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

Frustrated with schedule...Chill or say something? - Exhausted

Posted: Dec 20, 2010

I took this job in the begining of the year the first transcriptionist on a new account and when hired they told me that a benefit of being the first hired on the account was that I was able to have first pick of schedule. I chose Sunday night through Thursday night 3rd shift and worked that up until 4 months ago when my team lead e-mailed me and told me that weekends were the busiest time and that they got no weekend benefit from me working my current schedule so gave me the choice to work either Friday nights or Saturday nights. I chose Friday because I cannot possibly work Saturday nights and then make my church duties. She then made my schedule Sun, Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Since I've changed to that schedule I've been so exhausted and can barely make it to 6:00. On Sundays it isn't that big of a deal because usually between church I can nap and be rested for Sunday night. However, I am sleeping on Wednesday nights and do not sleep on Thursdays so by the time Friday morning comes along I've been up for over 24 hours, every week. This has started to take a toll on me. I do not get adequate time off with this split day schedule and with working 3rd shift it has really started taking a toll on me physically.

My team lead has since changed and I would like to ask if I can keep working Friday nights so they will have that Fri night benefit of having me on and take off on Sat and Sunday nights (especially since Sun is not busy at all). With working 3rd shift I really NEED those 2 days off in a row. I'm afraid my body is not going to make it much longer keeping this schedule before my health deteriorates.

Am I out of line, asking too much or is this an understandable request?

I think that is a reasonable request. sm - RoadrunnerMT

[ In Reply To ..]
You are still working the Fri night so I don't think they would have a problem. Isn't it odd how those not working 3rd shift have no clue how unnormal it is? Well that doesn't sound good either! I get sleepy about this time but anyway. Switching and working night shift is extremely hard on the body and rhythm. In order for your body to ever adjust, you need to stay on that night shift schedule even when you are NOT working.

Go for it and ask, I don't see it being a problem; ITS APPROVED, lol!!

Yea, I've noticed... sm - Frustrated

[ In Reply To ..]
There are no TLs on at all during my shift and all of them have 2 days off in a row yet the note I got from my TL was that it was preposterous to think I'd get 2 days off in a row. As a matter of fact that was the subject line in the e-mail; "2 days off in a row". Like it is unheard of. I think it would be doable if I worked 1st and maybe even welcome. Kind of nice to have a day during the week totally off but the fact remains I don't work 1st. I've worked this shift for 7 years and have no problem doing it when I get sufficient time to recooperate but I am not getting it now and everything is suffering, including my productivity.

You should absolutely say something. - Hayseed

[ In Reply To ..]
Third shift isn't for the faint hearted. Not only should it pay more but it should NEVER be split like that, simply because you really do need those 2 days because on your day off, you are pretty much forced to "swing" back into day shift mode to be in sync with the rest of the world, and then swing back into night shift mode again.

It really does take a toll on the body and mind and I would hope they understand that and can take care of the person that helps them pull in the $$.

What ever was agreed to at time of hire is what should stand. If there is a need - you should have the option.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

How are other people's schedules? - BTDT

[ In Reply To ..]
I worked third shift for many years and it is very nice in some ways. Do you know how the day shift schedules are set up? Usually the ads for companies say they're looking for Sun-Thur or Tues thru Saturday, so it sounds like they're getting two days off in a row.

I know in terms of your original schedule change, hours are usually considered the day you have the most of them, so since most of yours hours are the following day (Sunday 10p to Mon 6a is Monday), the change makes sense if they insist on including a weekend day. But the split days on an ongoing basis is horrific. There are lots of places looking for people willing to work third shift, and for your health I would recommend looking for one of them if your current employer won't rectify the split days.

Weekend days - frustrated

[ In Reply To ..]
They are the ones that told me that since I start work on Sunday that it is considered a weekend when I first started there. I asked them if they required a weekend day and they said they do not. When I first requested I requested Mon-Fri thinking start Sun night 3rd shift and work up to Friday morning and they told me that was a Sun-Thurs schedule so I went with that.

I don't mind working a weekend as most MT positions require it. The TLs all work Monday through Friday and none work 3rd. I have nobody to even get in touch with on 3rd at all as a matter of fact.

I'm also starting to realize that I may be the only Sunday transcriptionist on these accounts even though 4 of them are not my primary. The queue doesn't go anywhere until I do it myself. I know I'm not supposed to be but if there were another MT working I would see the work dissappearing from the queue.

Oy vey.

That's why I quit... - MT lady

[ In Reply To ..]
I had the same deal, tried changing my schedule around but always had to work at least one weekend day (Friday's didn't count as a weekend day). After a year, I finally just quit. I could live with making the $10 or $12 an hour. but not in an MT one that is so backbreaking, mentally stressful, takes years of practice to acquire the skill, and then on top of that the meager pay and no shift differential for working weekends or evening shift. It's idiotic and so I quit and have felt much, much better physically and mentally since. We are foolish to not balk at working every weekend and not demanding better pay for those awkward shift.

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