reply To ..]
Advantage - no concerns about transportation, wardrobe and office politics.

Disadvantage - constantly declining wages, due to crooks (aka MTSOs) ruining our industry by laying awake nights inventing new reasons/excuses to not pay us for something they paid us for yesterday.

I agree with the 1st part of the message but have a different answer for disadvantages - See message

[ In Reply To ..]
The disadvantages of working at home include never really getting very far away from your work. Also, it's difficult for friends and neighbors to realize that you are really working and can't stop to chat. The bottom line though is, there are no real disadvantages to working at home, in my opinion.

......working at home - spitfire

[ In Reply To ..]
Agree w/above, however, must add to advantages not having to worry about driving in ice/snow in winter and to disadvantages the isolation that can sometimes be overwhelming and the feeling of losing contact with all but the cyber world.

Advantages and Disadvantages.... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Advantages: I can see my children walk through the door each day after school and no daycare or worrying if the oldest is looking out for the youngest. I can do laundry as I make money. I can have coffee with friends as I am an IC and I make my own hours and decide how much I want to work each day. IC = independent contractor. I am self-employed and am my own boss.

Disadvantages: None. I am a social person. I think if I wasn't, I would be in trouble with the isolation. Honestly though as an MT of many, many years, I am used to zoning in on my work no matter the environment. It is actually quieter at home and I have less interruptions than I did in the hospital setting. The other staff thought nothing to interrupt even with the headphones on and fingers on the keys moving rapidly.

Oh one disadvantage is that I am not visible to prospective clients like I was in the hospital. I had 4 clients that I have acquired from being on-site and being visible to them and they see how fast I can type plus my work must have been pretty acceptable. Not patting myself on the back, just stating some facts here.

Thanks for asking! :)

My input - anonymoose

[ In Reply To ..]
Advantages: No traffic, low gas bill, no wardrobe to maintain, no office politics. Don't have to contribute to coffee fund, birthday fund, and any other "funds". Depending on how motivated and a "get goer" you are you can negotiate your fees. You can own your own business and get your own accounts. As an IC you can work as much or as little as you want. Even though you have hours and a supervisor you are still your own boss.

Disadvantages: Can't call into work on a snow day that you can't come in (LOL). If the internet goes down you can't work. Being an MT is a very solitude lifestyle. You are in your own world, just you the computer and your headphones, and you have to like living and working this way. I think by not working with people your interpersonal skills tend to --- (can't think of a word, but you just don't develop skills of working with other people. Being with friends and family is different. I can tolerate them, I just have a hard time tolerating strangers. Also, you end up needing to provide your own benefits, which now adays are very very lousy rates. You have to force yourself to put money aside to pay your quarterly taxes. Its very easy to spend that money, but if you don't save to pay the taxes that could get dangerous. I don't have neighbors, relatives or family in the area so I don't run into that problem. My sister knows to not contact me during the day because that is when I'm working and everyone I know does know that it's a job and I'm not fluffing off during the day. You do not have the convenience of having a co-worker to listen to something if you don't understand it and you have to have very very good resources to do your research to find something you may not understand. If you live in an area of the country where its rainy and drizzly all the time, between the weather and living a solitary life you could find yourself hitting a "low" in your life. You have to find ways to get out, buy sun lights and do whatever you can to maintain contact with other people. This board is a great place to come.

Another disadvantage is if you work at home and there is no work you don't get paid. Unless your are an employee you are not guaranteed an income. The other disadvantage of having a job where you are sendentary is that it's very easy to pack on the pounds. I've gained 50 pounds since I became an MT. Unless you have a good healthy eating and exercise plan the pounds will come.

Those are the only things I can think of. To me it's pretty much like any other job. I have my office in my house. I start my shift at my time and work until finished. hope that helps with your research. I am an IC working for a company if you need to know that.

