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The grass is always greener over the septic tank. Go find another job if you are unhappy.

Posted By: Leaves more of those who want to work on 2008-10-13
In Reply to: Oh Brother - terri

MT jobs are easy to find, so very easy to find.


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Greener Grass
I left Transcend's, never having made $16.00 even once. Now I make a minimum of $20.00 an hour, and on bonus time I get $40.00 an hour.

You must be the CEO of Transcend or something. : )
Grass Isn't Always Greener
I work for a major MTSO.  I work all holidays (without extra pay), nights, and weekends.  Its not that much better out there.  A lot of them will promise you a lot when they are recruiting but when you get your foot in the door, you find out what they said isn't true.  Just a word of advice, quitting over the holiday pay change isn't going to reap you any rewards.  If its on top of other things, then definitely think about it.  But quitting a job for that one reason alone when almost all of the other MTSOs don't pay for holidays anyway, is something to think twice about.  There are much worse companies out there than OSI.  And for those who are already going to start the mud slinging, no I don't work for OSi and no I'm not management.  But my advice would just be to think twice before jumping.  Like I said, I've never worked for an MTSO that paid me for not working the holiday.  Some have paid me a little extra when I did work it.  Others, just don't care about holidays at all.  It can always be worse than what you have.  Maybe you'll find something better but during the recruiting phase, it is so hard to find out what is true and what isn't.  Good luck!
for me the grass is so very greener !!
I had 7 yr in MQ and was able to take my Expander file with me -- so didn't feel like i was losing all the investment of time. I am extremely happy now, making more cpl too, but no bene's other than sweeeeet freedom :) i'd never go back. they asked me at least 4 times...
Grass is much greener!

I am making more $$, have paid holidays, but can work them if I want to.   I have 1 account and have can actually create and use normals.  I ran out of work once and that was on Labor day for an hour.  I was scared to leave MQ as well, but I couldn't stand it anymore.  I like my job again, which is great.


 


The Grass is Greener
I did leave MQ in September after 8 1/2 years and the grass is definitely greener. I took a 1/2 cent per line pay cut and now am making more money anyway. If you find the right company I'm sure you will be much happier.
The grass always looks greener
on the other side.

We are in financial straits. My husband was laid off years ago, which set off a huge ball of stress rolling downhill right at us. We ended up filing bankruptcy 3 years ago and are still paying the price, including a high interest loan on our home. He has been working 2+ jobs for years now. For me, it may always look like the right choice to find a hospital job with benefits but in my case it wasn't. I had been employed at a hospital until last week. The work there was short...and they weren't outsourcing, either. We would actually have to go IN to the hospital and work in Medical Records for our hourly time instead of taking PTO, which was depleted from the sporadic days of no work. I can't afford day care, which is why I WORK FROM HOME. They were pushing the inhouse work at least 2 days a week. That wasn't working for me. I had to quit. They won't be filling my position. I have had an IC job on the side for a local doc and have been lucky enough to find another IC job that has the work. So, hopefully I will make roughly the same...only time will tell...just no benefits. But, I now have a more flexible schedule and can be the mom that I have been missing out on being for the last 3+ years. I know there are people out there that would LOVE to work from home to spend more time with their kids. I love the fact that I can hear if they need something or can stop to cuddle for a minute but it's stressful at the same time when you are pushing to get your work done.

All I'm saying is that there are pros and cons to EVERY job, MTs or otherwise. Not everyone is lucky to find their dream job, but it never hurts to keep your eyes on the lookout.
went to where the grass really WAS greener.

went to where the grass really WAS greener.

Grass aint no greener
From my experience, to hop around, unless you know someone personally, no, two people, maybe even more that work for a particular company you are probably better off where you are, no matter how unhappy you are at the moment. This too will pass...
VERY well said. The grass is NOT always greener. I am happy s/m
to work for Webmedx, even thought things are slow right now. I can recall when I worked for another company sitting for DAYS at a time with NO work --ZERO WORK-- so I am quite happy running out for a few minutes at a time. The world is not perfect.
grass isn't greener, BTDT came back, sm
I have always been frustrated with management. However, they don't pay management enough and that is a huge reason why they don't get quality people in there. One awesome person they had left and now I see she is even back - grass wasn't greener elsewhere for her.

