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LK - GIVING YOURSELF A RAISE?

Posted By: Care to share? on 2009-04-02
In Reply to: No, decided to give myself a raise. - lk

Hey LK - I'm always looking for different strategies to increase my productivity. Would you care to share what techniques and strategies you used to give yourself that 13% bump in productivity? I could sure use some ideas once in awhile!

TIA :-)


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That is MTSO PR b.s. A raise is a raise in line rate. A bonus or incentive is just that. NOT sm

a raise.


Asking for a raise isn't going to do it. There is a policy for raise increases.
nm
I'm giving them a try (sm)
I was impressed that they contacted me within 10 minutes of my submitting my resume.
Not giving one's best
One person's best is not the same as another person's best.

In fact, one person's so-so may be higher or lower than another person's 110%. The problem here is when we get treated like we come from a cookie cutter or mold.

A person who has been doing this for 30 years can do a so-so job and may be doing it better than a person with 10 years doing their best. It all relates to experience.

Why would someone not give their best? Hmmm,go work for MQ for a year and see if you give your best. It would seem a person gets demoted for doing their best in that situation.
giving your best
I think those of us who have been doing this for years and years have for the most part taken pride in the jobs we do or we wouldn't have lasted in the business. But these days it's extremely demoralizing to do your best only to have your pay cut to the point that you wonder if it's even worth trying anymore. The respect should be mutual. The employer definitely has a right to expect our best, but we shouldn't have to feel like we've invested years in something only to be treated like we're pretty much worthless and certainly dispensable. To have your salary cut in half after years of working hard and perfecting your craft is beyond insulting. We're in a field where our employers can legally pay less than minimum wage and get away with it and some of them certainly don't mind taking advantage of that fact. And as long as there are enough people willing to take whatever they dish out, I don't see that changing.
try a second job before giving up first job.
nm
You are giving out the wrong
info.  The hourly wage job is for midnight to 8 AM, NOT for any other shifts.They need coverage for that shift only.  All other shifts are cpl plus incentive.
Not giving references
You folks need to contact the Department of Labor as well as an employment lawyer. You have a right to a reference. Do not let these people get away with this!
Yep. Which is exactly why I'm giving up on nationals.
nm
Why don't ya try giving the transcriptionists

a limited number of doctors to learn in the areas they were hired for?  NOOOO....gotta know 15 doctors.  Then you folks want us to fill in on an emergency in a field never tried before by the transcriptionist...the Transcriptionist tells you she's never done that but you say....ahhh...you won't have any trouble...please???  She says yes and tortures along trying to figure it out for pennies on the dollar.  Two days later she is still struggling along, has told you several times, but you say you're doing great...Two days later you send her an e-mail saying that if her work doesn't improve you'll have to dock her pay.   Stick it man.


Lets see....doctors specialize but we who make peanuts have to be able to transcribe ALL specialties or are punished.  Wake up.


 


 


How about giving me a break?
I am the MT who seemed to upset a lot of you with my post below about MDI and the lack of work for some. Unlike what many of you surmised, I also need a regular income, a daily line count that I can depend on and I work far more than 1-2 hours per day and always have. I am also an MT who has been kicked to the curb by enough MTSO's to make me want to quit this profession at times and work at just about anything else. What I was saying below is that MDI, at least for me, is trying to get me more work and guess what? I have more now! Yes, everyone, they are being helpful and NICE! When compared to others I have worked for, who have also been low in work at times, and who have told me and other MTs who ask for more work, to basically get over it and wait it out or go elsewhere, I think I prefer the treatment I have received with MDI far above the others. If a nice company doesn't cut it for you, then go to the many out there who don't give a rat's behind how they treat you. They are not hard to find. When the work is there, you will be worked to death and when it isn't, they could not care less. Heck, you can make good money these days working on a garbage truck, so if nice isn't important,what's stopping you?
giving notice

To anyone that has left Spheris, did you give two weeks notice?  If you did give two weeks notice, did they just tell you to quit then?  After almost 6 years, I'm finally getting out of there. 


I'm very tempted to just quit and not give notice, however, I have about 3 days of PTO time also I don't want to lose. 


Also is it normal for anyone in an employee situation to have to get someone to cover your hours if you want to take off?  I'm going to a bridal shower in another state and needed a day off and was told I had to find someone on my team to cover my hours otherwise I couldn't have off.  Also whenever I ask to have a day off I'm always asked Why?  Why is it their business?  So glad I'm getting out of there. 


giving notice
in most states, if you give notice to a company, and they tell you to leave then, they are responsible for reimbursing lost time, etc - because you gave notice and expected to work and earn money. Check out your state and verify. this would go for any company requiring a notice period.
TT giving MT's no explanation on why all this

This is certainly a mystery to me.  Announcement of Jesse being gone was heartbreaking.  He was such a good tech guy, but these loss of working hours due to server problems we are having is not due to anything but Dictaphone, it appears.  The **check back every 10 minutes** is getting old. 


