A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Regarding Asking for a Raise... - mel268
Posted: Jan 02, 2012
So I've been working for a fantastic transciption company for over a year now. My turnaround times are always excellent (they acknowledge this to us in weekly emails), and I haven't had any complaints about my work. I'm a certified MT with four years experience, and I'm thinking about asking for a raise. They hired me at $0.08 per line. What should I ask for? And is it okay to ask after 15 months? I know all they can say is no, but I've never done this before and wonder what others in my position are making or have asked for. Any information helps. :)
how are you certified - through AHDI?
[ In Reply To ..]Thought you needed much more experience to become certified.
Give it a try, but sm - nothertimer
[ In Reply To ..]I asked after 12 YEARS and was told no. Then I got a pay cut, cleverly disguised as not paying for something they used to pay for. Now looking for someplace else, probably biting off my nose, etc. At one time 8 cents was peanuts, but now, very unfortunately before everyone piles on, even though we are worth much more, the MTSOs are looking to cut costs. Again. Hope you have better luck than I did.
Raise - mel268
[ In Reply To ..]Sorry to hear that...that's sorta what I'm afraid of. I thoroughly enjoy working for this company. They're the most fair and helpful business I've come across. And definitely don't want to lose their good will. If it comes to that, I'd rather just keep on at my current rate. Good luck :/
There IS something worse than "all they can say is no..." - NocturnalHooter
[ In Reply To ..]And that is the "idea" that...
A) They can no longer "afford your services..."
B) We lost your client....
C) Or, sorry bub, we don't need you anymore....
My point?
Find your niche, fill it, and don't ever (for even a millisecond) regret your decision!!!!!
EVEN IF YOU'RE TRADING "DOLLARS FOR HOURS"... You are still a person, worthy of respect!!!!!!
Worthy of respect but dont respect yourself enough - to ask for a raise? HUH? nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
I agree, and don't believe asking would get any of those 'worse' items on her list. - anothermt NM
[ In Reply To ..].
I do, however, believe asking will get her nowhere. - anothermt NM
[ In Reply To ..].
Regarding asking for a raise - Arizona MT
[ In Reply To ..]Are you out of your mind? There are hundreds of out of work MTs who would willingly take your place. (No, I am NOT an MTSO, just an in the trenches MT.) You should be glad to have a job in this economy. Truly. I am sure you have excellent skills. I don't think the CMT is worth much, but that is just me. But truly, IMHO, this is not the economic climate in which to ask for a raise, no matter how good you are. The company I work for canceled our insurance (without warning!) last year. Lots of really good and experienced MTs would be happy to get that 8 cpl. Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.
Wow! - Mel268
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks for your input Arizona...I have no intention of losing this job (I work two full time jobs and am completely aware of the job market). Was just interested to know if anyone had been in my situation. Take a breath.
Mel - Arizona
[ In Reply To ..]No need to be so uncivil, is there?
raises and certifications - LeeB
[ In Reply To ..]1. Certified as in thru AHDI and you are a CMT?
2. Raises are generally nonexistent in GOOD times and we're definitely NOT in good times right now. In fact, I'd be cautious about asking for a raise so as not to put you on the radar as someone to eliminate because you cost too much!
LeeB - Arizona
[ In Reply To ..]Be careful or this "certified" person of four years standing will blast you.
Certified by who? - nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
Who are you certified through? - huh
[ In Reply To ..]Never heard of a person being certified through AHDI after 4 years of transcribing.
Are you a CMT or do you have a certificate from an MT school? - Big difference. nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
Raise - mel268
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks for all of your responses. Trying to figure out how to totally just delete this though...had no idea people were so crappy! And I'm rather surprised at some of the personal responses I've received. The last time I'll be asking for advice here. I assumed that I was speaking to peers who were above the pettiness you find on most 'internet' boards. Wow. Sadly disappointed.
Mel - Nick
[ In Reply To ..]When you did not hear exactly what you wanted to, you blasted off at people. And you are "certified" after four years? You never did answer the questions regarding your certification. But go ahead, do ask for a raise. Good luck with that.
I agree with you Mel. - MT
[ In Reply To ..]You were asking for advice on how to ask for a raise. Not one person answered that question, which I understand if they didn't have advice to give, but why people would respond with 'getting fired' (you weren't asking about INSISTING on a raise), "explain your certification" and other tangents, is typical on this board lately. Your original question is valid and hopefully someone who has done so, or an MTSO owner who can give some helpful information on how to approach this, will actually help.
The original is valid but more info is needed - to give the poster a
[ In Reply To ..]legititmate answer. For some, it is not meant to be rude, just a simple question to give the poster the advice she is looking for. If the poster has a CMT through the AHDI, this would be a reason asking for a raise if it were just obtained. I know some companies used to would pay more if you were to obtain this. If this is something from the school you attended, big difference. A big portion of MTs today have a medical transcription certificate obtained through a school, so she would probably be at the same level as a lot of her coworkers.
Thanks MT - Mel268
[ In Reply To ..]Thanks MT! My thoughts exactly :) Fortunately, a couple of people did in fact respond to the question and were a considerable help. Happy New Year!
explaining cerfication IS valid when it might make a difference in the - raise itself, but she had no aswer so
[ In Reply To ..]....so perhaps we cannot advise.
Since the OP cannot or will not - Sunshine
[ In Reply To ..]respond to this question, it is unlikely that the answer is CMT.
Sunshine - sm
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with you! Do some of these "schools" actually tell their students that taking a certificate course makes them certified?
Yes - Sunshine
[ In Reply To ..]it would seem that they do. There have been several posters in the past who have described themselves as "certified" or even "CMTs" when all they had was a certificate of completion from a matchbook-cover school. It seems the school either told them or led them to believe this was the case.
Sunshine sm - In the know
[ In Reply To ..]It would be an interesting question to post to At Home Professions, Stratford Career Institute or others of their ilk.....
Depends on what company you work for. - The one that I work for
[ In Reply To ..]gives you different options to make more. They have a production incentive or you can take more difficult dictators. Otherwise, I wouldn't think they just give a lot of raises to the MTs as we have the option to increase our pay by doing these things.
From the "other side" - Mini-MTSO
[ In Reply To ..]As someone who subcontracts on a small scale, I value my associates and pay them as much as I can. If it's really a "fantastic transcription company," and they appreciate you enough to give you constant positive feedback, they're probably doing the same with you.
To mel268 - From a CMT
[ In Reply To ..]I am a Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT). This means I took and passed the CMT examination and this allows me to place CMT after my name. It also requires me to submit at least 30 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) every three years.
Regarding raises, I have been in this business for over 25 years and have not had a raise in a few years. However, I do get bonuses twice a year based on production. The more I produce, the bigger the bonus I receive. Also, because I am a CMT, I receive increased PTO every year.
I work for what I consider to be a good company (not fantastic), but I certainly would not even consider asking for a raise in this economy. Instead, I concentrate more on the increased production side of it. The more I transcribe, the more I make, including my bonuses. Good luck to you!
CMT - Mrs. N.
[ In Reply To ..]Your answer is right on, but the OP will probably blast you for not telling her exactly what she wants to hear.
Good Luck! Most of us are getting pay cuts! - oaf
[ In Reply To ..]You can try - but honestly I wouldn't hold my breath. I've taken two pay cuts in the past year. I think the national norm for transcription is 0.08. They will probably tell you what we get told. Get more lines!
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