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

Can anyone explain the situation when you are OOW - you get minimum wage?

Posted: Mar 05, 2014

Every week on certain days there is no work so I am having to flex flex flex PTO PTO until all used up, etc.

I have read of some of you getting minimum wage due to OOW, can someone tell me how to achieve that? I am so fed up with this. I am pretty much out of PTO and don't want to use it for this anymore.

I work a second job because my pay has been halved with Nuance, yet I still have to also work around the clock just to get my hours in with Nuance.

I think we all know if this were a real job in an office and there were no work that would be their problem, not ours, yet here it is, our problem. Not TSMs, not QA/QC, but MTs. And the TSMs and QA people do NOT get their pay cut if they make a mistake either like we do.

So if there is a way to get minimum wage for the many hours you are sitting in front of the computer waiting for a job to drop off and everyone scramble for it, please instruct us and maybe we can all do it at once.

When they say you don't have to use PTO, what they really mean is you won't get paid if you don't use PTO, which I can't afford since they've cut my pay so much already.

Also, I wonder what happens to the rate you get paid when you take PTO if you are in a MUP situation, which I imagine if you are signed in for hours with no work your lph would go way low, so is that why OOW is considered a MUP situation?

But then if you took PTO your hourly rate would go way down and you'd probably only get minimum wage anyway, am I right?

This is why I have always tried to flex and use PTO, but I am just about at the end of my rope and I need every cent, as low as my pay is, so if anyone can provide any experience with this, help trying to get justice here, please do so.

Could you file partial UE? - hmm

[ In Reply To ..]
That's the only thing I can think of is to try to file partial unemployment for any pay less than minimum wage per hour for your total hours worked. Also file a complaint with the Dept of Labor. Maybe if enough MTs do that, "something" will change.

I think the real problem is - I do not want minimum wage

[ In Reply To ..]
The only reason is I am so sick of having no work and sitting here for hours trying to make 40 hours, but of course I would rather have 40 hours of actual work, but remaining logged in with no work is definitely a no-no I have been told.

Do you know if they are informed who complained against them if you file the DOL complaint? Since they have made it crystal clear to me I am one of many worker bees and not very valuable to them, and as bad as this job is, I do need it, this gives me pause.

I believe a DOL complaint is anonymous. I did it against an ex-MTSO and never heard a peep from them - but I lost n/m

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Partial UE has nothing to do with min wage. You can - apply for weeks when work is low

[ In Reply To ..]
or nonexistent and your earnings are lower.

OOW - Craig

[ In Reply To ..]
Since working at home (about 5 years), and with Nuance (about 2 years), I have yet to have a full week of vacation. My PTO is withered away with OOW situations, so I sympathize. However, I was told there was nothing that can be done about OOW other than try and make up the hours.

Similar Messages:

Nov 22, 2010

I've been a transcriptionist for 29 years, the last 14 of which have been working from home. My husband used to always carry me on his insurance but he lost his job (the plant closed down where he worked) and he has subsequently gone on disability. He's 62, and is soon to be on Medicare. I need insurance in a bad way, but I've tried and I just can't maintain 150 lines an hour. I manage between 125-150. I think holding us to a quota like ...

Dec 23, 2012

I expect to get flamed or slammed here, but I have a question. Is there anyone else on this board that works for the measily 7 cpl for straight typing and if so, how in heck do you survive? I am a pretty fast typist and I use a word expander, but I find it almost impossible to make any kind of a living from this now. The last MTSO I worked for the hospital decided to go with the Q and I did find another MTSO to work for, but for 30% less than what I was making before. I have been an MT for 1 ...

Jul 19, 2013

What are the jobs like today in other regions- Strategic is currently zero! Going to relax and enjoy my morning for now. Yesterday was zero also. ...

Sep 16, 2013

Doc is dictating and it makes Zero sense. There are several "sentences" where the words in no way, shape, or form make anything close to a formed thought. And just continues rambling. Do you all leave it word for word? not that I can remotely find a way to make it make sense, just curious and really frustrated. ...

Jun 10, 2015

Paycheck Friday will be almost 200 short. Anyone's TSM giving them any input? I doubt they are going to say --- QC now in the pool with you, but... We have lost no accounts, TSM says there have been no new hires in our group. (like I believe everything I am told...) Tired of this crap. Would love to apply at WalMart but right now all the college kids are hired on. Maybe after school starts, but in the meantime I am going to have to be a (&*^%*^ and steal wo ...

Jan 27, 2010

I have had offers from several different compaines this past week and I'm not sure which way to turn. Can anyone give me some input on AssistMed, The Transcription Docs and Ascott Transcription (ATS).Thanks! ...

Jan 29, 2010

Has your situation gotten better? Do you have enough work? ...

Dec 21, 2011

one out here with nothing most of the time? I filed for partial unemployment but I really don't know what that is going to do for me yet. I am just trying to get through the holidays and then really pound the pavement looking for something else. Right now there are just no jobs in my area. Thank God my husband is working but we do need my pay to make ends meet, so I'm really discouraged what has happened since being bought. Sorry to vent, I just feel reall ...

Jan 26, 2012

I have been in business for 30 years and I have never seen things this bad. I am currently out of work, after having steady work for the last 5 or 6 years. This is new for me and after applying for several companies and no response, I am very discouraged. The companies say they are bogged down with applications and not able to reply to everyone. I feel for all you out there who are out of work now. God help us all. I guess all we can do is pray for a miracle at this point. ...

Aug 07, 2012

How are you all coping with this NSA crap? Giving up Friday evenings to try to make up hours is just not always possible. Sometimes there are too many hours to make up anyway. Most of my PTO was used up before they decided to let us take unpaid time off. Second jobs? Using PTO? I know I am not alone in this situation, how are you all handling it? ...

