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I am an ex Nuance employee, now retired. The 186 line minimum never made sense to me as for MUP it is not the line count that matters so much, it is where you live and what the minimum wage is in your state. I guess in a state with no minimum wage or a low one, they want the lines done to be at least 186. The minimum wage in my state is high and it made a huge difference if I got straight typing or VR, but towards the end I was getting 99.99% VR and so it was difficult to get the minimum wage especially when minimum wage went up. I always got 186 lines an hour average, but I had in reality to get over 200 lines an hour not to get MUP and all the grief and threats that go with that. On one of the two times I got MUP in about 2 years it was one dollar! I really got called up on that.
I have always thought that it was outrageous that we had to provide our own equipment. Actually, when I worked for MedQuist (now M*Modal) they did provide equipment. When I started for Nuance I had to get Word 2010 and it cost me $100.
As an old timer, my advice is that, if you possibly can, get out of this field. You can cry how unfair all of it is, but nothing is going to change. Is an abusive partner ever going to suddenly become a considerate, kind, and caring person? A company or person will abuse you if they can get away with it and with companies it is all about greed. These transcription companies are never, ever, ever, ever going to be fair places to work. If a person decides to stay and make the best of it, you have to realize that and your blood pressure will thank you. I can't believe anyone would actually go to school to do this now.