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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

You can work in the office or at home....

Posted By: HappyMT on 2005-11-26
In Reply to: not better if you work in the office. everyone is - depends

if you dislike the office, or find it tense, you should ask to work from home. There are only about 15 people that work in the office, most are not transcriptionists, and my experience is that they would rather transcriptionists work from home.

Life's too short, go ahead and make arrangements to work from home. Why would you want to work in the office, especially if you dislike it so much?




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Working from home/office work

I feel I need to speak up. I understand that the industry is going backwards in pay and for all of the more experienced MT's this is really degrading from what I hear from some. I understand and I would probably feel the same way. This is a craft. Not everyone can do what we do. It is a very hard craft. We should be paid what we are worth. There is no doubt about that but I also know how it works in an office in this industry. Being in an office is awful! I did it for 15 years. I worked at 2 different companies and both took advantage of the hard worker I was. I had MULTIPLE jobs and was not compensated for it. When I hear MT's complain about how bad they have it I want to scream. Yes, the pay is an issue. Yes, the belittling emails from managers is ridiculous. I completely agree and all of those managers should be let go but you do not know how awful it is to be in an office setting dealing with those belittling managers.


Trust me everyone in the company you work for or wherever that is not a VP or CEO is going through hell on a daily basis and not getting paid for it. You are making a lot more money for the time you put in than the people working in the office mostly. The people in the office are probably working on salary. When you figure the hours they work and the amount they are paid that are probably making about $5.00 an hour or less. They also have to work nights/weekends etc. from home. They also are having to listen to all of the MT's daily when they have a problem, they call in giving a excuse as to why they cannot come to work and trying to scramble to get the shift filled when the MT is really not sick as she said, problems dealing with the clients and their complaints about the work or turn times, problems with MT's and editors fighting via IM or email, problems with the Sales guys telling potential clients...oh yeah, we can do that...when we CANNOT.


I could go on and on. Being in an office is a lot more work than you would think. I would be greatful for what you have. I am not bitter at what I have gone through in an office setting. It got me to where I am today. I just want to let you know it is not easy working in an office and it is a lot harder than being an MT when you can type and then stop for the day and not have to answer to others and deal with their issues. Being an MT is a craft and it is hard...just be thankful!


Have a HAPPY HOLIDAY! Be joyous! Feel Blessed!


"People are quitting" -- who? I work in the home office
and no one has quit in the last month.
I realize we work from home, but where in Ky is their base office?
nm
May have a home office in tn
But definately is affiliated with the Phillipines, know the person who runs it.
Home vs. office
Well, I've done both but did billing in between. Each has benefits. Our local hospital pays more per hour if you get over the req. amt. of lines. Pretty cool. However, they're small and don't often have openings. They have a good starting wage too.

OTOH, I like being at home, working in my sweats, and having my 3 cuddle babies (my 3 pugs) at home with me. We are trying to breed our 2 black pugs (just once to carry on the line) and I wouldn't have been able to do that if I had still been doing med. billing at an office. I had a TAH last May and had to use all my vac. days. I have to be home with my female if she has puppies in case something goes wrong and with the puppies in case she abandons then litter. Home trans. allows me to do that.

So, I guess, to each his own. At first, when I left an hourly paying job, I wanted to run to the local hosp. and beg them to hire me. Now, I'm more secure in what I can do and I feel comfortable at home. :-)

PS, I was a supervisor in the home office
That is how I know for a fact that it is done this way.
Transcend has their home office there,
don't they?
Saw JLG hiring SE and IC. SE can take home office deductions, right? (sm)
Any other pros/cons about this or the company in general?
I'm an employee and can take home office deductions. You
have to have a $$ amount equal to a certain percentage of your income to be able to claim expenses if you are not an IC.  I don't claim home office because it only made about a $50 difference in my report and I'd rather not claim it than worry about an audit since my office isn't 100% office use, my internet service isn't 100% work related, etc.   HR Block does my taxes too. 
Link to home office info

xx


Does Diskriter still photograph your home office?

I have been wanting current info on them, also.  Anyone out there help?


 


That is the owner's home. Office is in Ahmedabad, India. It is deceptive sm
to advertise otherwise.  All of the work is sent to and comes from India. 
MTSO gift to their at-home MT's who make their living for them and all the office staffs' livi

Why is it so hard to share their profits with the at-home MT's? ? ?   Give me MONEY for Christmas because so much has been taken throughout the year -- I won't it back -- or at least some of it !  I will buy my own gift or pay my light bill or buy my children/grandchildren a gift with it.


