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I have this issue....sm

Posted By: curious girl on 2009-03-16
In Reply to: Anyone else find if you are an IC that you cant get - YoungsterMT

When you are an independant contractor you just get what they can give you and that's it. I hired on full time when I hired in almost 2 years ago. I have yet to work a full 40 hour week. I am lucky to get half that. I actually have just started venturing out into side jobs that aren't MT. I am gonna see how that goes.


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Is this a semantics issue or is it a you versus frustrated issue?
Which ever it is, if your feeling superior on a board makes your day go on ahead. I am sure frustrated knows what she is doing and now so does her boss. I am also sure that in the future frustrated with think twice about how she words every sentence perfectly so that you can perceive it correctly. After all, that is what she would rather be doing than kissing her little daughter. NOT.
Good for you frustrated, for handling it in a professional manner. For the other MTs on here who need to get a life, well, maybe they shouldn't bother since feeling superior here seems to suit well. JMHO.
It isn't a Smartype issue it is a Word issue
On the Word toolbar at the top, click on Tools, then Autocorrect, then check the box that says "capitalize first letter of sentence."  That will do it for you.
That's not the issue..
The Canada-American thing's not the issue here, but believe you me, if all I could earn in this profession was $18.00 an hour plus bennies, I'd get out of it in a heart beat.  We are worth much, much more than that!
Same issue!!!
Funny I was just thinking of posting. My company just changed systems. To what I have no clue, but they seem to think it is great. This new system has a lot of static. It is thier end and they admit it, but why not fix it. I have about had it. There is static and if you go past the static and back up "5000 times" it will finally play but it is nerve racking. There will also be blank sections where the tape will run for about a minute. Like they paused it. Absolutely no sound but tape is running. I just ignore those because they always pick up right where they left off. I try to catch most of it but don't hesitate to leave them a blank and let them figure it out!
VPN issue
Do you have a static IP address? If you have DSL Extreme, it's free, otherwise I think it's about $15. I had to get one to keep from losing my connection every little while (not connected to getting phone calls, though.)
Best regards!
It isn't always a pay issue. Most of you just want to
There IS a need for offshore for what you won't do.

Same with other jobs. NO one here wants to pick crops so we have Mexicans come do it.

Stop complaining.

Thanks, but that isn't my issue. nm
 
Actually a cut-and-dry issue ... sm

IF YOU HAVE UE TAXES TAKEN OUT OF YOUR PAY BY YOUR STATE, YOU'RE COVERED if you meet all of their other requirements.


Look on your pay stubs or W2 for the last 6 months (although not that sure about SE status).  Look at the part of ductions that your STATE takes out - it may not specifically mention deductions for UE, but if your state deducts state disability taxes, you're certain to be covered for UE as well. (For some reason, my own  check only showed NY State disability insurance taken out, so I had to verify with my payroll dept. that I was actually covered for UE).


