Help me understand - cm

First, let me start by saying I've worked as an MT for 25 years.  The company I started with was eaten up my Medquist years ago, now MModal, and I've worked at home for the past 20 years.

I've lately seen many posts by MTs wishing they were paid 15 minutes a day for reading emails, paid for taking coffee breaks, and would get cost of living raises, Christmas gifts from their employer, flowers on their birthday, and some sort of gift acknowledgement during MT week. 

I understand the request for being paid to read emails, but honestly I only spend about 5 minutes a day on emails, with the exception of once a month when I get my audity feedback, in which case I might spend 15-30 minutes depending upon the feedback and whether I need to listen to the audio for a job again.  Even at 15 minutes per day, that would only be maybe $5 per day.  That's not much of a motivator for me.  I do believe we should get 30 minutes a month to review our audit feedback, and I do believe that if our HDSM, TSA or PC calls us for any reason, those minutes should be paid by the company.

Paid coffee breaks:  Does anyone do this?  Ever?  I don't remember getting paid coffee breaks even as a teenager working for Mervyn's.  I do remember having to clock out for 15 minutes twice during an 8-hour day for my break.  Unpaid.

Cost of living raises.  While this used to be the "way it was done" years ago, most companies no longer give cost of living raises.  They are a thing of the past.

Birthdays/anniversaries/yada yada: I don't expect anything for the simple reason that I work for a huge company to whom I am faceless.  If I died in a car accident tomorrow, I doubt anyone would even notice I was missing until my timecard on Teamwork wasn't approved by me, and even then it probably wouldn't warrant a phone call from my HDSM or anyone else for that matter.

I've heard people say that they should get extra pay to offset their utilities, etc.  I feel I'm making a profit by working at home.  I raised 3 children while working at home, the youngest from the time she was a newborn until now, getting ready to graduate from high school.  I never needed daycare, yet when it came time for preschool I was very happy to have those 5 hours a day when I could just sit and type and not be interrupted.  My electric bill has increased, of course, since I'm home all day on the computer.  But I no longer have to commute an hour each way to the office, fight traffic, etc.  I drive an average of 300 miles a month.  I used to drive that every week.  I never would ask an employer to pay for fuel and new tires for my car, so why would I expect them to pay for my electric bill?  I don't eat out since working at home, which saves me money...and pounds.  For 20 years, if my kids were sick, I was here to care for them while I worked.  If they were on a break from school, I was here to care for them and supervise them while I worked.  If a delivery is scheduled, I'm here.  No need to ask for the day off. 

I feel very fortunate to work from home.  It's not perfect, and I miss getting production bonuses.  I believe those should be brought back. I believe that upper management needs to be thinned out...in numbers and in salary.  I believe I am not paid what I'm worth.  But I believe this is what I signed up for.