In general, the top echelon is getting so greedy at most MTSO's!   They would have nothing w/o the MT's constantly tapping those keyboards . . . and I mean it gets more and more difficult for us MT's as with each passing year to make a decent living . . . I dare say a living of any sort.  Only those MT's who have husbands to support them are happy with whatever few cents they are offered, because it is only play money for them anyway.  Hubby pays all the bills.   I guarantee you that if a poll were taken of the Happy MT's with their at-home job, it would either be hubby making living for them OR mommy not having to pay a babysitter to work outside the home.  Those in HR/management, with a little research, can easily see how our paychecks are dwindling month by month due to lower wages because ASR/VR is taking away the decent dictators and leaving only the horrible dictators (who take lots of time to transcribe a quality report), lack of cost-of-living raises, rising electricity bills at home that the MT has to pay, high-speed internet/phone bills higher and higher and loaded with taxes, rent/mortages/taxes/insurance continuously rising. 


The office staff don't have to think about those at-home costs, as theirs are paid by the MTSO during their working hours/shift, nor do they have to worry about the lack of raises, etc, because in-house employees get raises automatically with tenure or with a 6-month or annual review or at the discretion of management at any time.


Personally, my line count continues to decrease; I don't know what the reason is because in the past many years, I could transcribe 200-400 lines per hour, and I do good to transcribe 100 or 150 an hour with the horrible dictators sifted out by the VR machine Dictaphone ExText.  


Please don't yell at me -- because I am thankful for a paycheck -- but why is the burden put on my fingers to WORK HARDER AND HARDER to earn that paycheck.  Don't say try ASR/VR because it will double your income, because I have tried that and know better and have proven that theory to be wrong -- at least on Dictatphone ExSpeech you can't !


The other thief of a good line count/wage for the U.S. MT's is the majority of our work going offshore because it can get done CHEAPER !  Who is all that extra money saved by offshoring our work going to ??  Not the at-home MT.  That is exactly why I request MONEY for my Christmas gift from my employer, rather than some promo gift that is handed out to any and everyone.


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL US MT's in the good 'ole USA !  ! !


I don't work in the office and never claimed to. I am just saying that since the new office open
October with everyone of the admin staff in one place, these problems do not occur any more.
Can't get paid in the office if you don't work in the office.
JLG has MT's working at home, not in the office, not to mention working out of state.  The mail is the only way to get paid since they have temporarily suspended direct deposit.  The only ones getting paid on time are the ones that do work in the office, like the management and people answering the phone. 
A majority of at-home MT is overflow work with in-house getting the bulk of the work. If they clean
s
Ever thought of a home health care aide? Usually paid training and start work right away. Can work
m
Like I said - it depends who you work for. I work for a hospital at home - not a company. nm
x
Used to work for them at home--sm
You don't work for any certain facility. They now have the MTs working on all their facilities depending on the region you are in. They have heavy ESL.
You would not be sorry to work for them. Like any @ home job, it is a job and to be taken serious (
The pay is good, it is based on a line rate and bonuses for tier levels. You would not be sorry. A good group of people, excellent technical support and communications within the management!
Work from home
Does anyone work from home doing anything other than transcription? If so, can you share what your doing?
You are right, I DO WANT to work from home (sm)
and I chose this profession so that I would not have to send my kids to daycare. Money saved.

What is wrong with expecting to make a lot of money. I am in a profession that requires schooling, continuing education regarding medicines, their spelling; continuing education in operative procedures; computer knowledge, program education and yet I do not get paid top dollar, because the MTSOs are running a business and are in it to make money. What do you think I am in this for? A hobby? Ummmm.....no. While I love this profession, I do this to pay bills, get ahead and provide for my family.

Plus, let us not forget the MTSOs who want you to be an IC and then dictate when you will work. How is that right/legal. If the company I am working for cannot provide the work when they want me to work, I should be paid no matter what. I do not get paid to sit at my computer waiting for work to come in. In case you have not figured it out yet, that makes it impossible to schedule anything, even doctor appointments for yourself. Should I take my laptop with me to the doctor's appointment and transcribe while I am sitting there and during the exam? No. That is what I mean by having a life.

The offshore companies are willing to do it for a lot less money (and there will always be someone willing to do it for a lot less money), is because they are a poor country. I personally know of women in Costa Rica who work 10-hour days and only make 60 bucks a week. I hate to tell you this Toto, but we are in America - not some third-world country.

I have always worked extra and helped out when needed, but that does not mean that should be my regular schedule. It does not mean that I should have to change my entire family's schedule around to fit what an MTSO or a doctor wants just because they are having a power trip. They can wait 8 hours while I get some sleep.

