A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
How pay should be decided - in my opinion
Posted: Nov 18, 2012
Here is how I think pay should be decided...
1. You are new you get 4 CPL until you prove yourself...quality, production, etc., then in 6 months you are evaluated and a raise could be granted, 3% of course.
2. Everyone should be evaluated on job performance once a year and if you are a good employee a raise should be granted.
3. I believe any employee who has been with the company for 5-10 years and tier 3 you should automatically be paid 6 CPL. Let's face it these MT's are the best of the best and know what the heck they are doing.
I find it odd that I work for a company (almost 5 years) and I just figured out approximately 2 years ago you have to ask for a raise. I never, ever, ever worked at a place you have to ask for a raise. STUPID!!! They have the info, quality scores, if you call off sick, etc., to base this infomation. Please...what a great way to boost one's morale by saying hey you did a good job this past year and so we are giving you a raise because of that!!!!
I am a tier 2 employee and I have no desire to tier up to 3 right now because in my mind I already do all the acute care reports except OP's and only make 4 CPL why would I . Maybe if I am making 5 CPL I would be motivated, hey if you do a good job, you could be making 6 CPL in approximately 2 years because you will get your annual review and be granted your 3% raise.
I think in doing things in this way it gives you the motivtion to want to do a good job and let's face it happy employees will be productive employees.
I do not know about you, but I have read posts on here where people have just been hired and they are going to make more than 4 CPL and they are new, REALLY?, it makes me feel like dog crap. There needs to be some sort of structure instead of wasting money on Boost and whatever other garbage they come up with I think this is simple and fair and a no brainer. This is just my opinion. Have a great day everyone!!!
Just out of curiosity... - sm
[ In Reply To ..]An MT who comes to work for MM, who has 15 years of MT experience working for 3 hospitals, 3 MTSOs, and several clinics, including different versions of VR, who has excellent recommendations from her previous employers, who aced the preemployment test, should start at 4 cpl tier 3 with only a 3% raise in 6 months, and someone who's been with MM for 5 years should automatically be making 6 cpl, regardless of their prior experience and scores?
wow.
Yes I do believe - that if their QA
[ In Reply To ..]scores meet the requirements and they are a good employee (not calling off sick or what not). They have showed their loyalty and dedication and worked for that and deserve that. I am not saying that someone who is new with the qualifications you wrote should never get to 6 CPL, but you need to prove yourself within the company. I would have to ask myself why in 15 years this person worked at 3 hospitals, 3 MTSO's, and several clinics (buyouts, outsourcing??). Honestly references, etc., do not hold a lot of weight in my opinion because they can be fudged, etc., and previous employers are not suppose to comment on you besides saying yes he/she was an employee here. I do not think any person walking in off the street for any company should immediately start off at the highest pay the company has. They need to prove themselves that is all I am saying. There are people with this company that have 10+ years who do not make 6 CPL or even 5+ years who bounce from acute facility to acute care facility to acute care facility all day long every day and have great quality scores and are great employees. Gosh...I think that takes talent and they are entitled to the pay.
Do I believe I deserve 6 CPL? No, I do not. I have not proven myself for that pay. Do I believe I should be paid more than 4 CPL yes I do. I have awesome quality scores and have been a great employee in all aspects throughout my career with the company.
Again, this is just my opinion.
If it were only that cut and dry. First of all 4 cpl - is a pittance for anyone. Period.
[ In Reply To ..]Also what about he no work situation and pages and pages of specs and e-mails with add-on demands/requests?
What about all that? I think any MT experienced or not that has to put with that crap should make 8 cpl to edit and play them 12 for straight.
They are one of the richest companies. Why would you even consider settling for 4 cpl? That is not even minimum wage when you factor in all the time spent reading the e-mails and doing your own payroll, etc.
Your theory is sickening. I have many many years of experience and was hired at 4 cpl and after almost a year still cannot make above minimum wage because they keep offshoring and have no work available or new accounts with tons of demands, pages of pages of them.
Tier 3 should be making 10 for editing this crap they call speech rec. It is nothing of the kind. I don't work on Fluency.
Maybe if they had one platform, one way of transcribing reports, and you don't have spend 20 minutes of unpaid time looking up CC's, filling in demos, and trying to figure out if the doctor is using a non-existent macro, it might be halfway decent but never ever at 4 cpl.