I left awhile back and came back with my tail between my legs. There are far worse companies out there, I tried 3 before I came back.

Why do I like Diskriter -
Pay is average for industry don't expect anything more than average, on time, direct deposit.

QA staff is very good, only 1 person maybe would not be my ideal QA person there because she really doesn't know what she's doing - she's QA because she can't type fast enough (was told that by a management level person who is no longer there).

Their Tech Support people are wonderful and always go out of their way, very personable and more than willing to help no matter time of day or night. Other companies are not that good or personable.

So, I guess I will be a Diskriter MT forever. Many have left and a lot have come back. They aren't for everyone but no one is.

Feel free to email me if you want to know more.
I work there and I love it. The grass is greener.
xxx
Grass wasn't greener - the poo was deeper though

I was in-house for 3 years.  We each had to work a major holiday every year, 2 if we were understaffed.  And we had to rotate weekends because we could never find part-timers willing to work the weekend, and then we had take an odd day off in the middle of the week so they didn't have to pay us OT.  Plus we had to back one another up in case someone called in sick - ruining our weekends off because we were on call and could make any real plans.  Our schedules constantly changed and it was impossible to plan anything in advance because we never knew when a last minute change in the schedule would affect us.  Often I'd get a call from the boss to come in early because someone called in sick.


I couldn't make any money in house.  My hourly paycheck was set in stone, and they whined and griped if they had to pay any overtime, but would rather force me to take unplanned time off to make up for the 12 hour day they required me to work the day before.  Then someone else had to come in early to cover MY being forced to take off half a day.  It was a circus that never ended and we all felt like clowns.


Now I have some control of how much I make and when I make it - at least a lot more control than I had in-house.


Many MTs do jump around a lot, often thinking the grass is greener. sm
I recruit for a small MTSO (100 MT's) and look at each resume individually. I have a list of which companies do not pay, which companies send work overseas, which companies run out of work (have a lot of complaints about that here). If someone is changing often and has a string of bad luck, that is one thing, but when I see that someone is hopping from one big company to another every 3 months, that's a different story.

Many, if not most, of the resumes I get are from MT's who have either been with one or two companies or hospitals for a long time, or at least have one long-term job on their resume.

I have also found that someone who works full-time for another company or hospital is probably not a good applicant for us, as the full-time job will occasionally need OT, need the MT to fill in for someone else, have meetings, etc. and we are left trying to get coverage. For that reason, I will always choose someone who does not have another job over someone who does, if all other things are equal.

Also, you mention that IC's move around a lot. The MTSO I work for only hires employees, and after being at MTIA last year, he came back and said that most companies are moving to employees only, not ICs, as the IRS and state governments are finding that most IC's are actually employees, and it is not worth the risk of a large fine to have that determination made, even after following all the rules.

There are a lot of great MT's out there right now looking for work. Most of us look for stability, length of experience, flexibility and willing to work and are fortunate enough to have enough applicants to be choosy. When I interview, the MT's who give me their entire life story, complain about everything from their current place of employment to the cost of cat food, list their medical ailments and/or have a chip on their shoulder are put on the bottom of my pile or discarded completely. With so many resumes, there is no reason to hire someone who is negative from the very first contact.
I feel your pain but the grass may not been greener elsewhere!

I am getting a little worried too.  If you can, wait until after Labor Day before you make such a major decision just in case it is simply last minute vacations before the kids go back to school.  I hope that will take care of some of it.  Good luck!


The grass, in my opinion, is definitely not greener. I left QT and a short time later, sm
I came back and was never happier that I did. I should never have left in the first place. I think QT is, by far, one of the most flexible, good-paying, understanding company to work for. I actually enjoy when it is a little slow and volunteer to have a day off. I love to have a day to myself every once and a while.

