Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Your point is...? If I sign a contract to work a schedule...sm

Posted By: Lynn on 2007-07-15
In Reply to: no, but the acct manager gets a daily print out - showing how much time you

...then I am obligated to work that schedule. 


If I happen to get all my lines in during 4 hours, then fantastic for me - but if I have contracted to be on for 6 hours, I still need to be on for 6 hours.  A schedule is a schedule. 


I was just making the point that I do not have to actually punch in and punch out.




Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


Other related messages found in our database

you _signed_ a contract to work a schedule with them?
x
Just because you sign a contract

doesn't mean you have no recourse.  I worked for a company as an IC and my contract said that I had 24 TAT, was responsible for my own equipment and taxes taxes, had to abide by HIPAA regulations or get terminated, etc.  The company I worked for (very small less than 80 employees) DID NOT comply with HIPAA regulations and I have plenty of proof.  I'm gathering all the information I can before I see an attorney and possibly the IRS.  One gets tired of hearing look at your contract.  What makes them think THEY can break rules outlined in a contract and get away with it?


I've also been looking into IC versus employee status (on the IRS website) and it is interesting reading.  Makes me wonder if this contract was ever legal by IRS standards (something else I will be looking into).  It's time the tables turned on these bullies.  They need to realize that WE are the ones that make them money not the other way around! 



 


Do not sign contract

   Having experienced this personally, it can be anything from an inconvenience to a devastating financial blow and, by signing the contract, no leg to stand on when it comes to getting your money.


   


No, do not sign the contract.
Find another company.  There plenty out there that require set lines, but as an IC you shouldn't even have to commit to that.  The true IC positions are hard to come by as this field is abused as an IC.  JMO.
Just because you sign a contract it does
not mean you should not be classified as an employee by the IRS. I went to a seminar about IC versus employee 15 years ago, as my mom was opening up a temporary nursing registry and we were wondering what to do. Needless to say, all of our nurses and techs became employees, even though we did not offer benefits of health insurance or vacation, etc. We still paid into Social Security, Worker's Comp, etc., because the rules to proving your are an independent contractor are very strict would not have applied, and we did not want to take a chance. Back then the IRS was realing coming down on the status, and it looks like they need do it again soon.
I was ready to sign the contract. (nm)
.
Yes, but the MTSOs have to sign a contract
That they will use all US MTs for Stanford's work. They likely are the top paying hospital in the country and for that reason I think the companies comply as this is one account they don't want to risk losing. They have dropped many companies in the past because they didn't meet their expectations. Stanford is a prestigious hospital and they want every aspect of that conveyed.
I amend the contract or refuse to sign

I've been presented with a no-compete 2 times.  Both times when I questioned the employers for more specifics, the info I received from them went contrary to what the clause actually stated.  (I think they had just copied it from somewhere.)  I told them if they had a presence on the Internet, then their market was the entire world and that if I signed that contract as stated, it would mean I could not work for anyone in the world as a Transcriptionist for a year and there was no way I was going to sign that.  Both times the employers they said they did not realize this.  They just didn't want anyone stealing their clients. 


I refused to sign each one until I personally rewrote that clause stating specifically that I would not pursue any of their current clients, especially the accounts I was on, for a year after leaving their employ and that if I pursued someone but did not realize that entity was their client, I would not be held responsible (since I was not privy to their client base).  That was it.  Nothing more.  They were more than glad to comply and said they were glad I told them this and would amend that contract for future employees, as neither one of them wanted to prevent anyone from working.


I'd consider possible court costs if you take the severance and pursue work.  They might not win if it went that far but you'd still be at chance for possible hefty fees just to get the case dismissed and end up with less money and more hassle.  Your lawyer should be able to give you a figure on this.


 


Did you sign a contract stating the amount
xx
when you sign a contract, you prove you are not an employee
if the company is looking for work done when they NEED it done, it is not called an employee.

Sorry to burst your bubble,but if they tell you what is expected and you agree to it, then you are contracted to do that work when they need that work done.

You all can argue all you want, but the facts are the facts. They do not have to use you as a contracter. They can find someone that is willing to do the work when the WORK IS AVAILABLE.