We are being robbed. Plain and simple.
Well said - and i feel
[ In Reply To ..]exactly like you do. I have 16 years experience on many platforms, etc. I was hired at 4 cpl for SR... and I am struggling to meet the minimum wage for my state. I have asked repeatedly "why am I struggling"... to no avail from my TCM. CCM. QC. They make me feel like it is ME. I know it is not me. I am wasting way too much searching specs, rereading emails for NEW rules, etc. Findings CC's. Fixing macros that don't exist. All of this without pay, cuz we only get paid when our fingers are in the "REPORT ITSELF".
And I was told to "clock out" every time my hands were NOT in the report, but then I would have so much time to make up at the end of my shift, that's just ridiculous.
When I do email to ask a question it takes so long for a reply because they are 'busy', and say don't spend too much searching for answer, send a blank and send the report.. then I end up on the stupid report card with a bad grade!!!! and get chewed out for that. Not worth the stress. I get so stressed out I am almost in tears EVERY DAY trying to work, and I end up just logging off.
I did not set the 4-6 CPL, the company did, - and yes I totally 100%
[ In Reply To ..]agree with you about being paid way more than 4-6 for all the unpaid bull crap that we do day in and day out. This was just opinion on the facts that we have in front of us at this time. We already know we are not going to go above the 4-6 CPL because Amy already said that. And so, what you are saying about my sickening theory is that you should not be re-reviewed and given a raise based on what the pay scale is at right now. You do not deserve an increase???? When they give raises they only do it at 3% increments.
What everyone needs to start doing (myself included) when OOW start filing for unemployment. I can guarantee you they will work on the OOW situation.
Their answer to OOW is to work other hours. - In other words stretch your day to 18 hours.
[ In Reply To ..]Sickening in that 4 cpl is crap no matter how you look at it. Crap is crap.
6 cpl is crap too.
Sick time? Why should I not take it? It's offered in PTO.
Bend over backwards for what? So they can tell you that QA said you should have put a comma somewhere, you fail!
Whatever.
NJA MTs should file for underemployment. Betcha NJA would stop - quickly if enough of us did that. nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
That would be great but the current contract states - wait 15 minutes. sm
[ In Reply To ..]Okay fine, at 14 minutes into my "wait" I get one lousy 10 liner. Then my "wait" starts all over. At 29 min of "wait" I get another 10 liner. 20 x4 is 80 cents. I've worked a half hour for 80 cents. I cannot even put in NJA work availibility since I did have a job come in before the 15 minute "wait." Then nothing, then check back, still nothing. Meanwhile I sit with no work and am following their rules and made 80 cents and they have consumed at least 2 hours of my time at this point with their "check backs." It's ridiculous.
They have so much flexing and hodge podge going on, they don't even know themselves what is going on. Our TSM might write once a week. She hurried up and wrote me back when I sent in my resignation. I got no response to other issues or my OOW e-mails but she sure had "the time" to write back when I resigned. Isn't that something? hmmm.....
It's no matter. They are all next for lay offs as soon as they can get these last few accounts offshored. Then the MTs will all be next but they will find a way to fire you instead which they've already begun to do.
By the way, I would be so beside myself to have to put in a claim to UE for $1.60 an hour and them look at me like I must be out of my mind. What kind of cut of that am I getting for UE? 50 cents an hour?
You talk of a different issue. NJA can file for underemployment and they will - figure out the rate. Keep track of NJA and SM
[ In Reply To ..]time involved with that and file. You dont have to figure anything.
My new qc said just follow specs. If email info was that important, - it would have been put in CP. SM
[ In Reply To ..]Yeah, I know, so funny. This is the new qc, since the old one was laid off. I say let do just that, just follow CP. If MM thinks the new qc should have all the info from previous emails, let MM access the old qc email acct and sent those emails to the new qc. Who, I am sure, will not be happy with wading through all those emails.
That was her easy answer to you until you are audited - and put on full review for not knowing
[ In Reply To ..]that Dr. Whatshisname is verbatim as of last month.
All my client specs still have the old CCM as a contact for this form to fill out and e-mail in this situation for this doctor didn't do this or that. It makes your head spin.