In regard to the person who waits 30 minutes for work, just call again. Sometimes, the office people get side tracked and then might forget that they didn't get work routed. L told me once, if I didn't have work in 10 minutes, call again. Usually, if this happens to me, the person says something line, Oh, I got busy and totally forgot, I'm sorry, I'll do it right away. Sorry about the long post, I just happen to think that QT is the best company out there! ;)
also susie, although it is none of my business...seems to me if you are that unhappy you should find
a company to work for that makes you happy...good luck....
That septic line was funny
when it was originally said by Erma Bombeck.
The grass is not green in Radiology
Your friend may make triple what you do, but I can assure you she/he is the exception, not the rule. I have many years' experience in radiology and I can tell you this is one of the hardest specialities in which to earn a living because it is the most vulnerable to voice recognition takeover. Don't quit the 'day job' till you really do your homework about rad jobs.
greener where?
I was offered a position with FutureNet. I am not sure though. I know the acct that they are going to put me on is ESLs, not fun!! Where did you find the greener grass, if you don't mind me asking? Thanks much!!
Greener
If I might ask, email if you don't feel comfortable posting. Thanks!
greener pastures
I left MQ about 5 months ago for TransTech, couldn't be happier. They are extremely busy right now, hope it lasts!
To Greener Pastures
It sounds like you have been in this business long enough to know what it has become and how fast it can change.  Don't expect it to be any different with the next company you wok for.  All good things eventually come to an end.  I just started with a small U.S. Company who does not offshore.  Yes, I hope to make it 10 years there, but I doubt it.  I stayed 10 years with the previous company.  The last 2-3 years were awful.  When it gets to the point that you hate to go to work every day and your life is miserable - it's time to look for greener pastures.  They are very hard to find I agree.  I would tell you to look at the smaller U.S. companies who do not outsource.  They pay better and for the most part the work is steady.  They are also a little more flexible with their scheduling if you need that.  They can not afford to over-hire and waste an MT's time.  If you lose your account, they will still do everything they can to keep you.  You may have to go through a couple of companies to find your home and be happy, but save your money for the next change too.
Mind if I ask where the greener pastures are?
with as much flexibility? i could use a backup plan. thanks.
there are NO greener pastures anymore
too many horrid platforms, low pay, so on and so on
not a good company...look for greener pastures
nm
I quit and found greener pastures! Good luck to you. nm
x
Why do all the unhappy MTs at MQ
stay? I worked for MQ a long time ago and after 2 months with them I knew they were crooks! With all the legal issues pending and the drama that seems to linger with every passing day, why not go somewhere else? I know many MTs are happy there and that is great. But really people life is to short to be so unhappy with your jobs. There are better places out there to work. Good luck to all of you.
unhappy with VR too
I hear you on that one and just wondered if you ever found anything else. It seems to take so long to make up the money --- even the double amount that you have to make to make the same amount as typing. It is so dull. Please let me know if you can. thanks much.
For all those looking for a job or unhappy

I read the board quite a bit, post sometimes.  At times I agree with topics or points of view and say so.  Other times, I disagree, and say so.


All-in-all, though, I want to say to every MT who is unhappy with their work, their particular company, their paycheck, that for 2009, make this a year of healthy change for yourself. 


Sometimes that healthy change can come by just changing jobs to a different company.  Remember that every company is not for every MT.  There is no company that is 100% great nor 100% horrible -- some MTs will always be happy and some will not be at every company. 


A healthy change can also be deciding to go into a different branch of MT work, such as QA or even a team lead or supervisor position. 


Sometimes healthy change comes from making a step out toward a new profession, if you feel you need a complete change of pace.


It may include taking on the new challenges of voice recognition (editing) or a new platform, etc.


Whatever your situation, I hope you will join me in making sure that we actively do something for each of own situation.  It doesn't require banding together nor attempting to overhaul anything - just a simple decision, a simple plan, followed by a deep breath and taking that first step.


I already have and I hope you will join me. 


Here's to 2009 ...


Me



To All Unhappy MTs s/m

I have been screwed, glued and tattooed by several MTSOs.   Now I am !!!  The only difference is the last one has broken new ground.  I feel sure the big boys are waiting to see if this works as the ultimate club to keep you in line.  Courthouses may not be able to prosecute criminals because they are so clogged with SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) lawsuits or legally known as slander and libel.   All of you are opening yourself to this by posting your experience with companies you have worked for on a public forum (unless, of course, you can give glowing reviews).  The one I am in trouble with is no worse than any of the others.  I am shocked that apparently ALL MTSOs feel they must monitor what their employees are saying about them.  What's that old saying? The guilty flee when no one pursues.