It is just amazing to me that it is okay for doctors and MTSOs to have appointments, take their kids to soccer, dance, or piano lessons, but us - the low ones on the totem pole, are not afforded that option. We have reports to transcribe and every single one of us should be sitting at our computer typing all the time. I don't think so. And if that makes me a prima donna, then so be it. I am one.
And we who work at home are
so very ''screwable'' because nobody has to look us in the eye and nobody fears us storming into their office and causing a scene.  It's all quite remote and sanitary this way.  Send out a couple of e-mails, do a no-information informational conference call or two, ignore phone messages.  Hey presto!  No mess!  All done! 
In the early days, MedQuist said working at home was a benefit, therefore at-home sm
employees did not receive as many benefits as those working in-house.  As I believe, it was something like at-home employees got 3 days off a year versus 10 days for the in-office employees -- WHAT?!!!  I told them it made no sense to me, since by working at home I was saving them money -- no need to provide office space, equipment, references, utilities, etc. -- yet I get shafted.  I was only part-time when they took over the previous company with their great policies, and I told them to kiss where I can't. 
It is grand to work from home,
get certain things in writing, such as work times, how down time will be handled (server down), and if you will be required to go into the office to work for shortage coverage, meetings, etc. Been here, done this. Get it in writing or you will probably regret it.
I work for that account from home and it is
a great money maker. You have to move to Wisconsin for 6 months to train, though.
Here is what you save because I work from home

The average cost per square foot of commercial real estate is $6 to $13 per month.  A cubbie for my work area would run about $864 a year.  You want me to give up taking off any time for the first year except for a couple of days.  HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU GET PAID TO TAKE OFF?  Oh, that's right.  Your job doesn't bring money in, does it?  I save you electricity.  I save you the resources you should supply me under IRS rules such as books, CDs, etc.  You should be paying 100% of my internet expense, provide a computer at no charge if you are an employer meeting IRS regulations and I worked on site.  You should contribute to my state unemployment fund regardless of what state I live in when you run out of work and I am left without an income (oh, that doesn't happen to management, does it?)  You should provide an email server to keep from cluttering my personal email account and causing me to spend extra money to keep all those informative emails that require server space.  You occasionally want me to fax something.  Did you provide me with a fax machine?  I'm getting further away from the definition of an employee aren't I?  You want me to be 100% responsible for my own health insurance.  What if it's so crappy I would rather find my own?  Do you contribute to my health premium costs, say $35 twice a month NOT to take your insurance  (like employers I've had in the past)?  If I am hit by a drunk driver, where is my short-term or long-term disability benefits?  Oh, that's right, you cut out those expenses because you didn't think we would need them and wouldn't notice what you did.


Lastly, do you think I don't notice that my wages have been going down instead of up over the last 7 years because of forces beyond my control?  My knowledge, skill sets, resourcefullness and employment values increases yet I make less money.  Is this how it works in management?  About that retirement fund, thank you for offering it and contributing to it as I am going to need it when I retire from MT at about the age of 72 because I can't make it on what I'll be pulling from the federal government if I try to retire in my 60s.


Gee, I'm glad you cleared up what you offer me.  I honest hope you can see my point too.


I hope this point does not get pulled because I think these are valid issues that ALL MTSOs should be aware that MTs think about.


Did I leave out anything?


I work at home as IC for hospital...
Stay put.  After 10 years of working at home for this hospital with no raise, I decided to venture out and try other MTSOs.  Good thing I kept my hospital job.   I usually do 200-250 lines an hour with the hospital but other MTSOs I was down to 120-150.  Mostly it is the different dictators and I can't stand leaving blanks so I would listen over and over to try to get them.  Then the styles of what this one wants and what that one wants also differs tremendously.  Stay where you are and maybe talk to the hospital about possibly doing at least some days at home. 
Is that In-House or you work at home?
?
U S Work at Home Directory???
Does anybody have any experience with this company that offers to give leads for medical transcription jobs?
Hello, Has anyone ever seen a legitamite work at home job?
just for typing not transcription
work at home tips

I found that I had to be mean.  No, I cannot babysit, take you places, loan you money etc..... I am working....... I found family to be the worst.  The husbands and significant others think they are exempt from this.  Call a million times a day.  Honey do you want to go..... with me and it is always during working hours.  They have odd working schedule and do not understand we have to work set hours.  I got a lot more done when I started being firm with people.


We use dial up so of course the phone is always busy but they are not afraid to use the cell phone.  Be firm and stick to your guns.  I found the best thing was having set hours because otherwise the DH wanted me to go everywhere with him on his days off.  I wonder how they would feel if the situation was reversed. 


