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Independent Contractors and Schedules

Posted By: Irritated on 2009-05-11
In Reply to:

I am an independent contractor and agreed to a certain amount of lines per pay period and gave an approximate schedule but am I not correct that by law if I get my lines, they can't tell me when and when not to work.  I have only one time not gotten my lines and only because there was no work and that was about 9 months ago.

I can't stand the vile threats of being canned for not working a certain schedule when they hire independent contractors.  What recourse do I have if something like that happened?  Labor board, law suit, etc?


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Independent contractors
Can anyone who ICs give out a few good recommendations for good companies hiring ICs?  Anyone work FT for company and start IC?  Thanks
Need some help from independent contractors, please.

I am going from an employee status to an independent contractor.  Exactly how much more of my taxes will I be paying instead of my employer.  I am looking at my paystub from my employee status and I see FICA and Medicare being withheld.  Does the employer pay a portion of the both the FICA and the Medicare or just the FICA.  Is the percent like 7% or 8% or something else.  I am just trying to figure out how much of my line rate this is going to eat up.


MTSOs ARE independent contractors
So you theory has some holes :)

I've had large hospital accounts, medium surgery center accounts, small and large doctor office accounts and let me tell you, the headaches in dealing with this are no fun. Relying on MTs to do what they promise and then don't deliver is no fun.

Just because someone is an IC doesn't mean you get quality OR accountability.

Minimum wage laws are for employees only, not independent contractors
Would you pay your plumber or pool cleaner (examples of other IC jobs) more because the minimum wage increased?
I do know one IC that treats contractors as contractors
Only one though.

My suggestion is that all the IC's out there need to take back their rights as IC's! Don't allow general contractors to act like employers by not acting like employees yourself! Easier said than done, I know...
MxSecure pay per cpl, just contractors??

Does anyone know what MxSecure pays per CPL?  I cannot seem to find this info anywhere, either on their site or elsewhere.  Also, do they just employ independent contractors or do they offer employee status as well?  I'm specifically asking about transcription.  Thanks for any info anyone can provide. 


I HAVE to get out of SPI.  They are driving me insane!!!! 


MxSecure pay per cpl, just contractors??
$.08 cpl and yes ;-)
question for indepednent contractors
Which state are you in and do you have to pay/charge sales tax?
No problem finding employees, contractors (sm)

you name it.  You're welcome


Yes, I am an MT, too.  I refuse to leave my MTs hanging and deal with them unethically.  You put 'the suits' at the big MTSOs in the shoes of at-home MTs,  especially MTs who are on production and who have no work, no communication, and thus, no money, and they wouldn't last 1 hour.  They would scream and shout and then file unemployment in a heartbeat


You can't compare the two - MDI has only statutory employees and contractors
with no benefits. Transcend has full time employees with benefits. I would not believe everything you hear on this board with regard to pay. I make 8 cents per line with MDI, and I am just hoping I wont get a pay cut for benefits
The industry standard is NOT indepedent contractors. I wish people would sm
only post facts, not what they think, with something so important.

There are strict guidelines for ICs. Most companies have gotten away from that as it can backfire on them. Some companies have both ICs and employees, but most have moved to employees.
schedules
You do have to say what hours you will work. That's called J O B

We're finally making strides to become PROFESSIONALS who have deadlines and hours and expectations and stuff! Can you just imagine?

Seriously, you have to pick the hours you will work. Then you have to work them. You don't have to pick 8-4. You can pick 8, 10, 11, 7, 2.

Of course, they can tell you they need other coverage, I suppose.
Schedules
Yes, they are strict on the agreed upon schedule the transcriptionists obligate themselves to...they HAVE to be. TT is in business to provide their clients with quality reports in a time frame THEY have agreed upon. The reports cannot be delivered on time if the transcriptionists are cavalier in their work habits. I love working for TT. I can tell you another thing. Probably the only reason that Transcriptionist was written up was because she was consistently not working at her agreed upon time. TT have been wonderful to me. And yes, they HAVE been flexible, but I am on when I am supposed to be and provide a quality product for them.
Schedules?
I'm not sure what section of Focus you all work with.  With all the discussion about schedules, etc., I'm wondering what I've been missing.  I've been an employee for well over a year and have never been required to have a set schedule of any kind.  I work whenever I want, as long as I put in a minimum of 20 hours per week.
ICs and schedules
The whole idea of being an IC is to NOT have to stick to a schedule. There are companies out there. I have to do a minimum of 5000 lines per pay period (which is 1st to 15th of the month and 16th to end of month) but on no schedule, just whenever I work as long as come date of invoice I have a minimum of 5000 lines. I know there are other companies out there that do the same. That is the way it should be for an IC.
Set schedules.
No flexibility.
No set schedules because....
They don't pay overtime .
Flexible schedules
Amphion Medical Solutions: You can say you will work 5 hours a day, or 20 hours a week, but that is about as vague as they can tolerate. Contact HR@amphionmedical.com
No...they are really flexible with schedules..nm
nm
What do you mean by downloading schedules?

