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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Working Holidays

Posted By: jazzer on 2007-07-23
In Reply to: Working holidays/weekends? I would certainly hope you are committed to - Not an MTSO

Not expecting to have to work ANY holidays or weekends is out of the question in our business.  However, I decided to educate myself and put myself through college to have a career.  I paid a lot of money for my education and I worked really hard to get it so that I could find a better job than what I did before, cleaning hotel rooms, waitressing, etc.  As a waitress, it would be easier than this to find somewhere to work making more money and having a better chance of having holidays off.  My point is having to work every holiday and every weekend with no reward; no extra pay, no floating day off, nothing.  That is what isn't fair.  Trust me, I've worked my share of holidays.  In 14 years, I've maybe had a total of 6-10 off; that's 6-10 over a period of 14 years.  It is possible there are some companies who simply don't care and don't make it worth your while. 


Maybe when Medical Transcription education started becoming advertised on TV by Sally Struthers the quality of the Transcriptionist has declined.  Everyone thinks that they are able to do this.  In my experience, most are SHOCKED when they find out they can't walk in off the street and do this.  They cannot believe they have to have an education.


A lot of you who have been doing this longer than me, got taught the old way.  Right on site.  Those are great MTs.  I came in between that and the learn-at-home MTs.  In my time, we actually had to go to some college and get an education.


Then came the learn-at-home programs (a lot cheaper than what I paid and a lot faster).  Now in my own experience, some of these MTs are okay.  Most are not.  I'm sure with time, they would be better, but I've seen a slow decline in the last 5 years of how the MTSOs treat the employees and how poor quality a lot of the learn-at-home MTs produce. 


So....holidays?  You know, I work them all.  But gees it would be nice to get a small token of appreciation just once for doing it.  As far as some of the other advice, absolutely.  Look locally.  I'm so fed up with the MTSOs, that I am looking locally.


If I was an MTSO and come to this board, I would have no respect for any MTs myself.  We cannot even unite together on anything.  One person brings up an opinion and 100 follow with their outrage and nasty comments! 


We all have a lot in common with each other, yet we can't even get alone.  How can we expect respect from employer and yet we don't even respect our peers?




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MQ same situation. No pay for working holidays, no pay for working weekends nothing. Now noone works
much anymore and so they jerk the work out of the accounts to some place that throws it back with a lot of bad bad quality. This is the NE region. I dont know what the others are doing.
Working Holidays
If you don't want to work holidays, has anyone considered working for a local MTSO? I do clinic work locally and I get all the major holidays off and four weeks vacation and I've been here just short of a year.
Working weekends and holidays
Thanks, I'd like to think of myself as a nice person. Unfortunately, the place I work at is a local clinic doing nephrology work. Have you tried locally, maybe you could find something where you wouldn't have to work weekends. And oh, yes, it is paid vacation. After 5 years I get 5 weeks. I have great benefits and a 401K plan, so I'm very thankful.
Most of us at OSI don't mind working holidays here & there
nm
Well, someone has to be working holidays...ERs are open 24/7/365
If you are doing acute care I think it is just a given that you are going to have to cover some holidays.  Just like the doctors, nurses, admissions, and the rest of the hospital staff... someone has to work it.  The only holiday I'd mind working actually is Christmas, the rest can be adjusted to fit my schedule.  But I am lucky and live close to family and don't have travel concerns.  Guess I'll take my extra cpl and be happy with it. 
Nothing here either, not even an e-mail and no bonuses for working holidays.nm
nm
Which companies pay for holidays -- not working the holiday but OFF

I'm talking like the office (in-house employees) do -- LIKE LOCKING THE DOORS -- want to lock my at-home office door and know that I am GETTING PAID for the holiday as I lock the door behind me and enjoy the day off as my fellow in-house office employees do.  


I understand keeping a skeleton crew of at-home MT's working the holidays, but we should be paid for those holidays just as the in-house employees get paid for those and don't have to worry, but go home and enjoy the holiday.  What is the reason behind management's thinking on this??  Just because they know the in-house people face-to-face, does not mean that we at-home employees of whom they have never seen our face, should not get paid for holidays.  I think the in-office employees should wear our shoes for a year (working ALL holidays WITHOUT PAY) and see how they feel about the subject.  I can assure they would be pressing management to make a policy change in a HURRY. 


Working holidays/weekends? I would certainly hope you are committed to
your convictions. Many people do not work holidays but it is not always a choice. If you do not want to work weekends or holidays, but the work must get done. If you are anti-working holidays and weekends, then I hope you do not expect to receive medical care or emergency treatment of any kind, that you do not shop or buy anything on weekends/holidays, do not attend any type of functions where employees must work to create a good environment for you to enjoy your life, do not go to movies, do not go out for dinner, etc. Did you ever think that these people may not want to have to work just to make your life sweet? What hypocrits.
Hmm....working on the holidays, PMS, kids home from school, wanting to find a better job but can'
s
My mom was a lab tech, so I grew up knowing about working holidays in the medical field sm

so it is no big deal to me.  I do not have any children, so I have pretty much always volunteered to work the holidays so that others can be with their families.  As someone pointed out, when you work at home for the holiday, you can jump off and on whenever you want, so it does not really feel so much like working. 