If all of you want to change your lot in life then do it!  It can be done.  Needless to say, because I have been placed in a position to HAVE to defend stating my experience and opinions, I have learned many things that I did not know before.  I will not share these things on a public forum.


The first thing you should do is organize a means of communication that is not viewable by your adversaries.  You also need a leader, one who is not afraid to stand up and fight.  If fatcat declines, perhaps Topaz or cj might be willing.  I don't know any of them but they all make very intelligent posts.


Good luck to all of you.


 


 


Dear unhappy, is that IC or FT
is that MDI Maryland or what.  I can't seem to find their web site.  I would also apply.  Not too happy with the way MQ is headed.  I am happy you got your raise.  I do feel sometimes the lines are jiggled a little bit, but not sure.
Unhappy MDI-MD MTs - any idea where you will
look if there continues to be no work?    What are some viable options?
And a few months from now you will be unhappy there too!
tsk tsk tsk
So you are unhappy with what others posted
your post better in some way?  Okay.. yada, yada, yada....   I'm sure she'll do just fine whatever she decides.    
Happy vs unhappy
That is true, but like a lot of forums, it's the unhappy people that are doing most of the posting. Spheris has happy and unhappy employees, like most companies. There's a lot of change going on that's stressing a lot of people. Not everyone is affected, though, and there are people that are happy there, including me. I know others who have been there for years who have no plans to leave. Just trying to give the other side.
I agree with unhappy.
I am no longer there. I had 5 accounts each with different styles, and you MUST know them or it is taken off your QA, thus your pay is decreased. They woudl run out of work or have mandatory overtime as the week went. Seek someone else.
SO WHY DO YOU NOT QUIT IF YOU ARE SO UNHAPPY??
?????????????
I am thoroughly unhappy too and here is my beef sm
I echo everything you have said! You are on target (typos or no).

SOmething happened at TT in March of this year, dunno what, but something slipped out of sync all right. Since then, I can't make 1500 lines, which I need, in anything less than 10 hours, no matter how much I try to do. My shift is 8 to 4 days, but I have been working 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. trying to get work. I am sorry, but duplex scans are NOT worth my time and that seems like all I get. One of the leads was kind enough to take care of me and assign work all afternoon and evening and I was doing better, till they told her not to. Now I am back to slim pickins and it doesn't matter when I am on there trying to work.

Flexing ASSumes we having any down time at all, which most of us are not. I don't call working 7 to 11 flexing, I call it slave labor and I call it illegal. I mean, their base rate is pretty poor, but if you can make numbers you can do much better. There is no longer a way for you to get those numbers!!!! Not anymore.

My old company that I quit to go to TT asked me back in the last month. They are willing to work with me to do whatever hours and work types I want. So, it is some mornings for OPs and then late afternoons and evenings as much as I can, and weekends, but I don't have to work all of every weekend, only if the work mounts up over a certain level. Heavy ESL account, but 10 cpl IC. Almost work as much or when I want to.

Today, I put out a resume and something happened with mtstars...the posting I saw was not connected to the right email, but it is a happy accident. I got a call to do ER work with a ton of templates at 8 cpl and I can set any schedule I want, but she would like weekend coverage, and I can have 2 days off during the week. I said I liked certain work types and she said she had the capacity to find that work for me, if I wanted it.

It does mean going back to working 7 days a week, which I am not sure I want, not exactly. Then again, I'll probably be working less in the end for more money. My days off with TT means I have 2 whole days to catch my lines around my life, not the other way around.

The account status emails are driving me up a wall.
Really unhappy at Webmedx, but don't know where to go (sm)

Webmedx keeps buying up new companies but the employees aren't seeing the $.  It's a good company in many ways, but there's no where to climb and they're not trickling down their earnings to the employees that are keeping them afloat.  I'm not an MT.  I guess I've gone as high as I can in this company.  They rarely hire from within.  You work your tail off only to see the rewards (promotions) go to people who don't work here.  It's very demoralizing.  My pay isn't climbing (yes, I've begged for a raise).  For the first time I'm starting to hate going to work every day. 