No body issue
Yep, it has been done, next state over, young girl named Carrie Culbertson, missing now for close to 6 yrs?
They successfully prosecuted her ex-boyfriend and he got life..this w/o a body!
I can't believe the MD, DO thing is still an issue!
I've worked for both MDs and DOs.  I never found there was a difference in any way.  Our local hospitals have a mixed staff.  When are people going to put this "difference" to bed. 
Interesting...never been an issue before..sm
He has never ever in 15 years been in trouble. I can also say that had I been home, the second would never have happened as the fear of God would have laid down immediately the first time as they have been raised knowing that school is their job until they graduate, no ifs or buts about it, they are there to learn and follow the rules. He knew he could get away with her from her and fully expected her to talk us into no harm no foul and she took free advantage to tell all 4 children that if they loved her they would not tell us. LOL
Yes, really. It's a character issue.
When someone is a thief, it is only a matter of time before they start stealing from friends. I could never trust someone I knew to be a thief. I do not care to share any part of my life with someone of poor character.
I have this to say on the Katrina issue
I know a minute seems like a lifetime to the people suffering throughout this situation. BUT... American WILL respond. We will open our pocketbooks, donate our time, resources and supplies. Some have even opened their homes. Stop pointing fingers at what is not being done. This is an unprecedented catastrophy in our country. There are many issues to deal with. It's like our boss at work always says, we don't always know what is going on behind the scenes or why something is being done, but trust that things are being done.  Stop the blaming and complaining and do something positive.Put some effort into getting supplies together instead of coming to this board to point fingers and blame. Stop making it a political issue or a racial issue. It is neither. Spend your time in prayer instead of criticism.
MQ check issue
Another thing I thought odd, is that it says it's an adjustment, but under 100.00.  Anytime I've had to call payroll on a shortage, they won't issue the difference until the next payday IF it's under 100.00 (at least in my office)...so that is odd in itself that they are going against that rule??????????
Yeah, what she said! I have that issue now and then, but he also wants me to pay - sm
for their private school, so you can't have it both ways. What is funny is he usually only says I don't spend a lot of time with the kids during the Summer....when I try hard to re-arrange my schedule in order to either do something with them or spend a few hours each day with them instead of typing all day....so I actually do spend more time with them then. We kind of switch hit during school,I deal with all the morning stuff, get them to the bus stop and then I have them from 3:30-6 basically, unpack backpacks, supervise homework, etc. then at 6 he takes over so I can start on my next day's work, on rare occasion he will go out (on a Saturday night, maybe 1-2x a year) and do something and I actually encourage this since he looks after the kids quite a bit for me, though it can be counter-productive as he lets them trash the place half of the time which turns me into a total witch in the morning. But we have a lot of give and take here and it works well. Try to work out some sort of compromise. I try to take the kids out usually on Saturday for a few hours (3-5) to give him some time to himself, and he does the same for me though it is so I can work or clean and not to relax. I have to get out myself, have not been out for ages, though circumstances here have not been the greatest with my 5-y/o daughter's cancer, etc (though things are looking good, done chemo, just working through the nasty side-effects of it wearing off now). Just try and talk it out and come to a compromise, but he will have to cut back on his social life if it is more than 1 x a week. I have no idea why guys feel they are so entitled to go and chill out and us women are not "allowed", good 'ol caveman thinking. I know my husband wouldn't have a problem now, a few years ago he would have as he had NEVER watched the kids alone before until about a year ago, so he knows he can do it. Good luck in retraining him.
Somewhat agree on the cc/mL issue but...
Metric measurements (cc, mL, cm, kg, etc.)are always transcribed in decimals so "half" is always 0.5 rather than 1/2.

Nervous, good luck to you in the future!
Hygiene issue? What do you mean?
??
Legal issue
Received an email from the company with an attachment that says we have to sign it, giving them the right to access at any time our email and computer files.  We do not have email through the company and the computer is mine, not theirs.   Why would I be required to sign this to keep my job?  It's none of their business what's on my personal computer or what's in my emails!!!
Legal issue
They have absolutely no right to your private emails or personal files. If it is your computer, they have no legal right to access it in any way, actually, without your permission.

Check with an attorney.....I did.
Legal issue
My business attorney said NOT to sign such an agreement. They are free to access my MQ computer but not my personal computer. We have confidential financial data on there.
I'm amazed this issue came up because

just today, I transcribed a note where the PA dictated that the patient "felt crampier this month than last month."  Although I typed it as dictated, I haven't been sure all day that I was correct in doing so.


I can't find that word in any dictionary anywhere.  Just because I may have "formed" an English word correctly doesn't necessarily make it a word, does it?


You have still ignored the issue of celibacy.
nm
My biggest issue too. (sm)
Not only that, but I finish the part I wanted bolded, return, return, and use a shortcut for the next heading, and it changes that one to bolded. Grrrrr!
The computer is not the issue. If you know the

terminology you know it, it doesn't change when you hear it over the computer versus tapes.   It sounds like you are overwhelmed with the advancing technology and maybe you need to get used to the technology before tackling a new position.


I used to work with a woman who could work on her computer but when she had questions I would try to show her on my computer and she couldn't do it, wanted me to come and show her on her computer.  The computers were identical, the software/hardware were identical. 


 


thumb issue
I was thinking that might be it. I do not have an ergonomic keyboard as of yet. I might want to get one pretty quick. I did try buddy taping it to my index finger and hand earlier. That seemed to help too, but took a little getting used to.


my thumb issue was due to
De'Quervans? (I'm not going to look it up right now) tendonitis.  It's located on the side of your wrist by your thumb.  Mine got pretty nasty, had to go the route of cortisone injections then finally surgery but 7 yrs out and no more issues or pain. 
thumb issue
it is DE Quervain's, I know because I do PT reports. Whether or not this is my problem, we'll find out. I have an ergonomic keyboard coming, as I am not going to mess around with this. I did put a hand towel under my wrist pad. It is helping for now. At least, I don't have to buddy tape. That's a pain. lol. Pun intended!
Race issue
How in the world does one know what someone's race is when you are doing a class on-line?  I don't understand--please enlighten.  Thanks.
I just got a new job and it wasn't an issue
I think it was worse before I filed bankruptcy because my credit was really terrible then. Since I've filed you would not believe the number of offers I have gotten for credit cards and new car loans. Since you have a clean slate, your credit rating actually goes up in the first year after you file. The only place it really mattered to anyone was when I worked in a pharmacy right before I filed and had left MTing due to burn out. The report was supposed to be confidential, but everyone and their cousin knew everyones credit reports, drug screen and past criminal history (not just mine).