Sorry that you are unhappy about it, but unfortunately, people still get sick on the holidays, and part of being in the medical profession is accepting that you will work some holidays. 


Hope the New Year brings you lots of things to be happy about. 



What I mean is, to be paid for holidays, even if you dont work. Major holidays.

Sorry.  What I mean is, to be paid for holidays, even if you dont work. Major holidays.


Very few MTSOs pay for holidays. Some give you 6 days you can use for holidays or regular PTO, but
x
Holidays - Is there any company who pays holidays?

Are there companies (like in the old days) who pay you for Christmas, NY, Thanksgiving, etc., MAJOR HOLIDAYS?


 


 


Ditto.. Over 13 years experience working in hospitals doing all types of reports, currently working
for a national etc.. and Spheris told me I didnt have the qualifications. What cracked me up was the hospital I was working at at the time contracted some of our work out to them.. What a joke..I was good enough to work for a hospital and gave them work, yet not qualified enough for them. What is wrong with this picture.
working from home is awesome but working for DSG is not...
horrible dictators, sound quality is bad, no answers to emails and they run out of work consistently...that is just my experience though...
holidays
If you're statutory I don't think there is anything they can do about making you work the holidays. The IRS considers the issue of "control" over a worker the key factor in determining their status with regard to employee or independent/statutory. Therefore, I would think (however you should make sure about this) that you have autonomy over your schedule. I would give as much notice as possible, like right now, for Thanksgiving, Xmas and New Year's and don't ask them, just tell them.
f/t - most non-IC pay holidays
what else can i say?
PTO and holidays
And what do you consider good?  I am looking for some thing part-time now with the possibility of going full time??  But the benefits to include health insurance, as well as paid time off for sick, vacation, and holidays is also a key factor.  One girl told me she thought diskwriter was the place to work, then I found out they offered one week vacation a year and three days sick.  I rarely ever get sick, but I have 5 weeks now of PTO which includes sick, vacation, and holidays - hard to give that up - but, due to the issues where I am at, it may be necessary for my own peace of mind.  Any ideas?
Holidays at TT
They also pay extra for working on holidays, even if it's your regularly scheduled day. Lots of incentives when the work load is high too. I've rarely had a check w/o extra on it, and I'm PT.
holidays
thanks for your help.  do they allow you to pick the holidays?  Is it that prevalent or are you allowed to ask for a holiday off if it falls on your scheduled day?  for instance, if I would want x-mas off, would it be that hard to have it off?  Do they really go by the book and say okay there are 3 holidays you MUST work??  Thanks for your help.
Holidays

Start training with Webmedx in a few weeks and wondered how they were with taking holidays off, namely Thanksgiving/Christmas.  I was told to make sure to put in a request for those days, which I will do.  Don't have my equipment yet.


Thanks!! Really excited to start, will be part time.


Holidays
I got the days off I needed no problem at all!!
holidays

I do know that you are expected to work every other Christmas and every other Thanksgiving.  I don't think they give you time and a half for holidays either. 


Wmx holidays
At Webmedx are you required to work a certain number of the holidays with pay, or are you free to take those 6 off if desired?

Also, do you happen to know the insurance rate for employee + child/children?
Holidays
TransTech Medical does. They also ask that you tell them in January what other 2 holidays you are willing to work in addition to either Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Holidays
I am scheduled for holidays and there there is no work, so my holidays are trashed. Are there companies out there with plenty of work on holidays?
Holidays
Does anyone know of any place that has paid holidays or at least lets you take them off without using PTO?  I took a job with a company last year that had paid holidays, but they have changed it to using PTO time and all the hassle that goes along with wanting to take a holiday off.  Last year, I worked Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and am really fed up with this. 
HOLIDAYS AT MDI-MD
MDI-MD wants its IC/SE's to volunteer for three out of the six major holidays. Does anyone know if, when you work those three holiday days, you get OT (1.5 times your regular line rate)?
About The Holidays

From what I got from the paperwork and conference calls is that holidays are not paid, you have to use your PTO if you want the holiday off.  Then again, you do get paid a good bit more per line for working a holiday.  With only 10 days PTO per year, I would rather work the holiday and save my PTO for an actual vacation or when I'm sick.


I did get a raise with the merger, since they do not pay incentives or shift differentials (they merged them together to give us a higher line rate than we were originally getting).  And, I like that the quota is a dollar amount averaged over three pay periods instead of a line amount.  The line/time reporting site makes it easy to see if you are on track too...that is one thing I really, really like.


I would not mind being given another tertiary account for those slow days (which are usually major holidays...like it was on New Year's Day -- twiddled my thumbs most of the day).  I also like that they are a lot closer to where I live than DeVenture was (just in case another hurricane decides to hit and knock out power for a week or more...I hope to be allowed to go there and get my work done...still waiting to get an answer on that).


holidays

I've worked at places where we had to work holidays if it was our regularly scheduled day (we did get double time for it), and if we wanted it off, had to arrange to have it off (would get holiday pay).


