A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

New MedQuist Hire questions - Vanilla Bean

Posted: Jan 12, 2010

I have just accepted a job with MedQuist. I have 20+ years experience.

Why are they hiring if so many people (on this board at least) have less work, or little to no work?

They have pushed me to accept a position by calling me quite a few times. Why?

How can they promise me 'constant work' if so many of you have no jobs available, have pay cuts, etc?

I am told that I will earn $10 per hour for 10 hours of training. After that, I was told that if by chance there is no work available, I will be paid minimum wage to cover my hours. My thinking is that at least minimum wage is better than nothing. Do they actually do this?

I have not officially started work yet. I am wondering if I actually should or if you all recommend I find another job?

What are the benefits of working as an employee over working as an IC - besides medical/dental etc?

Any and all answers will be much appreciated!

not sure what state you live in - bakedbean

[ In Reply To ..]
but I do not get paid minimum wage when there is no work available. I heard that some states get up to 4 hours, but not mine.

They cannot promise you constant work because most of the work is being given to India and you are probably being hired to cover the span between others quitting and work being transitioned.

There are some very happy at the Q and have not felt the effects of offshoring as of yet. I guess it would be a crap shoot for you.

At least if you get hired now and the work dries up, you will qualify for TAA and get retrained!

Minimum Wage - Peppers

[ In Reply To ..]
The very great majority of us do not get paid when there's no work. However, there are a handful of states who do require that. California is one of them. I do believe that MQ tries to make sure those people don't run out of work. Even when I do have work, I make minimum wage because I have 100% ESL, only a few doctors that the ILPs cannot do. I have 27 years of experience and I'm being punished for it. I have a full-time job at another company and will dump MQ as soon as I get another PT job. I've worked here for 3 years.

minimum wage - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Same here. I get mostly ASR and also get paid minimum wage on most checks. I rarely have enough lines in to make my cpl rate for the whole pay period.

Of course, this means I'm always being paid more than the max set limit they have for paying out minimum wage. I have even been "coached" on this and told I need to increase my line count so I'm being paid more from my cpl and less from minimum wage.

I would need to make a minimum of 500 lph to accomplish this. I find this extremely difficult to do.

If they really wanted me not to make minimum wage, then they would up my cpl. As it stands right now, my cpl per hour rate equals about $1.25 less than my state's minimum wage.

If you have no other job offers, then take the position. - You always quit later for another job.

[ In Reply To ..]
Might as well try it and see what you think. Most importantly, GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING, ESPECIALLY BEING PAID MINIMUM WAGE IF NO WORK.

There are only a couple of states that will pay if you run out of work, but that is a minimum of 4 hours. Just like the post said above, you have to live in one of those states that is required by law to pay minimum wage if you run out of work. MQ knows those who those states are and will try to give those states plenty of work.

MQ, during meetings or ASR classes, keep telling me the company cannot find good transcriptionists as they are hard to come by. I told them it because most of them left.

Unfortunately, I have been with this company from the beginning, 22 years ago. Deep down in my heart, I know I have wasted my life with this company and this profession. I feel like I am treated as working in a sweat shop or they think I am some computer and not a human being. I wish to God I would have picked a profession that treated me right and would give me pay increases, not pay decreases over the years.

I was told a lot of good "stuff" by this company over the years, but you have to get it in writing.

Make them tell you what region you will be in. - Grunt

[ In Reply To ..]
Stay AWAY from the SE!!! That's where most of the off-shoring is done and we get the leftover manure.

work - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
They are correct in stating you will be paid minimum wage. However, exactly how much you are paid is according state rules where you live. Where I'm at I only get paid for 15 minutes, but there are some states that require up to 4 hours paid for no work.

The more flexible you are with your scheduling, the more likely you are to have steady work.

It also depends on what tier level you start at. I know some tiers run out of work more frequently than others.

Also, some areas have more work outsourced to ILP and they get a lot of "no jobs available" messages.

Whatever you decide, it's a crap shoot either way. You never really know how a company is until you actually work there.

One more thing, the $10 hour thing is only very temporary. They usually change it based on what your average lph rate is after a couple of months. They check this rate every so often and adjust it accordingly. After my latest check, after now doing almost 100% ASR, I make less an hour than my state's minimum wage for PTO or training.