Pay schedule contract
It is noted on the labor board web site - if you are given dates of pay they have an obligation to within a reasonable amount of time to send payment - reasonable being mailing of checks - as an IC you are a business - notify them of what they owe - and tell them effective immediately late charges will be added. I agree contact all you can and send the bills to the credit agencies and have it on their credit report - they can be found on line. You are a business, what happens when you do not pay a credit card on time - you get late fees -sock it to them and get your money - stop thinking as if you are employee - you are IC - treat them as a payor who does not pay their bills.
They want you to keep your schedule for TAT purposes but will work with you to find a good schedule
I love working there.
I understand your point, my point is why can't MTs and QA work together..
being QA doesn't mean you are above everyone else, you are just an extra set of ears...and why do so many MTs take offense to QA??? That is my point...you made have had bad experiences in the past with QA but not all QA are bad...
The client will not know how their work gets done. A contract is negotiated and
line rate agreed upon.  End of client involvement.  I have never seen a contract where the client specifies exactly how the work is to be done.  The client just wants the work done timely and accurately.  At that point, the MTSO can either hand the work over to MTs they are paying 8 to 10 cpl to transcribe or they can run the dictation through the VR server and have it transcribed and then edited for much less.  The client still pays the agreed upon rate, but the MTSO makes a much greater profit by cutting MTs pay by half and asking them to edit.
They have to be flexibility because of the erratic work flow. No sense in a schedule if no work..
nm
They do have problems with running out of work. You are never sure when you sign
in if there will be anything there.  The sound leaves a lot to be desired on their accounts.  Not sure what the problem is.  I only work PT and that is all I care to do with them.
They do have problems with running out of work. You are never sure when you sign
in if there will be anything there.  The sound leaves a lot to be desired on their accounts.  Not sure what the problem is.  I only work PT and that is all I care to do with them.
Maybe they mean sign in and out for breaks etc to keep track of the 8 hours that you are to work. nm
:
i wouldn't sign it, but cross that out and sign
the rest
I didn't sign up to work Thanksgiving, but I will in the evening for a while at least. I heard s
that so many MTs want to work the morning hours that there will be almost no MTs to cover any evening work. I heard like only about 1.2 MTs per account. If there is work, I'll have it to be sure.
Work schedule? (sm)
I am trying to come up with a schedule that will work well with an every other Sunday in it.  I work a 5-day week.  Any suggestions from MTs who also work this type of schedule?  I really prefer to have 2 days off in a row, but I don't know how I can do that on the weeks that I work the Sundays. 
If you have to work set schedule, you are no IC.
:+
You should be an IC then if you don't work a schedule
There is a reason for schedules. How would you feel if you owned a company and the employees worked whenever they felt like it whether or not STAT's were waiting. Transtech is very flexible but if you don't want to work a schedule you need to be an IC where you can work whenever you feel like it and let the owners worry about other people being dependable. It's not just TransTech - it's any company with employees. Look for an IC job.
I don't work there, but if you have a set schedule

that they need to be available 24 hours a day to be there when the work is there.  Transtech has a lot to learn about being family friendly for domestic MTs.  After all, that is what they hire right (domestic MTs)? 


Also, maybe they ought to stop overhiring and get over themselves!  JMO and I don't even work for them and probably wouldn't looking at this board.  Boy, they were a hot number a while back, but now they've shown their true colors. 


Don't be mad OP; everyone is entitled to their opinion.  If you like working all hours of the day and night, then have at it, but don't bash the MTs that aren't in a position or don't want to be abused in that fashion. 


I personally can't sit for 4 hours at a time. I work 2 hous, sign off and take a short break.

It might just be fixing something to drink or starting a load of laundry.  If you did something like that then you wouldn't have to worry about a disconnect and possibly losing a report. 


 


Then how are you being threatened to work your schedule
?
You'd think they would love someone to work that schedule.
Where have you applied? If I was an MTSO, I would love people to work that schedule.
keystrokes work schedule
Do you have to work your entire 8-hour shift or can you stop once you reach minimum daily lines? thanks.
As long as anyone's work schedule is
approved by their supervisor, that is between them and their supervisor, not anyone else's business.
You are required to work your schedule, even

if you get your lines in.  OT is paid at the standard 1-1/2 times your rate, but you don't get OT for typing over 1200 lines a day, unless you do the lines outside your normal schedule.  If you are scheduled to work 9 to 5 whatever lines you do are at your line rate.  If you work before 9 or after 5 those lines will be paid at 1-1/2 times your rate, so if you make 10 cpl, then OT will be 15 cpl.  Also there is a shift differential.  I'm not sure the exact hours are per shift, but if you work anything other than first shift there is a differential. Third shift pays a higher differential than second.


They also pay for downtime, so if the servers are down or there is a lack of work (which we have been on OT for months), then you keep track of your time and they pay an hourly rate.  If you are a productive MT you would make more money typing, but at least it is something.  You aren't required to make up lines outside your shift either.


Any company out there that allows you work without setting a schedule?
I am looking to pick up some extra cash but cannot really commit to a set schedule. There are a few times a week when I have a few hours (especially on the weekends) that I could type and would love to do some extra work.
Set-in-stone schedule or will they allow a window for work? nm
x
they call you if you don't work your schedule shift
nm
It is IC work, no benefits, make your own schedule. sm

The pay is a bit on the low side for IC work, but the work is easy, the people are great, and the pay is always on time, once a week, direct deposit.  Hope this helps.



