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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

How do you MQ employees manage

Posted By: mqemp on 2005-09-08
In Reply to:

to get in your 1200 lines in only 8 hours? I am having a dickens of a time, lots of ESLs, new account, etc. Just how do you do it? I figure it will take me 12 hours! Do you ask them to approve OT or what? I'm new at this, need to know. Have to have that insurance.


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where does your mom manage? sm
My dad managed stores in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

I guess you are probably as surprised as I am that anyone would think that managers in big retail giants don't make good money.
use someone else to manage
Have someone else contact her as a manager besides yourself and explain to her the rules are for everybody and have to be uniform.
How do you manage that?
Gosh it must take quite a balancing act to get them all done? What do you tell one when you have to do the other? How do you decide which one you will do? Do you have other people that will cover for you when need be? Telephone must be ringing off the chain all the time....
Yes, I do manage to get enough work on my
account through Amherst, at least so far, but I guess I should just be considered extremely lucky. 
How can I manage 2 jobs. I am currently
working as an employee with good benefits, but I hate the company.... treated like a doormat.  I work as IC part time for another company that I love and am very productive and love the sofware platform.  I am considering trying to do the 1000 line requirement for the full-time in order to keep benefits, and then do 1000 lines for the company as IC.  How does one juggle this type of situation?
Thanks to all... I did manage a chuckle or two
from your stories.  But why does it have to be like this?  Just because we work at home?  I think I will go on strike.  Just keep my office clean since that is the only place I get to be these days.  I have a reprieve from my second job tonight so I think I will just close my eyes, close my ears and shut off all other senses to the slobs I live with and leave for night for my women's group party I did not plan to go to.  Thank to all.
I do know how to manage a team, obviously,

since I have my own service.  I know that you can't put someone with much less experience in a position over a bunch of people with a lot of experience.  It just does not work.  I not only have a lot of MT experience, but I have been a service owner for quite a few years.  Before that, I worked in a hospital transcription department with a lot of seasoned MTs.  Through the years you see a lot of supervisory changes and what it boils down to is the experienced MTs need/want someone who knows more than they do, someone they can go to for help, when they need it.  With someone less experienced, they can't.


One of the big problems people had with Medquist when it started was that the "suits" were running things - not people who actually knew what they were doing when it came to transcription.  You have to know both sides of it.  And I can tell you from years and years of experience, it doesn't work when you try to put someone with less experience over those with lots of experience.  The seasoned MTs have NO respect for someone who knows less than they do.


Sorry, but that's the way it is.


Were you exhausted? How do you manage?
I'm finding it hard to do the things I wanted.  I also work the spli shift thing, but im so tired.  I dont know if im trying to work too much and i just need to go to PT or what.  Also, I would like to be more instructional, work with maps, field trips to the museums and such.  How did you do that?
I manage just fine...
Wow... um, yes. I get plenty of work done. I'm not in the country and I use headphones and the noise of being outside doesn't bother me or interfere just like indoor noises (the heater, the ice maker, creaking floorboards) don't bother me inside. I also have no trouble seeing on my laptop screen and I don't have anything special for it. And, uh, it would have to be a serious insect swarm for the sound of bugs to be loud enough to keep me from hearing my work.

I don't work from bed because I'm lazy, I work in bed (occasionally, rather than calling in sick) because I have joint issues that make me more fatigued when sitting up typing all day. I would not put myself in a position where I was falling asleep on the job (I'm not lying down, I'm sitting up straight, just my back is supported and my legs are extended rather than hanging down).

I am a professional and I've been in this business a long time, I just don't see any reason to be trapped behind a desk if I don't have to be. We are fortunate enough to work in a career that gives us some perks like flexibility and a home environment, so I try to make the most of it. Being happy and comfortable enhances my production and I don't get burnt out as easily when I can change the scenery a little every now and then. Everyone should obviously work in whatever fashion helps them succeed but I don't think there's anything wrong with sitting on the porch on a nice day or working from a comfy spot on not so nice ones.

To each his own, I guess... I'd bet there are plenty of pajama-wearing MTs around here that are grateful to be able to have that option. I don't work in jammies but I do kick back once in awhile and work with my situation to the best of my ability.

Anyway... it works for me. I was just making the suggestion for others that struggle with pain issues or would like an occasional alternative to the same old desk.
I manage my former boss's websites (he has 2), --
other than that, sell some stuff I don't need anymore on ebay now and then...did about $200 a month for about a year.....got rid of most everything though I really wanted to dump...have a few things now I need to list so maybe I will get lucky this month!
I swear, the people who manage
this site should put a button right under  'main board' that says 'MQ Gripe Board' so that the seemingly hundreds of disgruntled MQ'ers can gripe and  argue all day long and the rest of us would be spared.  Every page of this board is filled with arguments between the MQ gripers and the few MQ folks who claim they are happy.  At some point you'd think the (MQ people) would realize that non MQ'ers don't want to hear this stuff every single day, all day long.
It is very difficult to manage this program.
It has a lot of flaws, locks up frequently, some issues with voice quality, etc. I would put it at the bottom of the list of considerations.
You don't manage your own savings account?
5 grand instead of the government. 
not true, I make good $$$ and manage to come
nm
email back and mention how you don't know how they manage on so little.