Good luck to you


Lisa


Do the coordinators work from home?
How do I apply for a coordinator position??
I work for a hospital at home also. sm
Fortunately, our hospital has the team approach. I am an IC for the hospital and my workload is the same as if I was an in-house employee. I see the entire work queue just as they do and we work first in-first out and abide by TAT. Not all facilities treat you like a second-rate citizen. There are wonderful people and well run hospitals out there to work for at home. You just need to seek them out.


Yep. That's why I am glad I work at home. Yet
we have echos of in-house right here, and it sounds very familiar. Ahh, like the old days at the water cooler. Not! LOL.
Let's be honest, most of us became MTs so we can work at home and be

with our kids.  My son was born with respiratory problems and had severe asthma up until about age 10.  I started working at home because I was on the verge of being fired from an in-office job for missing too much work. 


I conditioned myself when I started working from home to block out the TV, talking, dogs barking, etc.  My desk is in the family room.  Whenever my son was sick at home with me, I set him up in front of the TV on the couch with his nebulizer, video games, various favorite movies, etc.  I worked in the same room with him, took breaks to give him his breathing treatments and medicines, make him lunch, etc. 


That way I didn't feel guilty and I got my work done.  I know some MTs have trouble with blocking out noise and need complete silence to work.  I'm one of the lucky ones who can get in a zone and hear nothing by the dictation in my ears.


The other thing I can tell you is don't feel guilty about choosing your kids over your job.  Family has to come first period!  And if I find the person I work for doesn't agree with that, then I'm not working for the right place.  I flat out let my employer know back in those days that there would be numerous doctor's appointments and I would have to take sometimes two to three hours off at a time to take my son to these appointments.  I would make my time up, but I was going to go to those appointments whether they liked it or not.  Of course, I didn't put it quite that way.


Especially when I worked as an IC.  I never asked for permission to take time off.  I simply sent an email and said my son has a doctor's appointment.  I will be unavailable from this time to that time and I will make up my time when I return.  Thank you.


Guilt is a working mom's worst enemy and especially so when you have a chronically ill child.  It's hard, but you'll get through.  I did.  My sickly little boy is now a healthy 16-year-old boy.  I still work at home and I'm still here for him whenever he gets sick, although now he doesn't have to be in the same room with me, and I still take him to doctor's appointments.  Just not as often. 


My advice, just do what you have to do and don't feel guilty about it.


Is it work from home or in house ...sm
in New York. That is a good job.
Legitimate work-at-home job that isn't MT????
Please spill it! You don't have to say which company if you're worried about all of us suddenly jumping in with resumes, just what industry? Thanks!
As much as I like to work at home, I'm ready to
nm
Enjoy the same "benes" you do, work at home,
but work for a company that pays fairly, average $22-36 an hour, depending the dictators. Also get PTO, insurance, 401K, etc., and equipment furnished. I do not consider less than 200 lines an hour good output..
Could it be that so many work from home or in the basement of hospitals? sm
This is NOT generalizing because I know several MTs who are not psycho, but I have met so many absolute nut cases in this field that I question my own sanity after listening to them!

We had an MT at the hospital I used to work for that called security because she was certain that someone moved her chair and wanted a full investigation. She could not accept that perhaps the cleaning crew did this!
No wonder you post anonymously and work at home.
With that personality. Lash out irrationally lately?
I used to work for a home healthcare agency and we got
one weeks pay for every year we worked there.   They were a non-profit agency and so to get rid of any profits made during the year we got bonuses.  
There are several. Are you lookin to work in-house or at home? nm
s
I work as a hospital employee at home
//
legit work at home jobs

Go To: http://www.telcoa.org/id156.htm


i have worked for west.com - made $12 - $14 per hour, paid every 2 weeks


hope this will help


I work 12 hr/day, 6 days/week, and my take-home pay - sm
comes out to around $6.50/hour. Is that about in the same ballpark as what you're making, and if so, how can your employees afford to work for you for less than that?
if your take home is $6.50/hour and your doing quality MT work...sm
sweetness, it's time for you to find another profession. You can go flip burgers with bennies for that pay. This is an example of why our pay scale is so low. There are those MTs who are willing to work for peanuts. One should never make this low wage in this profession. You must either have to do a lot of researching because you lack medical terminology knowledge, or the company you are working for is putting the screws to you. I truly feel sorry that you find are willing to do this. Good luck to you.
But as work at home IC, deductions can often lower
x
Oops... This is for Work from Home by Anne below

I work at home and I live in the Midwest.
You have to consider the job market and cost of living in your area of the country.  I think I'm doing pretty darn good.  If I factor in the incentive pay, I'm making around $35 per hour.