It might make more of a difference if you work on site rather than remotely. It was the best decision I had made in many years and I do not regret it in the least.
Please educate yourself on the issue before

making such ridiculous accusations.  "Thinking" is becoming obsolete....just a bunch of lemmings running off the cliff together.


Not word issue you need to get
There is a Service pack 1 for Smartype that has to be added. It takes care of the capitilzation problem. Go to their website, contact tech support and they will mail you the upgrade
Not lately. The sleeping issue has always
been one we've disagreed on, even when he was working, so it's kind of got too many old fights behind it, kwim? That's what makes me frustrated probably as I don't feel like these are things we can ever agree on. His "compromise" is not sleeping until 11 and only letting the kids watch 1 hour - not a compromise at all to me, but I apparently don't appreciate that it is. I appreciate your thoughts though.
like to bring the QA issue to the top

There was a discussion about how MTs would prefer QA to handle correction situations.  Here's an example.  Right now doing QA on several "new" MTs that were kind of thrown into a new account.  They were all suppose to be very well qualified and only suppose to review for "format" issues.  Well.....spending a great deal of time adding text that was left out, changing things transcribed that was totally off the wall, besides the format part just not getting yet.  I try to be as 'tactful" as I possibly can, offer useful tips, give websites for lokking up info, etc.  But right now falling so behind and still making same "format" corrections I was two weeks ago because still not getting it right or just not reading E-mails!!  Our responsibilities only go so far.  We have to help but you also have to help yourself.  Don't transcribe anything you haven't documented somewhere and NEVER leave words out!!   That's my 2 cents!!  


 


In this month's issue of
Advance, there is an offering for quite a nice prep kit.
Speed was an issue for me....
Hi, Sandi - If you've been working with a dial-up at home and haven't had a problem, I'll bet you won't have one with the PC card. My problem is that I am spoiled - in my home office I have the fastest DSL we can get in our area - 7 mbps. So, when I use my laptop remotely, the Verizon service almost seems like dial-up to me. Just to give you an idea, the last time I used it remotely, I downloaded 20 discharge summary dictations, most of them around 5 minutes long, and it took about 45 minutes for all of the audio to download. Of course, I was camping in an area where the cell phone signal wasn't that great, so that might have been a factor.

If I were you, I'd try out your card for a few days before you dump your other service, just to compare.... It's all what you are used to, I guess....
Have been back and forth on this issue

I was on my own financially when I was 16, so that definitely set my kids up to follow in that role. My husband grew up on a ranch and had daily chores. Never got an allowance, never got an outside job until college. His parents provided what he needed and he was free for football, track, and other activities. Needless to say, these backgrounds collided when our firstborn came of working age. Of course, I won.


She got a job at the local grocery store in her sophomore year, but we after a while saw her grades go down, her stress level go way up, and she was basically sleep deprived all the time. This was a 16  hr a week job, but sometimes she'd be scheduled for 8, sometimes 20 hrs. We finally had her resign.


Now her younger sister is 15 and is thinking about jobs. I'm having her help me around the house, not just her regular chores but laundry, meal preparation a couple of times a week, lawn work, and for that she's getting $20/wk. It's her spending money and for us, it's working out to be the best of both worlds. She's learning responsibility and money management (as well as new recipes and meal management), but is not out there full force yet. Senior year in high school will be a different story. I'm going to let her enjoy her time in high school in these early years, as my husband did.


 


I'm having the same issue this week.
I've been keeping up on my regular account, one specialty with only a few doctors.  Ran out of work on that and got a 2nd account to fill in time.  New account is multispecialty and several different doctors.  I'm getting half or less than half done what I normally would.  And it is 10 times the stress. 
SSN is not a HIPAA issue here
HIPAA, health information, SSN is not health information, no way relates. SSN would be a schools way to verify date of birth and U.S. citizenship.
OMG!! Just focus on the issue -

pay her the $100.00 which, by the way, is not measly to many people, especially if they worked for it.  Two wrongs don't make a right!!  MTSOs have to understand that you must pay subcontractor MTs on time, especially if you have a signed agreement, even if they have a 50% error rate in reports and the client doesnot pay until 2010.


