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

Ready to say enough is enough - Fedup

Posted: Feb 04, 2013

I have done this for years now but have just almost reached the end of what I can take. I have fought retiring, wanted to continue on but I feel the work is just not worth the hassel anymore. We are held to an almost impossible level now, just us, not what kind of dictation is sent our way. Nothing is said to ask others to clean up their dictation to where it is halfway audible but let us have 1 word left off that is not even meaning to the context of the report and we are called on the carpet for it. This literally is making me sick. We are expected to be perfect. Why are the companies breaking the spirits of their workers? That is absolutely what is happening and yet not for us, where would they be? I am looking seriously at just letting them have it and get another who wants to listen to their belittling.

Agree - been there

[ In Reply To ..]
I totally agree. Have been doing this for about 12 years now, used to love it, now hate going to my desk everyday. Have been thru company take-overs with promises not kept, cut in pay. Currently working 2 companies just to keep the lines averaging out between the 2. We are asked to do more and more. Yet it seems dictators never get told to improve (especially when it is an RN or PA dictating and should be told the correct way to dictate until they get it right, yet we take the blame for their bad habits). I even listen to some of the blanks filled in by QA and swear they are guessing at half of it cuz it still does not make sense. I'm still too young to retire, though. Besides working the 2 MT jobs, I am also trying to get another side business from home started to generate some income (with pets and jerky). If interested let me know. If not, wish me luck. One more company take-over or cut in pay and I'm out for good. Good Luck to all.

Agree - I am there - Hypertyper

[ In Reply To ..]
I am there. I quit 2 hours ago. I calculated my rate of pay last Friday and sent out an email. The worst part is that this has been the best company as far as awesome dictators, etc. Rate of pay not good, too much attention to detail in each report (adding up to 4 doctors and Clinical Clerks before even starting job) and with the basic 8/4 I cannot make a decent wage and at IC status. I am fast and efficient. I have done this for years. The work is satisfying, the pay is not!!! I decided that they were not getting my experience anymore for chump change. That is just not right. Hopefully I will find something. I feel better for venting. Let's all pray Medical Transcription has a happy ending.

MTs need a union - debbereye

[ In Reply To ..]
I completely agree with you guys...

I've been doing this for over 20 years and I got paid more when I started and had little experience than I do now, years later, when I am much better at what I do. Even with this much experience this is still not easy work and the transcription companies seem to feel that they can always get someone cheaper to do the job. After 20 years in a job you'd expect to get raises right? Nope, pay cut after pay cut.

If we organized a union and then had a national strike you'd better believe they'd start realizing what we're worth.

Either that or they'd outsource ALL the work to India!

Oh well, it was a thought...

Also agree - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I can just feel it coming. The company I work for is going to let me go. One week I'm wonderful, and the next everything I do is wrong, and I get snarky QA feedback. This company will let you go if your line counts aren't maintained or if your accuracy drops occasionally, but is there anyone here who can do that. I've been with them over a year now and it's just every once in a while that I get put into this situation. The company doing that is doing nothing but slowing me down so that I don't make too many mistakes and putting such stress on me, that I'm flustered and about to lose my freakin' mind.

And the pay isn't even poverty line. It couldn't be.

So, I know it's coming but you know what? I'm not going to worry one more day of my life over this crap. They can keep if they want to. I have a great work ethic, and I'm good at what I do. I'll go to Walmart and get a darned job. I'm certainly not too good to work there, and I'll be making more money ta' boot!

They can stick that pissy little job where the sun doesn't shine!

Wow, I feel better! Life's just too short to worry about the terminator and her little minions!

agree - me

[ In Reply To ..]
Never mind those typos. :)

The times are a'changin ladies. - see message

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I have been at this for more years than I care to admit, the last 15 of them at home for a few different MTSOs. I have been through good and bad companies, and buy-outs twice. I still make a "decent" living at this, but I think I have had enough.

I do not mind the new technology so much. I really do prefer VR, but the pay for it is insulting when you put ESLs on there doing reports that you could type faster. There is just simply too much work being done now that we are not paid for. What is acceptable as "dictation" is a joke. The systems being used now move at a turtle's pace. I've lost my motivation I think. All the ridiculous continuous e-mails all day is tiring. The clocking in and out, and requiring hours per week instead of lines has gotten old. My company requires 6,000 lines a week...no sweat, but I can do over 10,000 a week and still get docked for PTO because I was an hour or so short of the required, even if there is no work to do it. I refuse to work nights, days, and weekends trying to make it up. The very same docs I used to transcribe for now take longer because of all the formatting and correcting necessary that I did not used to have to do.