It seems that chunks of work disappear when these problems occur, so don't know where the work goes when server goes down.  Hopefully, TT is not outsourcing to another service again, as we have been SO LOW on work for the past month or so. 


I just wish the upper mgmt. would give us an explanation for all these server problems as of late so that we would not wonder about why this is happening.  Maybe some of you can explain to us.  Maybe I am just out of the loop.


Giving notice

If you are required to give a 30-day notice to your current employer and don't have a start date yet for the new job you were just offered, when would you actually give that notice?  Now that you intend to take another job or when you actually have a specific start date for that new job?  Thank you for your advice.


From above: they are giving you. I bet facilities are
x
I think they are just giving you the times
they need people. Just because you are IC does not mean that you can work whenever, only when they want you to or need the help. They can tell you that they only have work between 12 noon and midnight, so that would be when you would work for them. Just because you are IC you cannot tell them to let you work at 8 a.m. if they is not when they need the help. They do have a little leeway, they just cannot set a strict schedule.
There is no way punctuation is giving SM
you that low of a QA percentage.  No way.  There have to be other issues (typos, incorrect terminology).  Even on short reports a couple of commas do not give you a QA score in the 80s.
Not giving a patient's name
is a HIPAA violation. Report her to your supervisor.
I was giving you a compliment...
that even though you only type clinic and for 1 American doctor, you are valuable to them. But nevermind--I'll take it back if it will make you feel better. :)
What is the reasoning he is giving?
I did have one company tell me that I couldn't have any file sharing type of program on the computer I would be using and would need to uninstall all other platforms. I ended up not working for them as if they want to tell me what I can and cannot have on my work computer, then they need to provide the computer.
Giving orders?
It wasn't an order, just a suggestion from someone who has been through the no work situation before. Sorry, I was not replying to your post, just added it at the end of the line.
Would need permission from the OP before giving

I would not feel comfortable posting that information on the Board without the Original Poster’s permission, since it contains personal names and addresses.  TransTech is probably reading every one of these posts right now and you could be management for all I know.  LOL.  Suffice it to say that this is public information and can be researched if you know where the headquarters of TT is and how to access court filings in that county.  


How do you get a raise with MQ?
So, how do you get raises without asking?  Yearly?  I did not get a raise since 1998 and asked two years ago.  I got less than a fourth of a penny more per line.  I dont like DQS.  We dont get paid for the demographics screen, yet most of my doctors do not fill the screen in or they put in the wrong MR#.  So I can spend up to three minutes each report trying to decipher what name the doctor is stating or spelling and then search for the name.  If you figure three minutes per report, 40 or so reports a day.  That is money I deserve but am not getting.  For pete sake, we dont get paid for downtime researching words, lab results, medications, the least they can do is pay for the demographics screen.
MQ raise
Dittos,have been with MQ 9 years and no raise. After DQS, line count fell dramatically, so no more quarterly bonuses. They are a bunch of scoundrels that are taking advantage of their employees.
RE: How do you get a raise with MQ?
Everything your complain about in your post is a part of your job. You are supposed to verify, transcribe a report accurately. That should include the patient's name, medications, laboratory values, etc. Have you ever read the job description of a transcriptionist?
You must be one of those that got a raise or
got a decent account with a team leader that is available.  This company offers no way of advancing into any kind of management, no way to change accounts, nasty teamleaders, no raises, no communication, and just gives a lot of hot air promises that never happen.  The biggest change since Transcend took over is that there are no more bonuses which was the best part of the company. 
What should I do about a raise?

I have been working for Spheris for a year and started at 5.5 cpl and after 6 months went to Level-1 only making 6.5 cpl.  I am still having to work crazy hours to make decent pay.  Has anyone from Spheris ever asked for a raise and actually received one without jumping through hoops and switching accounts.  The only way to get an extra cent raise is to be trained on 2 different accounts until they are learned and then get an extra cent.  Has anyone ever just asked for a raise??  I would like to make 8 cpl preferably, but would be happy with the 1 cnt raise.  I have a feeling they won't do that.


I tested for Transcend Services and passed their testing and was only offered 7 cpl to start which is only a 0.5 difference.  So, of course I turned that down.  Anyone have any advice? 


When, if ever, should a MT ask for a raise?
Been with the company for almost a year.  I have acquired three private accounts through them. When should I ask, if ever, for a raise? Wait until the one year mark?  If so, what is the best way of going about it?  Has anyone ever gotten a raise from their company? I am an MT with over 14+ years experience, get paid decent, but absolutely NO BENEFITS...tia
raise
I haven't had one either and its been 8 years and a large company.  I'm sure they have perks
raise

ha ha.  The way it goes in this industry is  --great news!  We have new software!  You have to double your output for a cut in pay.  Doesn't go that way in upper management does it.  If a CEO doubles the output he gets a raise -- we are lucky to get new software that requires we double our output, working just as hard, for less money. Wake up. The middle class is disappearing.  It's time to get involved in democracy again, people.