Feb 19, 2014

Let's say for a moment you get this kind of exchange: TSM: When will be making up the time you missed from your appointment? (note, MT was lying, this was really an interview for a job that didn't pan out) MT: I won't be. To be honest, I don't really like this line of work at all, my motivations are being here are strictly financial. Your company is just a stepping stone, a crutch, until I can find something that can get me out of this dying industry. Has management ...

Jan 01, 2010

I am an IC with a small MTSO and have been working there since the end of October. My training was a total of 30 minutes maybe. This company has no dedicated QA. There is no company specifics manual. There are no clear, concise specifics for each account, just samples which it turns out are incorrect or conflicting half the time. I have to ask questions to the office manager who is not a transcriptionist and passes information on to another MT. She does not un ...

Aug 25, 2010

http://despair.com/viewall.html ...

Oct 08, 2010

Yesterday I had someone fix 2 computers with a KVM switch to share the monitor and keyboard... I know someone on here has this situation too, How do you shut if down or turn it off... I did shut one down, but then could not get to the other with tapping the button twice as I do to switch between them... Thanks in advance for any help... ...

Jan 27, 2011

Has anyone heard anything more about our COBRA situation? Aren't we supposed to have heard something by now? ...

Aug 28, 2011

Hi, I am in the same situation for being a past coder. I coded for about 10 years and then did transcription to raise my family. Now I would very much like to pursue the coding field and get certified. My schedule limits me from taking outside classes as I am working all different hours part time. Is there anything decent that would help me refresh my skills and update them on line in order to pass the certification exam down the road or is that totally out of the questi ...

Sep 08, 2011

I know to use numbers instead of spelling them out but in a case like: "This is one situation where I would refer to a specialist" Would I use the number 1 or spell it out? Thanks! ...

Nov 21, 2012

I didnt have any yesterday, was wondering if it looks any better today. ...

Aug 21, 2014

TSM looking into transferring some of us to other TSMs. We lost a rather large account and have been running into OOW a lot. Hoping I don't get called. I really, really like this TSM and don't want to have to learn another group of accounts. Are there other areas that need to have more people on it or are we going to just push that group into more OOW? Hope they study this carefully. ...

Aug 30, 2014

I sent my resume cold to this place and got quite a rude response. How do you all handle when you get a rude response? I was courteous in my reply, but it just kinda went all through me that she was so rude. ...

Oct 06, 2014

Can't remember exactly, but maybe 20 years or so ago, the IRS focused on MT companies using ICs, did audits on them and some wound up paying bigtime. As a consequence, the practice of using ICs in the MT industry all but disappeared for awhile, but obviously it's gradually crept back. I know some like it, but it really isn't a good situation for MTs because it allows companies to escape and/or avoid all kinds of employment laws, regulations and fiscal obligations that ...

Jun 10, 2015

My accounts (5) have been dried up for the greater part of a year. People have quit and more are hired. I see newbies making horrendous mistakes on my primary. The clients have complained because we ALL get scolded for the mistakes of one or two. Bottom line, is this OOW situation an Enterprise issue or a global problem within Nuance in general? ...

Mar 31, 2011

See they have new ad. Had bad situation 2-1/2 years ago with them. Accepted a job as a CMT with $50 CMT sign-on bonus and no training pay. Told very few foreign accents on my job. After training, got straight foreign accents for 2 days and boss said nothing was wrong. Having been a QA editor for 5-1/2 years, I knew someone had picked out all the good plain-old American-type voices because the foreign accent guys don't all dictate at the same time with nothing in-between. Their ...

Jun 09, 2011

Did anyone ever hear of a place where you do ASR or VR and having to cut and paste because they want specific macros. Never did this before. Any comments. They pay very low for this work to begin with, very low. ...

Jun 06, 2015

I've been coming here for years. For many years it was only the poorly trained MTs who complained about not doing well. Anyone who had good training and good skills, sometimes learned on the job, which isn't practical now, but good skills at any rate, did well. The times have changed. While I used to categorize the complainers as neer-do-wells because they lacked ambition, accuracy, and training, that just isn't the case anymore. The employers have beat MTs down so that they can ...

Aug 26, 2010

All these big companies knew the bill would pass, especially with the current unemployment situation. How could anyone vote no? Why do you think they came up with VR in our industry? It was the only profitable solution. ...

Jan 19, 2010

If an account has been offshore for almost 1 year and is being transcribed by an offshore MT and qa'd by 2 separate offshore qa and then 1 American qa.......where are they actually saving money? How long does the Q need to pay 4+ (the person who audits them too) to do 1 report before they realize their American MTs could get it done in 1 shot and maybe 2 on occasion? TATs are out because of this and there are so many NJA issues spoken of on this site too, WAKE UP Q! ...

Jun 01, 2010

For weeks and weeks there have been NJA. I sit here hours and hours checking every 5 minutes. I was just reprimanded that I have not met my hours and my PTO will be used. This asounds me as I am willing to work but not to sit in front of a computer for hours and hours trying to get work only to get my PTO taken away. I live in NJ and am hoping there is something I can do. My CCM is great and tries to help but she is after her own behind which I cannot bl ...

Jun 06, 2010

GLIDE wire and GUIDE wire? i would greatly appreciate it!! thanking you in advance. ...

Sep 05, 2010

in normal human speak? I consider myself a very fast learner. Normally I have to only be shown something once to get it, but that???? I watched it twice and I still have NO IDEA what she was talking about with check marks and preferred headings and HUH?!?!?!?!?!? I start work in 1/2 hour. My first shift on 6.1 (assuming I have work) and I have no idea what is going on! Why do they have to keep messing with everything? ...