In my opinion the ONLY good thing that came - Livewire

[ In Reply To ..]
from me working as an MT at home, is the fact I have raised my own kids and never had to pay daycare. Now that the industry is going to pot and I am desperately wanting out of the business, I don't have the time, money, or energy to go back to school but am stuck as this is the only thing I have experience in. Working at home for me has been a huge crutch. I have been out of the workforce social loop for so long, I am scared to death to go back not to mention it is pretty slim pickens out there. So for me it was probably the worst thing I could have done because now I am paying the price.

If you have good MT skills you have skills you can use 'out there' if you want - instead of living your life in fear

[ In Reply To ..]
All those skills that you medical transcriptionists (real ones, not just people who type medical words), you've got skills that make you eligible for on-site jobs if that's what you want. Instead of being fearful about it, why not just jump in there and see what's available? It sounds like you are unhappy doing what you're doing, so what do you have to lose?

I have applied a bunch of places - Livewire

[ In Reply To ..]
even at Costco. Nothing. I can't even get an interview. Everybody wants at least 12 months experience in bookkeeping, receptionist work, administrative work, etc. How do you get experience when nobody will give you a chance? You're right. I am extremely unhappy in transcription. Trying to get out but not having much success.

Because Hospitals are selling out to Services - mtmom

[ In Reply To ..]
Most hospitals and doctor's offices are now hiring out to services because it saves their bottom line. It is nearly impossible to find on-site transcription work in the Indianapolis area. Plus, most services also are doing offshore accounts, which is taking work away from transribers and giving it to foreign workers who type medical words. I would love to work on-site as I would get paid at least $5 more an hour, but those jobs really can't be found anymore.
That's true. Most MTs do work at home - nm
[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Yes, but remember.... - anonymoose

[ In Reply To ..]
You say it's the worst thing, however, with the economy the way it is you could have been out in the workforce and still be out of work. On my side, out of 7 people 5 are unemployed, and on my DH's side out of 10 people 4 are unemployed. Just because people work out of the home doesn't guarantee they have jobs. All my family members had been at their place of employment for around 8 or 9 years or longer before they were laid off.

I am glad that I posted it on MTStars - Not an MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I need more input, still lacking 2 pages of my assignment.

Thank you very much ! :)

More Advantages and Disadvantages - achyfingers

[ In Reply To ..]
Would say some advantages are: never needing to pay for childcare, can be very accessible to your family while still making a full-time income, none of the in-office politics, no commuting, no one looking over your shoulder, usually less stressful, can work in the environment you create.

Some disadvantages are:
Friends and family don't really understand it is real work. Home MTs can really get taken advantage of by their MTSO and management, schedule not carved in stone so forced to constantly flex when the work is available, rarely paid OT, never paid hourly or fixed salary, which can be a problem if you're not getting enough lines in to make production, lots of politics, just in a different form, very little respect by employer, little respect by society when you work from home, never paid according to your experience level, can hard be to move up and/or get promoted, constant work shortages, rarely get a raise, pay scale too low for these economic times and only seems to get worse over time, seems to be a slowly vanishing field due to many factors including offshoring, healthcare changes, VR, lack of union, etc. No full weekends off. 9-5 schedule?? What's that?? Seems like the day never ends sometimes in this field. Can be exhausting.

Most important advantage for me - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Was being mobile. If I moved, I could just pack up and leave. When I worked in house I was always stuck to being within easy driving distance to work. Even when I worked at home as an employee for the hospital, only their tech department could come set up my computer, and they were always weeks out on their appointments. I love that if something happened and I needed to leave, I wouln't have to be back in time for work or be limited to where I can go.

That's an excellent point. I have moved 3 times to different areas - and my job went with me (nm)

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Disadvantages & Advantages of "Work at Home" - eagles_fan

[ In Reply To ..]
I have worked in offices, and I have worked at home. I prefer working at home.

Advantages:
1. No dress code.
2. No distractions or interruptions.
3. No walking or taking a bus.
4. No office politics.
5. No annoying co-workers.
6. I prefer working alone.
7. I can arrange my work environment and equipment the way I like them.

Disadvantage:
No nice co-workers to listen to something and help me figure out what the dictator is saying.

I hope this is helpful. Good luck.


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