Fair pay? Decent benefits? Wow, you really
Posted By: HAVE been 'out of the loop'! ;o) on 2008-02-01
In Reply to: Returning to MT - FlyType
nm
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
- Returning to MT - FlyType
- Fair pay? Decent benefits? Wow, you really - HAVE been 'out of the loop'! ;o)
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
DECENT BENEFITS/PTO/HOLIDAYPAY
what company are you with that you would get paid downtime, paid pto/vacation/holidays AND decent insurance, need to know that company's name please
"Example... until we get benefits and a fair pay scale
http://forum.mtstars.com/main/v/1/128040.html
I *only* make $40K a year for full time work. Now I find that isn't decent is or fair?
nm
Try Webmedx. Decent company, good benefits. sm
What a blow. Good luck
All I want for Christmas is a decent job, a decent job, a decent job.
One that's not 95% ESLs, steady workload, steady accounts, good communication, office staff who aren't rude buckpassers, decent line rate, no offshoring, direct deposit, flexible schedule, not having to do 50+ 30-second reports per day, and a platform conducive to speed. I know it's not possible, but a girl can dream, can't she? This is, after all, my Christmas wish list. I never get what I want for Christmas. Why is that too much to ask for? It doesn't even matter anyways. After Christmas, I QUIT MT!!!! Burger King is just down the street, and they give food discounts.
Fair is fair -- relative or not, 1 house or 100.
She's earning income and the only fair, right, just, ethical and LEGAL behavior is to report it wholly.
That was with full benefits, which are the same benefits as an in-office employee for the QA staff..
However, I hear that their current QA staff are being asked to reach numbers that are out of sight and goals are basically impossible.
One year and you make decent money? What is decent money to you?
k
IC positions offer no benefits, employee positions off full benefits, so if you do not need
benefits, then IC would be best.
Decent MT job
Good luck in finding one any more. I have checked on several and they are all as bad as or even worse than MQ. That's why for the time being, I am staying with them. Everybody wants us to work for peanuts nowadays, thinks we can just jump from one account to another with 100% QA, understanding totally strange doctors who don't speak English, etc. The people in charge don't have a clue just how difficult this job really is. I wish I could retire!
I don't know but I try to be fair, but I can tell you
that I have had some management jobs that required 25 years of experience plus QA experience and MTs with less than 15 have applied and I had to tell them that it was not enough experience. That was hard, but they did not know what all was involved. I have had people get bent out of shape about it, but to be honest, I had my orders specifically from a company and nothing less would suffice, plus it was posted clear as day.
Also, there have been situations where people did not have resumes--yes, can you believe that? They said they had less experience yet they did not have it in a resume.
I think many do not understand what a recruiter has to look at and what we deal with.
still not fair
I understand how you feel, I too am in the same position. Its like you want to do a good job with quality work and once you prove that to whatever company you might be working for instead of appreciating your high skills they treat you like a door mat and start sending you all the work that none of the others want to do. We lose time doing bad reports/dictators just like any other MT and just because we can get through it with no blanks or it having to go to QA is no reason to give us all of the bad dictators/reports because its not fair and it doesn't make me feel appreciated what it makes me feel is used. I get no extra for doing these type of reports back to back to back even though we are supposedly working from a pool and the MTs who don't want to do these bad reports/dictators just keep zipping along. ITS LIKE THE BETTER YOU ARE THE WORST DEAL YOU GET AND ITS NOT THAT I MIND DOING IT (because I do want to keep my job) BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT JUST BECAUSE ITS TOO DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAKES THE SAME cpl BUT THEN END UP MAKING A HIGHER LINE COUNT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THE BAD REPORTS/DICTATORS.
There should be some kind of way to be compensated when you are put in that kind of position but right now there isn't and you just do it because its your job. I have been in a situation lately where 95% of my work is from the list of bad dictators to be aware of and I am so frustrated. If there was some kind of compensation for say a multi-specialist Transcriptionist or ESL transcriptionist then it would make the situation so much better and there would be less resentment all the way around, I think that is something most companies should think about.
Of note I am not complaining, not whining, and not venting but just saying.
That is not really fair -
It is not as easy for some of us. I have gained 30 pounds in the past year from just sitting and emotional eating. Once you get down on yourself about it - well that makes it worse. A terrible cycle. Has anyone tried hypnotism?
Fair enough. I see what you mean.