But most places I've worked, we had to choose to work 1 holiday out of T-giving, Christmas, or New Years to work and also had to choose 2 holidays out of July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and I forget the other one.  (We had to decide this in January, though, which makes it tough to try to coordinate with when other family would be available to get together for the holidays.  We have other medical workers in the family, so they go through the same thing in January as well.)


 


 


HOLIDAYS? - SM

MTs required to cover for a set number of holidays (2 or 3 per year) one of which must be Thxgiving or Xmas, even though it may not be one of his/her regular weekly work days.  Last holiday, Memorial, were told who was committed to that particular day, but they wisely (to legally cover their behinds) added that we were not required to stay at PC if there was no work.  Well, that's the same as being engaged to work even though there may not be any work crap.


But that holiday is REQUIRED ... when that M.Day, Thanksgiving, or Xmas could be spent with family, away from computer, which cannot be done, i.e., no travel possible ... but MT still REQUIRED to work the holiday.  Go figure. 


Do you get holidays off with Medquist sm
or do you have some type of rotation schedule that you follow?
You have to work 3 holidays for them, though. nm
s
Did a lot of MTs leave after the holidays?
There were problems with slow/no work in the fall and earlier this month, but they were still hiring?
Holidays and amphion
I've been with Amphion over a year and have a lot of PTO (over 50 hours).  I have no problem using PTO or even working part of the holiday since they pay 1.5 times for holiday pay--how many companies do that? And depending on what account you're on, you won't have to work the major holidays.
holidays--major ones. sm

Doesn't matter to me--with all the overtime available at Amphion, it's pretty easy to whittle down using PTO to a couple of hours instead of 7 or 8.  But more importantly to me is that as long as I don't have to work the major holidays that are most important to my family--Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's--I'm a very happy camper.  I was an IC for a long time before Amphion and was able to take my very first vacation in 5 years last year.


It just depends on what is most important to each individual.   


Holidays versus PTO

I think it all depends on the amount of PTO that you accrue per pay period.  Some companies allow you to accrue more, but then you are expected to use your PTO for holidays.  Some may pay for holidays separately, but then you don't accrue as much PTO; it basically all balances out in the end.


as soon as you start, ask for those holidays off. the big ones sm
fill up fast with PTO requests (which you will not get PTO being new), but with just asking for the holidays off.  When they have too many, they deny requests.  Ask soon.  If you don't even have your equipment yet, my guess is you should expect to work those holidays, unless you are still in training, the you won't have to.
Holidays--oops! SM
Didn't mean to cause a stir! I am not new to MTing at all.  I have been doing this a LONG time and have never worked those 2 holidays.  I have a fulltime job, too, for a hospital and no one works on those holidays, New's Year's Day either, so I will see what happens with my request for those days off.  I'll probably still be in training for Thanksgiving--Christmas is the biggie for me.  In the spirit of the season!!  
Don't think so. Had a contact tell me that getting ANY holidays off was VERY
s
Holidays at MedScribe
You can pick and choose and the team leaders rotate.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are paid at 1.5 times your rate.  You do not have to work all of them and that has never been the case, I just asked my team leader after I read this post.  I like to help because it is the nature of the job and I understood that before I became an MT, just like the other posts mentioned.  Holiday work comes with the position.
They are just called holidays, but
There are companies out that call them holidays and PAY MT's for them when off -- TRUE HOLIDAYS.  Unfortunately, Transtech is not one of those companies that DO PAY for a holiday UNLESS you work that holiday.  Otherwise, you use your accrued PTO hours to be off ANY of the holidays.  Not good !!!
Why not? They don't celebrate our holidays anyway, do they?
nm
Management gets all the holidays off with pay...
 
MTSO's besides OSI who DON'T pay for holidays

Since OSi has taken away holiday pay unless we turn into dancing bears -- all the MT's I know are planning to leave ASAP.  Don't most MTSO's with employee status offer paid holidays?


Are there any other MTSO's with employee status that DON'T pay for holidays so we will know where not to apply? 


TIA


Yes, 6 of them, with 3 being the 'bigger' holidays, then
s
THERE ARE COMPANIES WHO PAY HOLIDAYS

I work for one and if I do work that holiday, I get my holiday pay, plus the lines that I type.


H-m-m - pray tell, what holidays would these be?
nm
Yes, the 6 major holidays, but...sm

...usually there is no work at all.  I was told that this depends on the account though.  And your rate is x1-1/2 is paid for work done on the 6 major holidays.


MDI incentives/holidays
Unfortunately there is no holiday pay/weekend pay. There are sometimes incentives offered when accounts get behind.
Precyse MT Holidays No Pay
Just a heads up in case you didn't know, but if you are thinking of working for Precyse, you may want to know that you will have to pay for your own federal holidays off out of your PTO bank if you have the holiday falls on a day off or you take the holiday off.  I am new to the company and somehow missed that little detail until after Christmas when I was wondering why I didn't get paid....and found out it was because they don't pay you unless you pay yourself out of your own PTO.  Absolutely ridiculous.