I know it can seem like the grass is greener elsewhere so I don't want to jump ship too soon.  I just don't know about timing.  How do you know when you've reached burnout with no return?  I guess it's time for another job or maybe a second job so  all the things wrong with this one don't bother me so much.  I would love to just have an IC position where I could just transcribe or QA documents based on a requirement of lines per week, work your own schedule.  I only know of one company that does this and leaves you alone, which is Oracle Transcription, and they're not hiring.  If anybody knows of another please post or email me.


I hope everybody else is in a better situation.  I'm on the edge of putting in my notice, but I'm hesitant to leave too soon. I've been waiting for a long, long time for things to get better, though, and they haven't.


Unhappy Z'er
My experience with ZyloMed, if this is the Z out of Naples, Florida, was not a good one. I was on a large radiology account they acquired and I had numerous bad dictators, hard to get lines with different doctors constantly (advertised exclusive for one doctor or a small group). I had doctors from different locations/states. I stayed about two months. I figured I lost around 1,000+ dollars in those two months.

Be warned that they pay by a 65 character line. Make sure you have a good counting program. If they offer a bonus for “catch up” work, document it. Without knowing what your lines are, you will not know if you got your bonus or not.

They IM a lot, including mass IMs. I keep a log of my IMs and had more than one “group IM” of when are you going to start working etc.” I was already logged in and proofing one of many of my bad dictators- so figured this was to others that were signed on and not working. It really did not seem like IC work to me.

My QA was decent to me. I never had any issues with her. I’ve heard that some of the QA is snappy and rude, but like I said, the QA I had was okay.

Read your contract!! If you quit without notice, they can keep half your pay. They take away lines from you from the demos- Emdat Inscribe program- and I believe (I may be wrong) they charge for direct deposit.

This is just my own personal experience with Z. Others may be/have been happy there. It was not a money maker for me and I was very unhappy.
I am very unhappy with Softscript and
am not sure I can articulate why, exactly, as I'm not that good explaining. I've had 7 years as an MT, and worked for two MTSOs in the past as well as in-house. Recently started with SS because I was so desperate. Started me at 7 cpl (horrible), and it is the worst system I've ever used. It is NOT MT-friendly and am constantly having delays for things I cannot control. No support system to contact that doesn't take 15 minutes for a reply, nothing. There is flat nothing to help the MT make better production. I've never felt this way about an MT company before, so don't think it's me, personally moaning and  whining (at least, hope it's not). They have work, but most of the dictators on my account are terrible ESLs--get about 30% decent dictators overall, and 70% just rotten. I'm putting in my 2 weeks notice very shortly. I could never make a living with this company alone...never. Well, guess if I worked 16 hours a day...could maybe support myself.
Her message is obviously that she's unhappy with TT
So she should move on already. No one is holding a gun to her head to stay there against her will, right?

Unless her emails and resume to prospective employers read like her posts here. Then I can see where there might be a problem.
Not unhappy with my job Right Now, but I would be will to research it.

I love my job, but I feel like the future of MT in general is very insecure.  I would and I have investigated other possibilities.


Unhappy MDI-MDer
It makes me wonder how people can sell others out? I wish that all of these people who worship at the Shrine of Fort Knox would think of this little story I once heard. A wealthy man died and his friends were at his wake. One of the friends turned to the other and asked How much did he leave? And the other friend replied, All of it.

They can't take it with them. I have never seen an armored car following a hearse......I hope it is worth it.
Always unhappy people
there are always unhappy people at every company. Why are you asking these ladies to give more credence to an unhappy worker than a person who is reasonably happy with their job?
Are you the same unhappy employee with no work?
What's up with all the slamming.. People say negative things but never back it up with any proof or clear up what they mean.
Okay! Sounds like you are an unhappy person.
wow!
I agree! I was very unhappy working for them.
You ought to get your resume polished up and look elsewhere.  Lots of better MT positions out there!!
RIU has had some very unhappy campers with them if you search. nm
s
Management. From what I hear, many MTs are also unhappy (sm)
with their pay as a result of the implementation of ASR. Management has a pattern of taking a myopic view of limited data, then applying that to a larger picture. That's adversely affecting processes and job satisfaction in many positions throughout the company.

I was told that everyone in QA starts at about $16 an hour. Sounds like they can't even be honest about that.