 


 


WE NEED A RAISE!!!!! nm
nm
Raise to what? 5-1/2 cpl?
x
RE: Raise to what?
It does start at 5 cpl because we've been burned by MTs that said they were highly experienced and then their work did not show that and/or they were extremely unreliable. This is just a 'probationary' phase while the MT gets to show us what she can do, we can show what a great company we are and then it does go up. That can be negotiable and it is dependent on how well the MT does. If she is unreliable and does not get out of QA after working on the account or accounts after several months, why should we pay more? We're a small company,not a national and we do not rake in the big bucks. We have MTs that have been with us for years because they are treated fairly and we do remember that things come up and do not threaten you with being let go because a family member got sick. Thanks for all of those that responded and we will be notifying those that we have chosen soon.
WOW a RAISE
I have NEVER gotten a raise in my 10 years of transcribing. So your 0.25% sounds nice.
Raise...
I got 3 with the first company I worked at home with. I worked 5 years for them and didn't get a raise the last 2. I also got a raise with the 2nd company I worked with. I was only there a little over a year. The 3rd and current company I have not been with long enough to ask for a raise. Good luck!
Raise?
How long have you been there? I was thinking of asking for a raise but was told they do not give raises! Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!
raise
I agree - start with your liason - send an email outlining why you should get a raise and ask her to forward it as appropriate.
Raise
Basically, I was just wasting too much time and fooling myself about how many hours I was actually working. I had convinced myself that it was a good thing to take mental breaks, while I was working, going to message boards like this one or other web sites. I also discovered I wasn't really working full time, and I thought I was. I started tracking my hours more closely, and when I actually worked 8 hours a day, of course my production went up significantly. I THOUGHT I was working close to 8 hours a day, but now I think it must have been more like 6-1/2 or 7 (I have a flexible schedule). My new rule now is to really work during work time and work a full shift. It's made a big difference. I honestly didn't realize how off track I had gotten and how it was hurting my line count.
You really don't think no one is getting a raise??
or paid what they should now?? I completely disagree and don't think you can validate that statement. Just sure ain't MTs. You don't think the MTSO management, for instance, are getting their raises or are paid well? Think part of the MT problem is related exactly to that perhaps.
pay raise
I posted a message last night on the main board and it got deleted, so I'm posting here.  I have been in transcription for 10 years.  I have been working the past 2 years with a certain company.  I asked for a raise and went from .085 to .0875.  I felt like I got slapped in the face.  I work my scheduled hours without taking a lot of time off, meet and exceed the minimum line requirements, had a 98% on QA, work extra when asked, and after 2 YEARS all I get is a .0025 raise???!!!!  I'm thankful that I got a raise at all, but this is ridiculous.  It's offensive actually.  It makes me feel like I'm not valued at all.  I was hoping to at least get .09.  Am I overreacting? Should I jump ship and try to find something better?  I'm afraid to gripe about it to the company as I'm a single mom of 2 and don't want to lose my job.  Any advice?
Raise
I have asked for a raise and my ROM even asked for a raise for me but was told I am at the top of the scale.  There are no raises.
I am giving my opinion, which is what the OP asked for
nm
As a recruiter, I hate giving these as much as...
...most people hate doing them. It's actually kind of painful to listen to someone who just can't figure out the answers, or is wrong and wants to know if the answer was right.

For someone who tests well over the phone, it's a breeze and I enjoy them, but for those who don't, it's a difficult experience for everyone involved, and it still isn't necessarily a perfect indicator of whether they can do the job.

I still prefer transcription tests, where MTs have the time to settle in, proofread, and aren't put on the spot.

Recruiting isn't an exact science, unfortunately. Ah well.

Just my 0.02.
Without giving away my exact pay rate....sm
I can tell you it was above 8 cents a line.   I'm sure it also depends on how well you test, how much experience you have, and what account you will be on also.
This person is giving you bad info--
I used to work for TransHealth and they're not perfect but don't pay attention to what this person is saying. You get benefits almost immediately, I used ShortHand when I was there, and they were pretty flexible. Some of the accounts are not so good, but you get that anywhere.
I applaud them for giving feedback. YOU, however,
should learn to spell (with meaning!!) before you go slapping people around. Advise indeed... pfffft.
Medware is giving work to her.
x
And they are giving me hearing loss
their cell phones go off, they are right next to the dictating phones and they do not know whether to answer or call back, you can tell they are picking them up and looking because you are getting an ah, ah, ah and then leaving something electronic close to the phone because all of a sudden we have this horrible loud screech in your ears. My hearing is sensitive!
Why Wendy? She is only QA, right? I don't think she has the powers that you giving her.
Debbie or account manager would make more sense to contact -- not a QA person!!!!!!!
No one is giving a straight answer on this at TT.
nm