So long Nuance-Hello Menards - Living the Dream

Posted: Aug 18, 2014

I wanted to make sure the new job was going to work out before I told you all about it. After 43 years as a medical transcriptionist (will turn 65 next month), I did leave Nuance and started working at Menards as a cashier. For those who do not know (since Menards is only in 14 states so far), it is the third largest do-it-yourself store company, right behind Home Depot and Lowe's. Though there are advantages to the new job, for example, certainly I'll be making more money (though a very accurate MLS, I did tend to be on the slow side and occasionally had to have MUP added to my check); and, since I live alone, I think it's a good thing (for me) to be out among people again; and certainly not having the 'fridge 20 feet from my desk at home (along with more physical activity on the job) is going to translate into losing a pound or two; the truth is I'd still be at Nuance if not for their "no time off without pay" policy. Since I receive a pension from the hospital where I worked for over 25 years, and did take social security early when the bottom fell out of our industry, Nuance was not my only source of income. Though I certainly did not feel ready to "retire," my part-time hours supplemented my income just fine. I could put up with the poor pay, and with the bottom-of-the-barrel dictators left after my primary went to Epic, and with FIESA; but "no time off without pay" just was not compatible with other things that are important in my life. It's not like I wanted 3 months off to tour the West in an RV; I just wanted to be able to see the family and grandchildren who are 400 miles away more than once a year. In addition, I also would have been happy to take holidays without pay, but being expected to "spend" some of those few precious PTO hours that you receive as a part-timer in order to take a holiday (or else be expected to arrange your holiday in such a way that you are essentially "on call" until you verify that there is no work and you are now "free" to make other plans for the day -- which for me did not happen till 6 p.m. -- yet not get paid even 1 penny for providing that service to Nuance) was creating a resentment for my employer that I did not care to have. It really began to irk me that Nuance can offer their potential clients "24/7 coverage, including holidays," yet it is up to the MLS to fulfill this promise (for many without compensation, since there is so little work and so many MLS working, lest they have to spend their PTO hours!). I'm pretty sure that if Nuance offered even $5 an hour for folks to be "on call" on the holidays (if there is no work), they'd have plenty of takers, but then Nuance might actually have to spend some money to provide their clients holiday coverage. I did try to "reach out" to HR with my concerns about this policy, (a bit more professionally than I'm doing here) and never even received a response to my letter. So they've lost me. I have no idea if they "care" that they are losing veterans like me or not. I certainly indicated in my letter that my preference was to stay. I admit to some sadness about no longer being an MT. I loved it for over 40 years (not so much since 2009), but I do feel good inside that I "drew the line" with Nuance when it came to honoring my priorities. And my family feels pretty honored too. (My son said, "You mean you quit being a transcriptionist and started working at Menards just so you could visit us more?" "Yes." "Sweet!"). Indeed!