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Why do some companies not pay for spaces? - Montana

Posted: Jul 30, 2013

I am very curious as to why companies do not pay for all keystrokes. I just left a job that I felt like they were stealing from me. The spaces really add up. Honestly I felt like I was being robbed. I wasn't told in the beginning that was their practice.

Agree - robbing the MT - anon

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It's despicable, not paying you for half your work. I can't imagine any experienced MT taking such a job. A keystroke is a keystroke. They must get newbies who don't know any better.

One word: "GREED". - MTBankAccount

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GREED INDEED - Montana

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I asked this question of a lot of MTs and have gotten about the same answers as I have here. The owner of he company told me in four years, none of her transcriptionists that work for her have ever complained about this. I didn't find out about it when I first talked with her. She told me 9 cpl and I didn't question spaces because I assumed I would be paid for them but as it turns out I quit today after not even a month with her because of anger every time I would do work for her. A reminder to me will be always to ask what is counted in lines by these companies who have nothing else to do but line their own pockets at our expense. I even suspect the owner of the company pocketing the extra money since she contracted the work from a very large national company who does independent medical evaluations.

They do whatever they can get away with - To ROB the MT

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The MTSO can basically rob the MT, because most people don't even know what we do and there aren't "standards" with pay when it comes to our work. Same deal with many companies not paying for headers anymore. I mean, if I TYPE the header, I should get PAID for the header. The company I work for didn't even bother telling me they didn't pay for headers and when I figured it out and asked them, they acted like I was insane for asking such a stupid question, like why in the world would I expect to get paid for headers, WHICH I TYPE??? We used to get paid for everything we typed and now they not only cut the line rate, but cut everything in which you get paid for, added on top of the research that you don't get paid for....it's highway robbery! I wish ALL MTs would get out and let the greedy MTSOs type their own reports!

Not everything is about you - Getting away with it

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They do it to save their clients money and to outbid the competition on new accounts. They are not out to cheat you intentionally.

All is fair in love, war, and medical transcription - Montana

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I quit this job after about three weeks. I had incurred expenses before I knew about not being paid for spaces. I bought an old laptop with XP Pro on it specifically for this job because I wanted it after I was told I would make 9 cpl with a raise to 10 cpl. No mention of the pay for spaces until I got their instructions on how to do their invoice. Boy what a let down that was. I wasn't getting regular work either and automatically assigned weekend work without the courtesy of being asked if I could work or not. The main thing was I wasn't being paid for everything I physically did for this company which the files were very long IMEs, proofreading, and scanning old records for demographics etc. It was a very time consuming process which I would never be compensated for. My first paycheck paid for the old used laptop but that's it, $161.

So, why don't THEY take the cut instead of us? - ?

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If we are the ones doing the work, if they choose to bid lower, that should be a loss on THEIR side, not our side. My husband is a contractor and he pays his staff a set amount for the work they do. If he has family or friends that he does a job for and he decides to offer them a discount or even if he decides to bid lower in order to get a job, HE takes that cut. He doesn't tell his men that they have to make less or they don't get paid for this or that, because his bid was lower.

agreed. Machines will eventually replace most of us anyway - cashiers, bank tellers

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especially if and when they raise minimum wage

scarry, huh? sad, too. - anon

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/

Yes - toll takers are extinct on the Golden Gate Bridge, - and soon on the rest of SF bridges.

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Film developers, both regular & x-ray.
Full-service gas station attendants, (except in Oregon).
Call center workers (esp. in the US).

Other jobs that will probably follow:

Mail carriers & post offices.
Bank tellers.
Radiologists (in the US)
Court reporters.
Grocery cashiers.
Closed captioners.

agree, it's all part of the bidding war for accounts and a - negotiating tool.

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I've heard some accounts say up front - not paying for spaces, they know what's going on. I don't like it as much as the next MT but why on earth would they pay the transcriptionist for spaces the client is not charged? One needs to give consideration to staying in business first. Getting accounts nationwide requires traveling nationwide to get them and probably more than once. Pull back and see the whole picture if you can. Poster above is right, it's not about you, and guess what? Most times it's not about them either. It's about doing business with businesses.

Yes, we get the shortest end of it, but they don't go around planning everything solely with screwing us on their pee brains. Personally, I don't work for them.

which companies don't pay for spaces? - need to know

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x

which companies - Montana

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Med Direct Transcription in Washington state. This is the only one I have run across so far. Steer clear of this one if you can but know this is the way they pay. They found me on an MT Facebook page after I posted I was looking for orthopedic transcription work.

Amphion doesn't pay for spaces either, VBC only. n/m - ???

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nm

Acusis doesn't pay for spaces. - n/msg

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SO cheap!

it's up to you to find out how they define a line - nm

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