The ones here who want to make their own schedules
should just spend their time doing something else besides working. You really sound immature wanting to call the shots on when you work. Hospital work is 24/7. If you don’t want to work on weekends or say you cannot work (UGH), stay home and take care of the kids. No princesses around here.
They do have some M-F schedules, but it depends on
what the needs of the client are and what time slots they have available when you apply.  The recruiter is the one that will offer you a position and she will tell you what time slots they have available.   You aren't supposed to change your schedule for 6 months.
I think there is 1 small rad but there is ER. Schedules....

You set your schedule but you are expected to be there when you say you are.  However, they are great to work around doctor's appointments or other things that may come up.  I have never had an issue not being able to get time off for anything. 


As far as QA, they expect you to type what is dictated unless of course it is a gross medical error and then you blank and send to QA.  You do not get dinged for sending work to QA.  You also do not get dinged for punctuation.  They do expect high quality.


That's because of the work schedules

Most of the MTs at MDI either work Sun-Thu or Tue-Sat.  Therefore, more MTs are working Tue, Wed, Thu. 


The problem is M-F schedules have
gone by the wayside for the most part. Seems like everyone is requiring at least 1 weekend day. I remember when I was at the Q (and this was years ago), we rotated weekends. This is unheard of now with most MTSOs.
No, but they have flexible schedules, so ask about
nm
and if your schedules are flexible? nm
m
and if your schedules are flexible? nm
m
It looks like 2 different lists, 2 different schedules.

Schedule 3.13(a) hereto contains a complete and accurate list of all employees (including statutory employees) of the Company who for the year ending March 31, 2009 were paid annual aggregate compensation in excess of $35,000, showing the position, annual base salary and bonus potential for each such employee.


Purchaser shall continue the services of the employees of the Company following the Closing except for the individuals listed on Schedule 6.11 hereof who shall be terminated at or shortly following the Closing.


It appears that there are going to be some that are terminated at or following the closing.  Is that tomorrow or January 1, 2010?


Transcend Pay day schedules
The thing I am going to hate most is the Transcend pay day schedule, twice a month instead of every 2 weeks. Just when I get my creditors settled into dates I pay my bills, I will have to revert back to having to go to the payday loan for money. Twice a month is too long between paydays. I have also used BeyondText before and it is antique compared to Bayscribe.
Independent = what is it? (SM)
Independent just means you are not on a time clock. As an IC, you contract to do work in the format and time table as dictated by the person who contracts you.

For example -- my lawn man is an IC. He can do my lawn when he wants, as long as it is done twice a week, but not closer than 3 days nor more than 4 days, as long as he does not use any motorized equipment (noise making of any sort) before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m, as long as he does not do my lawn on weekends. My grass must be cut to a length acceptable to me. My bushes must be trimmed. The grass and trimmings must be removed from my lot. Plants and bushes cannot be changed, planted, nor removed without my permission. My sprinklers must be checked every time they come, and if I report a broken sprinkler, I expect it to be fixed with 24 hours.

But, given all of the above, the lawn man is an independent contractor and I pay a flat fee for services weekly. If he does not comply, I will terminate his service without notice.
independent
does anyone experience trouble with getting paid when working as an IC?  i have been considering stentel and wonder if they have direct deposit and if pay is on time, lots of work?  I appreciate all the help.  thank you.
IC= independent
Perhaps you should read the law about it. If they control the specific hours, then the law says they have to hire employees. ICs can control their own schedules. obviously, that's why it's called independent. Read the IRS definitions.
i'm an independent sm

Literally NO politician gets a free pass from me.  Case in point:  Rick Perry & Kay B. Hutchison are running on the R ticket for Gov. here.  Neither of them will get my vote. 

John Cornyn won't, either. 


Too many career politicians that are self-serving and conveniently won't let US decide on term limits.  Does MQ give us all that?  Do they give us the health care that the politicians get?  Why should they get the platinum coverage for themselves and their family, and we don't?


Think about it.