My QC gained two new accounts and still hasn't learned them. The old QC is still doing it and seems to thrive on it; liking being the boss. We have new accounts every day and have to learn them or be put on full review after transcribing one report. What good is a QC with no knowledge of the account? None of it makes good sense to me.
Wrong. If I am doing what I am told, and I hav emails to prove it, - it is on her, not me. nm
[ In Reply To ..]s
I see this too... - nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
They do not even charge what you are saying we should be paid. sm - Ex-MTSO
[ In Reply To ..]I was an MTSO for many years and after losing my biggest customer to MM decided it wasn't worth the fight. I am much happier being an MT than an MTSO because of the set hours and not having to do the other BS. I lost the customer because I would not and could not match MM's rate of 8 cpl for VR and 11 cpl for straight typing.
So, then what? 3% per year raise? - sm
[ In Reply To ..]3% of 0.4 is 0.012. In 10 years, after already putting in 15 years (REGARDLESS OF WHERE), I'd be getting a whopping .52 cpl 10 years from now.
You are so very, very wrong. An experienced MT's skill will show up within the first week of employment. If she's bluffing about her skills, it'll be obvious.
Furthermore, the probationary period for experienced MTs is about a month, and if after that month that MT is highly exceeding quota, 99% quality, and has proven herself to be dependable, her pay should jump to 6 cpl AT THAT TIME. After all, she's doing the same exact work as the other tier 3 MTs, so she should get the same exact pay.
Furthermore again, MT is an experienced based profession. MTs are paid for their experience overall, not just with one company. I've worked with, and am working with, MTs who've been with the same company for over 2 decades and who produce lazy quality reports, who abuse their PTO benefits, who call in sick, and who consistently leave tons of blanks. By your rules, these MTs would be getting paid more than an MT who has better experience, is more dependable, and produces better quality, just simply hasn't been with that particular company very long.
What happened to firing employees who don't perform? If after a month an MT isn't performing as promised, she should just be let go. Easy peasy.
And regarding references, those cannot be "fudged." The phone numbers of previous employers are in the phone books, and yes, previous employers CAN say more than whether or not the employee is rehirable. You know that little block you check as "yes" that says your previous employers can be contacted, and you know that last page of any employment application that waives your right to hold any parties you listed on your application responsible if the outcome of your application process isn't favorable to you, THAT gives the new employer the right to ask questions and the previous employers the right to answer them, as long as it's not slanderous.
Again, MT is an experienced based profession. WE ALL SHOULD BE TESTED AND PAID FOR OUR EXPERIENCE, NO MATTER WHERE WE GOT IT.
Even car insurance companies give you credit for having previous insurance with another company. Creditors do, too. How would you feel if you applied for a credit card and they said, "Well, you have great credit, but since you've never had a card with us, we're going to charge you the same rate as someone with bad credit, and it'll take you about 15 years to earn that good credit percentage rate?"
My calculations are not quite right (decimal in the wrong place). Sorry about that. - sm
[ In Reply To ..](4 cpl x 3%)
0.04 x 0.03 = .0012
It'll end up being about 5.3 cpl after 10 years, give or take a 1000th of a penny.
Addendum: What the heck does "(buyouts, outsourcing??)" have to do wtih experience? - sm
[ In Reply To ..]If a company goes out of business and the MT's previous employers cannot be verified, then the likelihood of that MT getting a job anywhere will be difficult.
I've worked for MTSOs, hospitals, and clinics, mostly at the same time, and my experience is verifiable and valid, and so are my references (personal and professional).
You're darn right it takes talent and skill, and I have that talent and skill, and I should be compensated fully for it no later than 30 days in the gate. Otherwise, the MTSO is getting me and my talent and skills for newbie wages and that's wholly unfair.
Here is what I meant - OP
[ In Reply To ..]in 15 years, "3 hospitals, 3 MTSOs, and several clinics" I would have to ask myself why did this person work in so many places in 15 years unless there were buyouts, outsourcing, etc., if I was the hiring person. I am calculating what 9-12 different places or are you meaning that at 1 place you worked 2 different hospital accounts and perhaps 1 or 2 clinic accounts thrown in there. Honestly, I do not want to know about your resume so no need to comment on that. If that is what you are meaning that is what people that have 5+ or 10+ years experience with this company have been doing around here for years.