More information .... - vanilla bean

[ In Reply To ..]
I was hired as a Tier III with MedQuist. I was told there is constant and continual work but was not given a region I would be working in. I live in the south. I was told the majority of my work would entail ESL and acute care.

I am leery of working for them or any company who opts to outsource, as I do not believe ANY WORK should be outsourced for ANY company in the US. I believe the american people should come first and foremost. We already take care of the worlds problems...its time to take care of our own now.

I have received 4 other job offers as well - one more as an employee and 2 as an IC. I have worked from home for a while now and like the freedom being an IC offers. (I have accepted all four offers as of now, and wished for opinions on the largest one, MQ). MQ has offered the highest CPL, although with so little work for many of you, it seems a poor choice when I could make more money working for someone who pays 0.005 CPL less.

I appreciate all your comments and opinions. Thanks!

To Vanilla Bean - Peppers

[ In Reply To ..]
You are right. We, as MTs, get too hung up on CPL. I make quite a bit less as far as CPL at my other job, but I end up making a lot more money than at MQ. There is always work and it's decent work, not the leftover garbage the ILPs can't do. The platform is also better than MQs and I'm actually praised on an almost weekly basis!

If you have other offers, then by all means, DO NOT take this job. - You can always quit later for another job.

[ In Reply To ..]
I am always told MQ cannot find good qualified MT's as they are rare to come by. Gee, I wonder why? There were 10,000 of us years ago and we are what? Down to about 3,000? Gee, I wonder if it is because the MT's all got smart and just, well. . ., LEFT THE COMPANY?

Good luck to you! You will do the right thing. I only stay because I am too chicken to look elsewhere. I applied to one company after going to college and, well, I am still here. Never applied anywhere else and never had an interview anywhere else. All I want to do is go back to school.

Good Luck! You are very luck to receive 4 job offers.

to 'you can always quit' - vanilla bean

[ In Reply To ..]
Why don't you apply for other jobs...see what you get offered...then take an IC job if you get one - you get to work your own hours (so you could work opposite the MQ hours) for a couple weeks...see how it goes, and then not be so nervous about leaving MQ! You can also go to school on line, at least part of it, for almost anything these days. So, start school during the opposite hours you work for MQ.

I always tell my children "you deserve what you accept." That sentence has great meaning for many situations. Think about it!!

You run your own life...if you don't make any changes, no one else is going to. Life is too short to be unhappy. You have good experience now...I'm sure many other companies would be happy to have you!

Thank you for the words of encouragment. - Have to get a Kleenex now.

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for posting this, I needed these words of encouragement. You are right about "you deserve what you accept." I seriously need to do something. Thank you!!!

I have let MQ turn me into thinking I am worthless while cutting my pay in half, making me change my hours, etc. Did you know I received 3 raises (which are nothing) during the years I have been here?

Thanks again and Good Luck to you! You are great!!

To 'you can always quit' - vanilla bean

[ In Reply To ..]
Sometimes, we all need the 'obvious' to be pointed out to us.... I'm glad anything I may have said is encouraging. Please find me in a few days and tell me how many tests you have taken for new companies! I bet you will do very well!!

To Kleenex - Peppers

[ In Reply To ..]
Send me an e-mail. I might be able to help.

your four job offers - firsttimehere

[ In Reply To ..]
I just took the Medquist test. Was wondering how you can accept 4 job offers. Do you end of working for all part time? Can you tell me what they are - I have no idea where to apply anymore. (I also have 10+ years acute care experience) but my company laid off people on a large account they lost to another vendor due to EScription.

Vanilla Bean - Joe

[ In Reply To ..]
Let's put it this way: If MQ told me the sun was shining, I would walk outside and look in the sky. Don't believe a word they say.

To Joe - vanilla bean

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm sensing that...lol. I am assuming if MQ told you the sun was shining and you went outside, you would find a stormy dark night instead.

Vanilla Bean - Joe

[ In Reply To ..]
Yup, you got it. Do you know how they to tell when they are lying? Their lips are moving.

New Medquist Hire - BOMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Keep in mind that MQ is notorious for lying. Everything I was told when I was recruited turned out to be one lie after another, i.e. pay, accounts, etc. A job with MQ should be your last resort. A job with MQ equals absolute poverty!

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