I didn't mean to imply going straight for .12--lol! And I see what you mean by "demanding." I didn't mean that either, but I should have been clearer about what I DID mean. I do mean that the OP has SOME control over the situation--maybe not total control, but some control. As ICs we need to remember that we are in business for ourselves. We ARE a business, and we need to act accordingly. I'd be looking for another client as well. No need to put up with that!
I can't say I do, very fair here.....
No sideburns, no moustache, a few hairs under arms and not much leg hair either. I'm a freak! LOL!
3 cpl isn't fair for ANYTHING!
k
Seems more than fair, to me! nm
.
fair
I think that your employer is being harsh, but I do believe that by the end of a year 1200 lines a day should be possible, especially with your background. Of course, if you are working with extremely difficult doctors that may be different. I have what I consider to be a very good account with few ESL and most doctors are very clear, and was able to produce up to 1600 lines a day with relative ease if I actually typed 8 full hours at about 6-8 months. I had no medical experience, but I did have writing and editing experience, along with two college degrees. In part, I think it's the ability to use Expanders as tools efficiently that makes that possible. Are you able to use online resources well? Do you have a good drug reference on your computer with a flexible search tool? Do you have an Expander that you are using to advantage? In order to be productive at the rates people expect these days, I think all of the above are a necessity. I also think that even with experience as a medical secretary some training is needed in order to get up to speed as an MT. In fairness, it sounds like you just jumped right into the job, and that must be difficult. Good luck!
fair
There is a world of difference between a good Expander and using auto correct. An expander will show the possibilities with a few keystrokes, whether you know the words or not, and often as soon as you see a new word you will know it is what the doctor is saying, even in a new specialty. They usually include a very complete medical dictionary, some give the possible words with any letters typed in order, not necessarily having to spell it correctly at the outset, like a mini wild-card search function. With auto correct you are only able to get what you put in yourself for expansions. I would say that using an expander during my training was what made it possible to become proficient quickly, above all else. If you can, try one of the commercially available products before leaving. It can make life SO much easier as you learn.
what is fair
I worked for a small rural hospital and we (3) were on call 24/7/365 and rotated carrying a pager on weekends plus working on Sundays.
That isn't being fair
Whoa there - my husband has a terminal disease and we usually end up hitting a 0 tax bracket because of medical expenses (we file long-form and itemize). We spend well over $700 per month on co-pays for drugs every month and then when he has to get certain IV drugs as out outpatient, our drug bill hits over $2000 for that month. Why should my family be penalized when I work my butt off seven days a week, 365-days a year? I pay in a huge amount of FICA and Medicare taxes each year. Until my husband became ill, we paid in a huge amount of federal income taxes every year. We also have two chldren in college and we are allowed to deduct some of their expenses we pay out of pocket. And, yes, we usually qualify for some Earned Income Credit, but not near what you mention. My family can use the extra money just as much as any other family and I don't think we should be penalized because of exorbitant medical bills that place us in a 0 tax bracket.
That's not fair --
I never said I have common sense!
Seriously, sometimes the most obvious things can be right in front of me, and I miss them completely. I might be slow to get some things (although I am highly intelligent; doesn't make sense to me), but once I do 'get' something, then that's a completely different story. Some day I'll tell y'all about all the other common sense things I shouldn't have needed help with --- but did.
{;-)
Is if fair to ask
a company what the average line counts of other MTs on same the account are? I know there are others who feel this particular account is hard to make a decent line count, so I would like to know what the average is. Otherwise, how do we know if their expectations of us are fair? 
Seems fair to me. sm
As long as accounts are consistent 1200 is a very reasonable expectation.
I would think 1 would be fair, it probably would
not scare them away.
I was responding actually to DECENT MT
...rather than EXCELLENT MT.
:)
Nice attide, though.
I don't know companies that charge 18 to 20 CPL!!! The most I've heard of is 13. Who charges 18-20 CPL, please? And who are they sleeping with??? :)
I lie... I forgot that in mentioning sleeping with..... There was a surgical group whose director's wife started a service and charged her husband and his partners 18 CPL.
They now offshore to India, however.
Where is there a decent company???
I would like to know exactly WHERE to apply to a decent company that is not the same as or worse than MQ? I have checked into several and they all leave a lot to be desired. I have lots of experience, have 99% QA reports, and would like to be paid for it. I have not found anybody who is willing to pay me any more than I am making at MQ, plus they have a lot of rules about strict schedules, etc. that were a lot worse than MQ. I would love to quit MQ, but where is there a better place???? Let's hear some POSITIVE answers for a change----.