I have to work 8-hour strict schedule SM
Platform is either Chartmatrix or Enterprise, average pay, the company is just average all around.  It's not horrible but it also isn't great.  Up until 6 months ago I would have recommended to give them a try, but they have started this downhill slide, feels more like Spheris now.  I have felt this for the last 6 months.  When the job market opens up a bit more I'm going to look around.
Do you work a straight 8-hour schedule?
On a good day when there is a lot of work available, I can make about $120 in 5 hours.  Plus that 5 hours is when 'I' want to do it throughout the day.  On an average day, I make about the same amount of money in about 6 to 6-1/2 hours.  Since I have been doing this job for so many years, my old body can't take sitting and typing for an extended period of time.  I really don't know if I could handle working 8 hours a day anymore. 
Threaten us to work our schedule, and if we do, then there is no work
Some of us have been threatened about working my schedule, but when there is no work . . . I CANNOT WORK MY SCHEDULE . . . . no-win situation !
While I think it would be difficult to work a very strict schedule at home - sm
I do believe that every MT should have a window in which they are expected to do their work. That benefits everyone involved, the MT, the company, as well as the hospital. I pretty much adhere to the same hours every day, unless something unexpected (emergency situation) comes up. I just think it is easier that way. However, in the summer time, I like to adjust my hours a bit to be able to work in the early a.m. while the kids are still sleeping. I work the same hours over the summer though. Working at home around your family is not easy, so there has to be a little flexibility on both sides. Going to an office to work without your everyday family and life interruptions, I believe, is quite different.
My schedule is approved and it is up to Transtech to provide work

They should not be hiring an abundance of MT's to cover schedules just to provide client with such tight TAT, yet not have enough work to cover that MT's schedule that TT approved.   A service cannot keep MT's that way.  TT has so few accounts anyway, that it is hard to provide enough work for a whole lot of MT's.  That is really where the problem lies.  They should get out and seek more accounts, rather than hiring and hiring.


 I hate to go to the trouble of filing unemployment, but it is getting to that point.


Does Webmedx has a strict schedule or a window to get work done?
I tried searching boards, but too many entries came up. Thanks
Loyalty to Companies Who Have No Work and Expect a Schedule from YOU

There have been many discussions about MT's sitting around waiting for work to file into their queues.. many being told to get more than a few accounts and work on their backups (which, we all know, is someone's primary account)  when their primary is out of work.. so we go 'round in circles. 


Then we have discussions about companies putting us in work pools as opposed to assigning us work daily...


I have been sitting here thinking, if I were a painter, wanted to paint fences, and I showed up with my brush and paint bright and early in the morning, and was told to come back tomorrow, the fence has already been painted, but there will be another fence ready to paint tomorrow, please come back, we want you to paint our fences.. I say, OK, I understand, and so I come back tomorrow and when I get there I see that half of the fence has been painted already, someone came before me and painted it, even though I was promised the work of painting the fence.  They say, try again tomorrow.  How many days would you show up to paint a fence? Every day? Don't you (eventually) feel like an idiot standing there with your brush and paint with nothing to do??


Does the company owe you any loyalty at all??  If they don't want your services, why don't they just say so instead of keeping you coming back ready to paint every day?  Then when it DOES get busy, they call and say WHERE IS EVERYBODY??? DONT YOU CARE ABOUT PAINTING THE FENCE?  Like we havent been standing there with our brushes all week waiting to paint.


What I don't understand is the lack of shame from the people who behave this way.   Once in a while things happen..NOT AS A MATTER OF BUSINESS. 


I really don't understand the logic of the people who have no problem with this.  You do understand that by doing this, you are simply helping these companies to continue in this fashion, not feeling that they owe you ANYTHING.


Overhiring is really the finaly insult.  If you don't see that.. you are closing your eyes.


I agree they have WAY over hired, but I am required to work my schedule..you got it made then!

Acute and/or clinic work? Set schedule or flexible hours? Thank you! nm

The setting your own schedule thing varies. For example, physicians who work in the ER may be
independent contractors, rather than employees, if they are moonlighting on weekends or whatever. But notice they are told what hours to work... There's no way to keep a transcription service alive with people working whatever hours they feel like whenever they feel like. That's just not reasonable.
Why would anyone what to work for practically nothing. I make 5 cpl editing, flexible schedule etc.
As long as they can get people to take those ridiculous wages that is what they will offer. Your an IC so you have no benefits, thus they do not have much of an overhead and you can bet they are getting a whole heck of a lot more cpl than they are offering their MTs.. but I guess that is the only reason they are in business... to make a huge profit. Unfortunately, at YOUR expense. What a sad day... 1.5 cpl..
Your kidding yourself; NO 12-hour window at Transtech AT ALL! You work your schedule EXACTLY !
This is a fact and all TT MT's know this.
Transhealth editors? Anyone with information on pay, work schedule, benefits, platform
I would appreciate any information before taking their test without knowing the scoop.  Thanks!
Need good small company to work for with flexible schedule - e-mail me.nm
nm
DSG is awesome-pay on time, management is great, plenty of work, flexible schedule. nm

I work for TTS and your point being?
I wish I were half as smart as some think they are. Just keep guessing on who I am.
I don't work at Heartland, and she has a point. sm
People who want to talk about their rights should know how they apply or it just makes them look stupid. Also, if you're going to write the President, the newspaper, or whatever, you should run spell check as well as check grammar, punctuation, usage, etc. If the referenced letter was the same one I saw posted here yesterday, it didn't speak well of the MT who wrote it.