A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
I have read these boards for the past 3 days, ever since I received word my pay would be cut...again...and that upper management was changing...again. I read through the MedQuist board last night, and then worked this morning. What a horrible day at work I had, the sounds of everybody grumbling in my ears, making me wonder if I should look elsewhere for work. My production was at an all-time low, by my own fault.
Then I saw the company board this evening, and read through it. It seems, from reading through all your posts, that EVERY company is either struggling financially, frequently runs out of work, outsources to India, pays less than MedQuist, has poor communication with their MTs, and the list goes on and on. I've been working with MQ for 18 years. I've looked at other companies during that time. I've even taken another job before...but then backed out last minute...and glad I did because MQ bought that company about a year later.
I wish we could get a union going, but it's pretty hard to do when we all work out of our homes and we really don't have contact with enough employees to get the ball rolling. Realistically, that's just not going to happen.
Have you stopped to think that it's possible all the transcription companies on this board are on a downhill swing because of the economy? Think about it. A family which was once thriving financially loses its jobs. A member of that family gets ill or need surgery. They don't have insurance. So, they get their necessary hospital care but skip out on the bill, maybe even file bankruptcy. The hospital doesn't get paid. Now, if this happens to, say, even 1/4 of all patients in every hospital nationwide...transcriptionists are going to feel the sting! Hospitals need to keep their doors open. That is the bottom line.
Tomorrow will be a new day for me. A day when I'm glad I have a job. I'm glad I get 28 days of PTO a year. I'm glad I get paid 10 cents a line...after my pay cut. I'm glad I have relatively steady work flow, and the option to make up work on my days off when I occasionally do run out. I'm glad I work a full-time shift Monday through Friday during the day only so I can spend evening hours and weekends with my family and friends. Financially it's a struggle...but it would be much more a struggle if I didn't have a job...where I work AT HOME! What other company is going to give me the same PTO, hours, pay, and communication (my CCM is amazing...even called me today to check and see how I was handling the pay cut), not to mention medical, dental and vision insurance.
Oh, I also looked over the jobs board on this site, and not a single employer is offering a daytime M-F shift, not a single employer is offering 10 cents a line, not a single employer is offering 28 days of PTO per year...and I have all of that with MedQuist. It's less than I had 5 years ago, but still more than I would have as a newbie with any other company.
By coming on this board and listening to griping and participating in bashing the hand that literally feeds me, it's like I'm sabotaging myself and the wellbeing of my family. Positive thoughts and positive people are what make success stories.
Tomorrow I will make my own success. I will pound out the lines. I will stay focused on the task at hand. How will you spend your tomorrow?