I feel old. I am tired. I need secure employment. I am still 8 years away from retirement, and am not sure I can still get a job on the "outside." I want to be paid for holidays like everyone else. I want to know what my income is going to be each month. I want a raise once in a while. I don't want to have to think about my job at night and on weekends. I don't want someone trying to switch my shift (they like to call it "flex") so that I am available 24/7. I want to be paid while I am at work (not just when my fingers are moving on the keyboard) and doing work-related tasks. I am tired of having jobs or accounts pulled out from under me. I am sick to death of off-shoring. I am tired of very important e-mails that are ignored and go unanswered. I am tired of hearing management and QA talk about how "busy" they are. Really.....I am not? That is no excuse, it's your job, honey.

Working at home is not worth all this anymore, but I may have waited too late to get out. I thought I would do this until retirement time, and then switch to part time, but coming in here every day is almost more than I can stomach these days. I am looking constantly now. What do you think my chances are of getting employment at 55? I am even willing to take a pay cut now to get out.

me too - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I have to say you have said what I needed to say a long time ago. I, too, am 56 and I am wishing and hoping to get out of this at home crap and have a real employer with real wages and knowing what my check is going to be every other week or week. I am tired of this. I believe that older people are discriminated against in hospitals. They don't want the ones that could reach retirement in five years. They don't want the ones that have been stuck in their ways for the last ten years. They want new and younger people who aren't as savvy as the older workers. Who know much more and have been around the block and can't pull the wool over their eyes. I am just tired of this whole thing. The times are a'changin, indeed. thank you.

Had a job interview at Meijer, yep, Meijer... - anon4

[ In Reply To ..]
...got a call Sunday night asking if I'd mind coming over for a first interview. I was surprised at the very short notice but said sure. Was a very pleasant experience! I felt like I hit it off with a guy who might end up being one of my supervisors. He told me he could have done the interview over the phone but doesn't like doing it that way. He was truly kind, positive and encouraging. I'm scheduled for a second interview Wednesday. I figure I want something very local (this place is 10 minutes away). Long story short, if they take me on, I'll be in lawn and garden (the kind of thing I'd want to do in retirement). Told them I'm available day or night, hoping to get 40 hours, looks very promising even though the pay will be much less than I'm getting now. A prior interview in my attempt to get back into a hospital as food service help was depressing; they sure didn't want me to wash the dishes or mop, I guess (part of the job description). At this point, I'm thinking the hell with anything to do with the medical profession; after 36 years, would feel great to get out. By God, I truly don't want to sit in an office, don't particularly want to go back to school unless it's for my own pleasure to audit classes for free when I turn 60 at the local community college. I do want to continue to work second shift for the rest of my working life and don't have a problem putting my house up for sale if necessary. So ya'll wish me luck. I'm eager to get up and moving (I'm even willing to move carts around in their parking lot at 3:30 a.m., ha-ha). By the way, I've been sending out resumes daily for a variety of jobs since December with very little response until this, so I jumped at it.

Good for you - Hypertyper

[ In Reply To ..]
Meijer is not all that bad. They started their business right here in the great state of Michigan. I have also applied for some of those jobs. MT business after 14 years just does not cut it. I am in my early 50s and schooling does not appeal to me anymore. Been there, done that a couple of times. Maybe I will get a call for my local store. Good luck to you.

I love Meijer! Trying to get a job there too! - jane

[ In Reply To ..]
Like you, my Meijer is 10 minutes away. Any job there looks so relaxing after being a transcriptionist! Yeah, the money is less, but it's a lot better than the unemployment I'm on now. Haven't got an interview yet but I'm going to keep trying.

I might try to work in Meijer bakery - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
decorating cakes. I could do it. Don't know if they would hire me, I know pay is terrible but - it would be fun to decorate cakes!

I wonder how many MTs have been suffering from - debilitating depression as a direct result - S*M

[ In Reply To ..]
of the mental and financial stress this field has saddled us with in the last 5-6 years. I'd be willing to bet THOUSANDS, and I'm one of them.

I'm thinking CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, here.

Sounds like a great idea, but... - debbereye

[ In Reply To ..]
I think you'd have a hard time proving the cause of the depression was that single factor. Plus, who would the defendants be? All MTSOs?

Otherwise, I hear you about the depression. I feel like a slave, and the company I work for is really pretty good by today's standards. It's just this working harder and making half as much that's depressing to me.

Actually, what I wonder is - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Are there as many of us now as maybe 5 years ago? How many actually left due to the VR, among other things? How many are new, or signing up for MT classes? How many are taking the low wages we see advertised? And for how long? Will rapidly declining availability of qualified MTs force wages back up, or just force more work to India? How close are we, if ever, to bringing ALL of our MT work back to the U.S.?