Yeah, you have to be a doctor now to manage your own care!
I still have daily fevers of 100-102 18 months postop, so I know what you mean. Does the 4 abscesses draining for weeks on end tell them anything? I had severe hypertension that despite 17 doctors along with PAs and nurses could not diagnose despite "the worst headaches of my life," blood pressure of 216/106, slurred speech, collapsing in the shower, mental confusion, extremely loud tinnitus, chest pain, shortness of breath, lower extremity edema, etc. I type OPs and pain management, so I was clueless. One day I was typing "The patient started Norvasc, and his headaches improved." I ran to the doctor and stomped on the floor until I got a hypertensive. Then, what do they give me? Hydrochlorothiazide, when I have severe hypertension. Nitwits. I could go on and on. Best advise, make sure you are in charge of your care. Good luck!
Because the people who manage things in health
My thoughts are, when their bad kharma finally comes back to them, I hope it really hurts. Then they'll know how it feels to be an MT.
I am going to order Shorthand for myself today. I love it. You can also manage your words in
:+
You work full time, manage a house and cut 11 acres? No way man! Not me :)
NM
Yes, they have a lot of employees
and no offense but all newbies because anyone with a brain and has a pulse runs, and runs fast.
So what does this mean for HIS employees and how do you know this? sm
How did you get this information?  Is everything finalized and signed between Spheris and Heartland?  What happens to those of us who work at Heartland?  What's this mean to us?
What about all of the employees out there
who adhere to a regular committed work schedule only to find there is no work available for them?? Sandy--what about all of the people who are forced to work later and later (beyond their committed shift schedule) just to find work?? We ARE paid by production. It sounds like you are the princess in this scenario. You're speaking to a lot of experienced loyal MTs out there who KNOW that working from home is their only option because of all of the outsourcing over the last 10 years especially. It works both ways. I would think a Transcriptionist looking for work would find you a bit on the pristine side. All of us MTs want is just to work. I just left a national company because there was NO WORK for over a month. At least 30-40 other MTs left this company and went to a smaller company because of the work readily available to them. Take it down a notch, Sandy.
Only to employees
.
New employees on it?
I've only had that happen when new employees aren't following the account specs...and sometimes when it first does a new "upgrade" on the docs.
They don't have any employees, just ICs...sm
And I have been on that account longer than any other transcriptionists there. Usually they said what they do is take the jobs that come in on that account and divide them between the MTs. So I don't know. These docs have a bad habit of not dictating daily. Sometimes they will wait till they absolutely have to dictate and then BAM hit you with a load.
Statutory employees too?
Is the new pay plan for statutory/IC employees too?  Cant you only switch to full time employee status twice a year, I think May and October or November.
statutory employees - MQ
When you have to take off, do you call in sick like you would a regular job?  In the past, I have and they have been quite unreasonable if I needed to take a day off for sick or personal reasons.  What upsets me is when there is no work, Im stuck, no work, oh well, but when I need to take off, I better be there, I better work or they have been quite nasty with me..What has been others response?  What have others done when they needed to take off?  Thanks for your response!
Do any Med-Quist employees
know whatever happened to Mark Forstein?  He used to be the president of Transcriptions, Ltd. before it was bought out by MedQuist.  He was Dave Cohen's cousin, I believe.
Go for it. HR needs to know if their employees are being "threatened". (sm)

They are having to offer huge bonuses to entice new employees, I don't think they would want their current employees walking because someone has no tact or ability to communicate with others. 


Hope things are better today for you all.


 


 


Any other SS employees not received their..
paycheck? I am not looking to start anything, just wondering if I am the only one who hasn't gotten paid yet?
The prison's employees
Pardon my ignorance. I'm still confused. What does the prison system have to do with transcription?  Why would the prison system hire transcriptionists to work in a facility as a transcriptionist??
For any Transcend employees (not ICs)..
Can you tell me if the hours are flexible at Transcend for full time employees?  I think instead of being an IC (I don't want to worry about taxes, being audited, etc.) I would like to be a full time employee; however, I'm in school too and need flexible hours and can't commit to a strict schedule - I need to be able to have more flexibility as my hours are different every semester.  Thanks for any help.
They have to be using overseas employees...sm
So remind her that  while they claim HIPAA compliance, truth of the matter is that  once the records leave the US soil there's really no protection.
I wonder if it applies to ICs or only employees?
I make a whole $9 -$14 an hour depending on the work, sometimes less of course when I get someone really bad.
They rotate employees so that no one
She should have reported those who were not doing very well.

The more times you use them, the lower their rates. I used to have MM come in 3 days a week and it was more than reasonable. Each time they came, one room received a deep cleaning. I loved them.