How does asking someone which companies are decent
equate into having them do your resume and work for you? That's a stretch. Word of mouth is all we have here because the people doing the hiring are naturally going to make their company sound like the best one out there.
Personally, I am sick and tired of searching for a decent MT job. I've been looking for over month now with no luck. It's not for lack of experience or effort. I'm not unqualified or a lousy worker either. I get really tired of being put on the most difficult accounts right off the bat or being bounced from one account to another for coverage. I want a decent platform that doesn't require you to jump to four different places just to find the header demographics information. Time is money. It's gotten to the point that I don't even know what I want any more. Everyone wants full-time, odd shifts, Tu-Sa, or a C-phone. I've seriously been thinking about going back to selling stuff on ebay because I'm so frustrated. I give up.
That would be the decent thing to do
deleting posts where it is mentioned. It seems very juvenile and shady for them to just delete the posts without any sort of response. If you take a stance on something, you should be willing to truly stand behind your decision. They are acting like they are ashamed of the position they have decided to take on this matter.
That's a decent salary.
.
Then, I would say 9 cpl to 10 cpl would be a decent offer.
Go for it! 
Decent money is out there
Most of you know me from this board and I just want to share this with you guys. One of my gals that I met through a nephew's baseball team -- he and her son played together and we go to the same church. She had two terms of medical terminology/some transcription underneath her belt, many years in the law field as a paralegal, etc. She wanted to work at home, make some extra money, etc. I took her in and started her on my psych accounts and the onto some IM accounts. She got the psych accounts quite well but had trouble with the IM. We butted heads several times over scheduling, etc. She did not understand the 24 TAT and so on. But we perservered together. She finally got a job in an attorney's office part-time doing some medical review, etc. and quit me. On good terms. Then last November I helped her land a GYN account that we started off together and I just handed off to her as it was not worth my while to drive 25 miles for what dictation was there. It was my business name and years in experience that landed the job. She took it over and tonight she informed me that she is so glad that I kept at her and perservered with her as she is now making $42 to $45 an hour typing for them. She is like me charges only .12 cpl but because of auto corrects, macro's and shortcuts that I helped her with, she is making good money. If fact in Sept when they add another doctor she is going to quit her legal job completely because she makes more with this account with less hours or if she keeps the legal job she is going to do what I did and mentor and help someone else break into the field. Again these are tape accounts, with pick up and delivery and the little accounts no one else wants but they provide us with a good living. Again, I don't look at the cpl but at my hourly rate and that is what keeps me happpy. She just wanted to thank me for helping her out and I am really happy for her. Yea we spoil our accounts but they reciprocate with decent money. So for those that want your own accounts, keep at it, takes time and patience but you can get there. I had most profitable year ever this year and less hours.
decent money
Better than I would make at a 40 hour week clerical job in my area. Much better. I don't have benefits, but I don't need them because my husband has great benefits with his job. I DO get quarterly bonuses though that are more than my yearly bonus at my previous office job. No, I won't get rich doing this. And yes, I put in a lot of hours. I work hard. I research. I have invested in good reference materials. And I love my job.
What exactly do you consider *decent* money, (sm)
and what part of the country do you live/work in? What's "decent" pay in rural Kentucky or Iowa is food-stamp time in Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego or New York, just to name a few.
in bed, and have a husband with a decent job
.
No decent MTs just excuse to keep pay low. Pay
c
I had some decent Americans,
some decent nurses, and then started getting probably the worst dictator on my account. Is 15 blanks a problem? :o}
Is a decent MT job too much to ask for these days!?!?!?
is it too much to ask for a decent job as an MT anymore? i am so fed up with the big services and how they take you for granted, ignore your requests for help, clunky, time-consuming, line-stealing platforms that i could just scream! (please excuse my lack of punctuation and any type-o's, this is a forum and i just really don't care right now!!!)
i am so sick of sitting at my computer all day long to only get out 500 lines a day and it's not my lack of committment, lack of focus, or any of the like....it's the out-dated, stupid "platforms" we are expected to type in and now they are even setting it up where we're typing in little boxes and not hitting return to go from section to section, i'm sure in an effort to reduce payable characters.
I am just at my wits end. i have been applying for jobs that are not in the field of MT for the last two years and cannot get any replies to jobs besides "work at home" scams and the like.
ANYONE ELSE FEEL ME OUT THERE????