I am independent but
the platform I work on, I think, is extremely good. I have said for some time now the money can be made but you have to have a good system and apparently not all fit that category. Oh, the dictators I have now are far from anything that resembles good dictators, terrible. I really don’t know of anyone who escapes those (unless you work for a few doctors perhaps in an office) but I do a hospital that is about 400+ bed.
How were the schedules set up? Shifts? Flexibility? Thanks! nm
xxxxxx
Are they extremely strict with schedules? nm
x
Yes they offer flex schedules
You have a 12 hour window to get in your daily scheduled hours.
Thanks! One more question...are they flexible with regards to schedules?sm
 I mean do they have a strict Su-Th or Tu-Sa schedule?  Thanks again..
IC status - flexible schedules

Any companies that permit a flexible schedule for IC status.  Any info would be appreciated.


probity? how are they about working with schedules, etc.? nm
;
Do most of the hospitals have slow schedules
nm
Slow schedules at hospitals
The hospital I worked for was slow around holiday time. Patients and doctors do not like to schedule in patient stays at holiday time. Usually picks up afterwards.
Question about work schedules?
The packet I received said they expect MTs to work 2 weekend days a month, but my recruiter made it sound like MTs are required to work 1 weekend day every weekend.

Does everyone work every weekend?
How flexible is Keystrokes as far as schedules...sm

I currently transcribe radiology for MQ full-time and after doing some research, I'm thinking about applying elsewhere full-time specifically Keystrokes because I hear they do a lot of radiology work.


How flexible is the work schedule there at Keystrokes.  Do you have to punch in and out like at MQ?  Really getting tired of punching in and out.


Recent info would be appreciated...looked at archives already.


in my interview, they told me set schedules.
When I interviewed with them a few weeks ago, there was no flexibility. If you did 2000 lines in 4 hours, then you still had to work your entire 8 hour shift.
Does any company allow M-F schedules anymore?
nm
My Take and Experience on Shifts and Schedules
I have done my share of nights/weekends, even when I was not asked.  I did it for the extra $$.  I believe that company/employee should try to follow a shift agreed upon at hire.  Of course, you have to be flexible.  I would NEVER refuse to work over-time and help out when needed, unless of course I had to for life/death reasons.  I do have to say in my own experience, this is starting to be abused by the employers ever since all the increased offshoring started.  Last year I lost account after account with big MTSO.  I had 5 account managers in less than 2 years.  We were told to clock out when we ran out of work, which was most of the time, but we were still expected to make the minimum line count by working nights/weekends (sometimes that was not even possible).  I had to be available to work from 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. - clocking in, clocking out, in, out, in, out.  It just got riduculous, being available 15-16 hours a day and only getting 1000 lines or so.  After FOUR MONTHS of this, I finally said I needed a new account, a new shift, regular work, or a new job.  The next account lasted about a year.  Then came the offshoring.  Same thing happened.  As the account of 135 doctors went to the Philippines, the work as less and less, moving from account to account, clocking in, out, in, out.  Ridiculous!  We of course were told to use paid time off if there was no work.  Am I not entitled to a vacation with that PTO just like everyone else?  Asking someone to constantly clock out when there is no work is like asking a store clerk to clock out if there are no customers in the store.  Asking them to be available during their shift and constantly otherwise can get abusive.   I finally had to say again - give me regular hours/shift and steady work or lay me off.  I could not put in the 12+ hours a day, making very little, and using up my PTO.  I was laid off.  Thank goodness.  Unemployment was more than I was making for the last couple of months.  While I do agree that everyone should be flexible and contribute when needed, the abuse by these companies is getting to be more and more and probably will not change.  Glad I got out of that situation.  Love working my shift and having the rest of the evening/weekend to enjoy life.  If you are being constantly abused and can not do this, it's time to issue an ultimatum--and be ready if it does not go your way.  Personally, I could not live like that any longer. 
Independent contractor
I hope I'm on the right board here.  Can someone tell me the perks of being an IC?  Is it just that you can set your own hours?  What does being an IC consist of?  Do you pay all your own taxes, SocSec, etc?  I've always been an employee and exploring new opportunities, but from what I see being an IC looks like a pain, with no benefits!! Thanks!
Independent Contractor..........nm
.
Independent Contractor
Can any of you IC's give me some info on what it is like to be an IC? I know you get paid by the line, but how many lines do you generally average a day/hour? Is there always a lot of work to keep you busy? Also, do you get to choose what hours you want to work instead of having set hours like you do as an employee? I just got hired by Terra Nova and would love any feedback on them as well. Thanks!