I totally disagree that 30 days out of the gate and one has proven to be a good or bad employee. Sooo, I will be on my best behavior for 30 days and then get boosted up. No, there is something to be said for someone who has given their time to one place as long as their quality dictates so.
I never said someone with substandard work should get a raise. If they are reviewed and they are doing a good job then yes they should have a raise.
And I only said 3% because that is the standard that they give I guess. I have not had raises, but at some point I do believe someone should be bumped up gradually. You missed the whole point of my post. I do not feel that someone who just starts gets top pay you need to prove yourself, and that people should be getting raises based on job performance and time served especially since the company base is 4-6 and probably mostly everybody is closer to the lower side of that scale.
Not to take anything away from you, but someone with 8 years experience with the same company can be just as good as an MLS as you with 15+ years experience, and I do not believe that because you have 15 years experience you should make more money than that person who has been here 8 years and is just as good as you. Sorry!!! There is something to be said about skill base coupled with seniority. This company has a habit with no consistency in pay and how it is given, and this should be a more fair process across the board. People who are not performing need to be let go plain and simple. Leave the job open for those of us who are performing and trying to make a living.
No, I understood your post clearly. - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Okay, you clearly don't get my experience level, and even if I explained it to you, you probably still wouldn't get it, so I won't waste that time.
"...skill coupled with seniority..." If the "seniors" have the skills to back up that seniority, then yes, they should be getting the highest rate. But when I come in and have the skills, the references , the experience, and the education equal to or greater than theirs, I should not be treated like a newbie, not by a long shot.
There is no industry standard for raises. We don't even get raises anymore, which is why MTs who are doing tier 3 work should get tier 3 pay, and if they don't perform, they're let go, no matter how long they've been there.
MTSOs refusing to pay for experience is just another way for MTSOs to bully MTs. No matter how bad the MTSOs treat the MTs (e.g. unwarranted pay cuts, constant NJA, no benefits, horrible CCMs, markedly inconsistent QA/QC, allowed cherrypicking, etc.), all they have to say is, "Sure, quit, and you'll be paid the rate of a newbie no matter where you go." This is bullying, plain and simple.
Our experience is just about the only leverage MTs have left against these horrid MTSOs, and you want to take that from us. Shame on you!
BTW, did you even bother to read my analogy at the bottom? It's quite valid to this discussion and it might just help you see the light.
Thank you!!! - OP
[ In Reply To ..]Please understand I meant no disrepect to you or your experience and I am glad to see we are in somewhat of agreement about pay and seniority!!! I do not believe people should get raises if they are substandard. Unfortunately, this profession has gone to the dogs and even though I do not agree with the low salaries until we take a stand and not work or walkout or whatever it probably will not change.
If you are referring to the long thread below about cherrypicking, etc., I am in total agreement with get rid of them. You pass the buck, bye-bye!!!! You are not pulling your weight in production, QA scores, milking, or any other nonsense that some people pull, bye-bye!!!
Wow. Did you even bother to READ my post? We most certainly DO NOT agree. - nm
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Too bad your opinion makes no difference to MM. - Shoulda, woulda, coulda. nm
[ In Reply To ..]x
In 8 years I NEVER got a raise (and yes I asked - but I was at the
[ In Reply To ..]top end of the pay scale I was told). I did, however, get a 40% cut in pay with ASR 5 or so years ago(actually it was more than that because I could type 200 lph and only edit about 150 lph with my horrid ASR).
Well, I have been with this company since 1988 - I make the same a newbie.
[ In Reply To ..]I have asked Amy time and time again why am I making the same as a newbie. I have applied and had an interview and was hired just once back in 1988 and here I am today with all the merges and buyouts.
After fighting with this company over the years and after being best MT of the month 3 times, I only received 3 raises during my lifetime and yes they were little, but to only for the raises to be taken away and to go back to when I started from the beginning because of being grandfathered in.
Your post was good and I agree with it. I went back to school and moving on with my life and getting out of this field. Oh, Obama is visiting Asia. I believe that is where our jobs will go next after his visit in India he had 3 years ago.
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