They are bonded, licensed, and insured. They provided ALL of their own cleaning supplies, didn't use mine. If they were injured in my home, they paid their own medical bills. If something was broken or stolen, MM reimbursed it.

Your friend's private keeper probably has none of that. If the keeper falls on a wet floor, etc., she will have to pay for her keeper's medical bills. If anything gets broken or stolen, she will have to file it on her homeowners.

Plus, with MM, you just write that check out and they pay all the taxes.

Your friend's private keeper probably isn't having any of the income appropriately reported and both the keeper and your friend could be in trouble.

LOL
Yes you can deduct it. Employees get

the same deductions many ICs do particularly since so many companies do not pay for large office space any longer, power, etc.  If you have any question at all about how to do it, ask your accountant but Turbo Tax walked me through it last year and this year too.  It used to be that they did not ask, but now they do and you can deduct your office based on the size of it and the mortgage etc. 


What many offices used to have now belongs to us that work at home and yes, we get that benefit because the offices definitely cannot legally deduct for this. Some companies reimburse for your internet.  Oh whoopie.  Less are providing equipment.  So now we do get to do a whole lot as employees because the costs of these necessities for work have been placed on us by cheap employers who try to get by with as little expense as possible.


 


ICs -- are you being treated like employees? (sm)
I filed IRS form SS-8, and boy did I get results!!

It took months. I had to fill out the very detailed form describing my work situation. The IRS then notified the MTSO and had them fill out the form. I just received the ruling that I was in fact an employee, so the MTSO now has to pay back taxes and penalties!!

It feels so good when something works the way it should, doesn't it?
Are you hiring employees or
In my opinion, independent contractor means you can take the work or you can refuse the work.  If you are employing these MTs, then that gives you the right to dictate statements like "work first then play".  Set schedules and hours are for employees and not ICs.  That is where the trouble starts in this profession.  Small MTSOs want ICs that ACT LIKE EMPLOYEES.  Well if that is disappointing to you as an MTSO owner, then so is only making 8 cpl and then having to make a 24-hour turnaround and be at the mercy of the MTSO.  JMO.       I save this kind of dedication for accounts that I have sought out myself (making 13 cpl) not working for an MTSO that only pays a small wage and wants a whole lot in return.       
that's correct, MQ's BOS is for MQ employees
x
Any statutory employees out there?
I'll be starting a new job soon with a service as a statutory employee. I want to get on top of my tax situation now so that come April I won't get hit with a big bill from the tax man.

Any suggestions/guidelines for how much of each of my checks I should be setting aside for taxes? I know that my employer will be paying 1/2 of my Social Security taxes. What about the rest?

Thanks in advance for your help.
then you need to hire employees ... sm
If you need someone to adhere to a strict schedule then you need to hire employees and pay their SS.  I am finding that more and more employers want the best of both world.  They want to pay like an IC and treat like an employee.  Why MTs are putting up with this is beyond me.  If they report the "employers" to the IRS they can be held liable for back taxes. 
maybe...depends on how many other employees
there are on the IM. It may be that others are bugging them constantly.

Do y'all use email for backup communications? It would seem sensible to me to use IM for things that need "now" attention and email for "later" stuff. Can you do that maybe?
at home employees
Several years ago when I had employees working at home, I was told if I required them to work a certain amount, I had to provide benefits. I was such a small businees, I never asked anything other than for the work to be done. I couldn't afford any benefits even for myself. I work for another company now. Hope this helps.
what the other employees get we dont
Full time employees at the hospital have earned time off, sick time, holiday pay, yearly raises, cost of living raises, and insurance. We only get the insurance and have to meet a qouta to keep the insurance every two weeks. Im just trying to find out what we are entitled to as a full time employee because they are really asking alot of us lately that employees at the hospital would be getting compensated at a higher rate for.
employees w/o timeclocks
just hop on for a few minutes outside your shift to get a few lines? or do you type strictly within your shift hours?
Sorry, but where I work new employees are given
2 weeks at hourly, and then put on straight production. If you are not meeting goal within a month you are let go as they have no PT and to be FT you have to be meeting the minimum.
I was referring mainly to employees. IC's are

Any old Wordsmith employees out there?
I wondered if any of the old group from Wordsmith Medical Transcription in Cambridge MA are around?
Employees Using Laptops

If you are working from home as an employee, do any of you have employers who allow you to use laptops?  If so, does the company provide those, or are you required to buy your own?


Former Synthescribe Employees
Has anyone received a W2 from Tammy Johnson/Synthescribe owner? I am afraid that she is not just waiting until the last minute, and that she just doesn't plan to send them. Therefore, making it an issue with the IRS finding her to make her do something or fine her. She only has tomorrow and Saturday. Any help out there would be greatly appreciated, as I cannot find a listing for her anywhere.
How would this apply to employees...sm
assigned crappy, ESL or otherwise difficult accounts where they have to work 14 hours to do their 8 hours or 1200 line daily minimums?