Try 80% ESL with the other 20% on ASR; any decent doctor is on ASR at 1/2 the pay....nm
xxxx
What are you talking about when you say decent?
Would be hard to say, according to what you are used to making. What have you come up with in your calculations?
It's pretty decent
Especially if your account is a tough one with ESLs, etc. 150 lph is nothing to sneeze at. As to getting faster, it's all about your expanders. If you have the same doctors at all, create templates as much as possible for them. Save their phrases, etc. If you type headings for reports, save the headings with the formatting, etc as a macro so you just have to hit one or two keys to bring it up. If templates, don't work, then really concentrate on your regular typing expanders. Any multi word phrase that you use more than once needs to have an Expander or an abbreviation. Any word that is longer than four characters has an abbreviation for me - or at least I'm working towards that. Really work on getting to the point where you don't type any word out in full. That's the hard part. Sometimes it seems like it's faster to just type and not figure out what the expansion is for that word, but it pays off in the long run. The other thing that helps me is to put mistakes in that I routinely type, i.e., teh = the, taht = that. I have found that doing that has made a huge difference - I'm not stopping to correct those automatically any more. Pretty much any typo goes into the library with the correct word attached.
You'll get there. Good luck.
oh well. no one said life was fair
you just have to make what you can out of it. There are many, many other subjects that can be debated as well. That is what makes life what it is; a great variety of people and view points. Enjoy the day. 
I think I get a fair mixture
I get ESLs, some I can understand easily enough, others I really have to work at and it slows me down. Then I have some docs who are very easy and good moneymakers. I get a mixture. I am not a newbie and can do harder docs. I just find that my managers are great at evening out the work. IMO.
FAIR and Honest... sm
I have worked for DSC (Document Solutions Center) in Alabama for many, many years, and have become good friends with the owner of the company... she is very fair to her girls - they come first, she is very flexible, they have a tightly established management team, and the work is abundant... she pays very fair, and gives bonuses and raises as often as she can... Another GREAT company is OSi... I am currently working for them, and they are just the BEST... I get the best pay per line, the greatest accounts, never-ending work, constant bonuses, gifts, 24/7 contact with staff... I can give you contact information on either if you wish... and no, I am not looking for a finder's fee... I am honest, and just enjoy helping those out who are asking for help... Contact me by email anytime... Bobbie
uhhh...not fair! sm
I work for west coast...and I didn't get paid. When I asked TC about it, she said there was no pay for it!!! 
to uhh not fair, DQS training pay
 I'd for sure take that one up with corporate or "ask Frank". It was stated when DQS first came out that ALL training was paid @10.00 per hour, period! Should be across the board, since it's company wide. I'd have to wonder where the training pay your offices did not give you, actually went to, because they sure the heck got reimbursed from corporate. I was in a training session for 2 hours with THE head honcho in training and she clearly stated, across the board, pay is the same, period.
That is a fair range...sm
I make a bit more but cover everything, not just any one thing. Hourly is the way to go to keep anyone as there is a LOT of time involved in trainng MTs, time to write feedback, etc., which I would guess you know assuming you have been doing it yourself up until now.
I have worked line rates in the past. Anything less than 0.06 you cannot make a living on unless you work 15-20 hours a day as the accounts would ALL have to have perfect dictators and your MTs seasoned on the well side to make a reasonable living in the MW.
Life just isn't fair sm
Hubby and I went out for breakfast this morning and came back to a voicemail that his best friend's 5-year-old boy died overnight from the flu/aspiration pneumonia/ complications. Life just isn't fair. This family has had a ton of tragedies over the last year and now this right on New Year's Day. The mother and I were just talking at the Christmas party about decent schools in their locale. They need some prayers, please.
Seems only fair to me. If we use it for biz, should pay biz rates.
????
Fair price?
I just picked up a new account today but was so unsure of what to tell them in regards to price. It is a psych account, PHP program, and they said they dictate on a total of 150 patients per week at 2 facilities. They said if all goes well, they have 6 more facilities they can add. I was really scared of giving too high of a price and not getting the account, but I also don't want to get ripped off either. I have quoted prices that were too low in the past and really suffered for it. Anyway, I ended up quoting them 0.08 a gross line, which I think is totally fair. They will be using digital recorders and they will be printing the work. What do y'all think?? I want to feel confident about this....
I think that is fair -- it is only 80 minutes in a day.
At my hospital, we have to type 120 minutes a day as our BASE!! We don't even get incentive until we PASS 120 minutes a day!
That's also 6 time turn around time.
|