I think if all US MTs disappear, it'll be just what they - wanted to begin with. So far, the - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
supply of foreign workers seems to be endless. They'll still have to figure out how they're going to do their VR editing with foreigners, but hey - that's their problem, not mine! (At least not for much longer, anyway!) I don't think wages will ever go back up, because the only way that could happen would be if it became illegal to send the work offshore, and they were required to keep the work here in the US, and to pay at least min. wage.

Of course, they're already getting around the min. wage requirement now, so I'm sure they'll find a way to continue to pay less and less. There also needs to be some kind of a big shake-up (or shake-out?) of our corrupt healthcare industry, because their stinginess and top-heaviness with overpaid management is another reason things have gone so far downhill.

I think the only wise thing left to do is to get out of MT and preferably healthcare as a whole, altogether, because I have a feeling the medical field is going to get a whole lot worse before (or if ever) it gets any better.

depression - cr

[ In Reply To ..]
It's definitely undermined my confidence and proud identity as an MT. Gone are the days when an experienced transcriptionist could walk into any hospital and get a job with good pay and good benefits, and be treated as though they were needed and appreciated. This is a difficult job that takes years to become proficient in, yet we're treated like slaves stuck to sewing machines in a factory getting paid piecemeal wages. I blame our government more than anything, because they've allowed this to happen, rewarding outsourcing companies with tax breaks and disregarding the job needs of American citizens. My heart is sad over the change that's taken place in our field and in our country.

CR, disaree the government did this to anyone - Fedup

[ In Reply To ..]
I rather feel like women so anxious to be able to stay home instead of joining the work force outside literally jumped at the chance to do so and still rather than try and find something else (with exception of few) take the pennies that are thrown their way and along with that comes the demands put upon us because once again the outside world is strange to so many. I had never heard of a so called transcription company ever in my years of doing this type work until outsourced from a hospital in about 2005. When outsourced we were doing the same work and we were not picked to pieces about what we transcribed. Now, another company took over, same hospital work but yet the constant, endless complaint about the quality of the work. This is the same work produced since before 2005 but now wrong and so wrong you could be canned? I do know this, one company at first tried to send work overseas and the physicians were so adamant against it the company lost the contract. I have no idea if the present company outsources?

That would be disagree- updating word - Fedup

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No message

Talked with my husband about the above this - Fedup

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afternoon and he is a very quiet and not much to say type person and he said you probably should have tried to find another job before now. I read these posts and I do not think 1 place is much better than the other. Maybe there are other employers and jobs that tend to belittle their employees whenever they can, don't know of any right off hand. I hate, really hate to see any email from the job, never seems good.

I get - sad

[ In Reply To ..]
a sinking feeling in my stomach when I see an email from the job.

Me too - PERHAPS

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JCAH accepts complaints. Maybe we should ask them to set some standards for documentation.

((hugs)) Fedup. sm - Semi-Retiring

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Can you semi-retire and work PT? That is what I am going to do. Just waiting for approval from SS and then going PT. Cannot take the MTSO abuse anymore. Yes, it is abuse. My husband agrees it is time to go PT. He wanted me to retire completely, but we cannot afford it yet. Good luck to you.

Already doing just that, semi-retiring - Fedup

[ In Reply To ..]
When I worked full time did not have these issues. I talk with my husband about total retirement and not so much a money issue here but for whatever reason he thinks I should just continue on and on and on, like the Energizer bunny. I do not think under any circumstances I would ever work full time for this company where I am now, my nerves would never be able to hold up, hardly make it part-time. They send out email begging for people to help out with overloads and I think really?? I never work then, why should I, to have more abuse? Not worth it to me. Might not be to others as well with the constant micromanaging done there. Thanks for the hugs!!

Union - If not now, when? - Ready for a change

[ In Reply To ..]
For those who are open to the idea of a union, check out the link. For those who are against unions, have a good day.

I know the majority of us are too scared to take a big step like this for fear of losing our jobs, but what if we COULD change things for the better?

http://www.ueunion.org/organize.html

Good question... - debbereye

[ In Reply To ..]
I was half-joking when I mentioned this above. On the one hand, it sounds like a good idea, but there is so much to consider. As you mention, if not now, when?... It may be a day late and a dollar short. So much has already gone to overseas, VR, EMR. There are so many newbies willing to take less. How much leverage do experienced MTs really have?

One more thing: So many of us just work as ICs anyway. How would that affect collective bargaining ability?

I don't want to sound like a wet blanket, but I think it's likely most of us are just too burned out to take on such a big organizational responsibility. But I'd definitely be open to some solid ideas, if some energetic person could come up with them! :)

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