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Time working actual question - MT

Posted: Oct 04, 2013

My company requires a solid 8 hours a day 40 hours a week of system time of transcribing in order to not be fired. This is in an 8 hour day (100% of the time on the keyboard). Any tips on how to do this. My back hurts and I don't want to get fired or I will lose my home. Thanks in advance for suggestions.

That is harsh - I tried this

[ In Reply To ..]
I am so sorry you are working for such a slave driver of an employer. 8 hours keyboard time is very hard to do. I gave up my office chair for a large exercise ball, at least I can more around and stretch while typing. If you have ASR, let the voice play while you read and get up and stretch! Good luck to you.

That's a great idea! - MT

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I am going to try it! Thank you!

I agree--Awesome idea! - Alice

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Maybe a cinderblock on the foot pedal will keep it playing while you do research, too!

Or - alice

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while you take a break!!

I may be incorrect - but

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I believe that labor law requires that you have a 15-minute break for every 6 hours you work. you could check with your state's labor dept to find that out.

8 hours on keyboard - katrina

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I wonder too with a lot of these companies they have a monitor that can tell if you are on the keyboard or not, so if you go away and don't touch the keyboard I bet they can tell you are not on it.

Similar situation...sm - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm also required to have 8 hours system time, BUT our shifts are 9 hours long to accommodate this. My system does not stop counting until after several minutes off keyboard/pedal have elapsed. (I've been told 2, 3, or 4 minutes so not sure which is correct.) You could ask your employer about this. ALSO, based on your state's labor laws, you should be allowed a meal break or break of some kind for which you log out of the system and then log back on. The extra hour of my shift accommodates that too. I really do not understand why people on timed systems think they have to keep typing and never get a break; but then, it's probaby never been explained to them. I never have a problem putting in 8 hours system time and take a 10 minute break and a separate meal break.

Original OP - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Hi I'm the original op. Yep, they say that we have to have a longer day to get the 8 hours in. The system allows in 8-1/2 hours two 15 min breaks. But I find if I do that I cannot get the 8 hours in on the keyboard so I work straight through. I have been physically getting on an extra hour earlier and clocking out for a break and then clocking back in. I am like 20 minutes less per day than 8 hours hands on keyboard and I can't seem to get less, b/c I have to go to the bathroom. But those 20 minutes will add up per day and I am waiting to see if the final termination notice comes next week. They can tell if we aren't typing on the system b/c we get a read out after each report saying how much of the system time we are actually on the system and working and how much has line count of it. And if we have less than 1 lpm we get an automatic break and we have to explain why. We also got an e mail this week that we are not to use PTO to make up hours, say we are 2 hours short of system time we must make it up by pay period end or else terminated. So this is very difficult to do. I may try the cinder block thing but so close to being fired scared to do so. I have gotten rid of any lunch break altogether and have been able to eat with a sandwich in one hand while typing with the other thus far it is ok. But really tired by the end of the week. Thanks for your ideas. This is a tough one.

If you do ASR - try this

[ In Reply To ..]
If you need to stretch, just repeatedly hit the arrow keys, any of them, and that counts as a keystroke. That way you might be able to stand up and stretch while still "typing away" - Best of luck to you and do not let them steal your peace!!!!! It is just a job, and a lousy one at that. There are better things on the horizon for all of us who have worked so hard all these years and watching our careers turn into slave labor. God bless you and your little fingers too.

This sounds absolutely - crazy...

[ In Reply To ..]
really like some 19th century sweatshop. My hat's off to you, because I probably wouldn't have lasted 1 day. Can you name this company so I can avoid it?

Yes, who are these people?...sm - Anon

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It is absolutely impossible to get in 8 hours system time in 8 hours because there are going to be a number of times that you are not keyboarding or pedaling for a minute or two during the day. Let's say you average 4 minutes of nonsystem time per hour for 8 hours; that's 32 minutes right there. Plus your state labor laws most likely say you need a break/meal break off the system, so that time needs to be added to your shift. I do believe this company is violating labor laws, probably in more ways than one. If you do lose the job, I think you will have a good case for unemployment, so document everything. This company is being unreasonable limiting you to 8-1/2 hours and then expecting you to get in 8 hours keyboard time. Can you ask that your shift be extended to 9 hours?

I'm betting it's TTS. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

You lose...sm - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
It's not TTS. That's who I work for and our shifts are 9 hours, not 8-1/2. I also have no problem getting in my 8 system hours in every day, even when I take a 30 minute meal break. Guess again.

OP - MT

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If I say who it is I would definitely lose my job. It isn't TTS and it is all straight typing.

I have to ask - Who is this slavedriver?

[ In Reply To ..]
Honestly, that is ridiculous. Talk about micro-managing and being slavedrivers, ugh.

Who is this company? I know I certainly want to add them to my "Never EVER" list!

Feel free to email me if you don't want to put it on blast here. Thanks!

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