And I agree with the other poster, what was your subcontractor doing with your client's contact info?  Did you have her sign a non-compete clause in your transcription agreement?  If so, and she still contacted your client, then you still pay her the $100 and let her know she is in violation of your agreement, too, because her contacting your client is interpreted as competition.  If not, this is a learning lesson for you.


I should also say that the sound issue could be
from the other end and if the dictation is of poor quality there isn't a whole lot you can do to make it better.  I have heard some dictations that were so scratchy and the volume kept fluctuating that I could barely transcribe and I have 20 years of experience.   If you are just going to digital files from a C-phone or tapes there will be an adjustment period to get used to the sound. 
Maybe a discrimination issue
They can tell your race and age that way, and for an employee application it is probably illegal. For an IC it's completely out of line since the I in IC stands for independent ie. none of their business. Would you ever make such a demand of a doctor, plumber, lawyer, etc.?
I take issue with a statement here. sm
"MTSOs know which schools turn out graduates that are ready to hit the ground running..." I think the important point is that MTSOs can't run around the country checking on the program at every college or technical school. Some of these schools turn out excellent students. Unfortunately, since their names aren't known in the industry, no one will give their graduates a chance. I am not an AAMT supporter, but at least the schools they promote have been checked and the MTSO can be sure of getting good employees.

It doesn't really matter if your education is as good as someone else's. When you are only a name applying for a job, never even see your employer face to face, you must have some edge to get you in the door. That is the only thing an MTSO has to choose from.

You can still make it if you don't graduate from the "right school." But it is so much harder, many won't. They may have as much knowledge as anyone else, but often it is just luck that they ever get a start, usually at a local facility. Something to remember when you are shopping for schools.

Need help with former IC vs Employee issue
I worked for a small MT company from home for 9 years.  When I started, they only had 5 MT's and only hired as IC's.  I was, for all intents and purposes, an employee.  I did not work for any other company during the entire 9 years, I used their equipment, I followed their rules, I answered to them regarding all aspects of my work including my scheduled hours.  When I left them last year, they were up to 25 MT's.  I recently found out that I was the "ONLY' one who was and IC!!  Everyone else was employee status!  I was their top producer and grossed over $75,000 a year.  They saved a small fortune not paying employee taxes and half my social security!  Do I have a right to file a complaint with the Dept. of Labor or the IRS? .... or am I just causing problems for myself as I did (not knowing any better) use all the tax write-offs related to being an IC for all those years.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  TIA.
Cost should not be an issue!
Do not try to save money by getting a cheaper chair, that is exactly what you will get....Cheap!  I have a chair that has 4 different adjustments plus I use a lumbar support.  Your back is worth it, don't skimp!!! 
C-phone issue

Suddenly, I only have one-sided hearing through my headset. I thought it was the headset itself, so I ordered the best headset I could get for it ... nope, same problem.

Why is this happening, and are there any suggestions on how to solve the problem?


That is our issue here; I work in the MBR - sm
and he cannot sleep at night due to my typing. So he sleeps in my 1 daughter's room now and she sleeps in the MBR with me. I am in the process of setting up a second computer in our dining room, just need to get off my butt and load a few programs, load Expander dictionary, etc. Then will finally get everyone sleeping where they are supposed to. What is so funny about it is that he cannot sleep with my typing but has to sleep with a radio on or the TV on....makes absolutely no sense. So once I get this situated I will start working out in the dining room at night when everyone goes to bed, or at least until they (he) falls asleep, once he is asleep a bomb could go off and he won't wake up, just takes him a while to fall asleep though. But I will do what I gotta do to get things back to normal around here.
Having issue with Word sm

All of a sudden when I open any document I have on the left side of my screen about a one-inch print preview (at least I think its a print preview).  It shows the pages within that template.  I don't know what I did to get it there and I can't seem to find the button to remove it.  Anyone know what this left-sided print preview is and what I need to do to remove it? 


Thank you


This is mot important issue, IMO.
x
I do not think her issue was with prayer...

I believe what she meant was that she had never heard this dictated before; therefore, she was questioning it.  She was not questioning whether it is okay for a physician to pray with his patient. 


ChartScript log in issue
My new job uses ChartScript. I am having issues logging in. Does anyone know who to call. I called my boss at the company I work through but thought I would see if anyone here could help me out in the mean time.

Thanks in advance
Another issue could be who owns SM
the dictionaries you develop to work with. You don't say who work for on what basis, but even if you purchased an expander, if you were being paid hourly as you developed them, an employer would have a good claim to ownership should they choose to exercise it. I mention this because we become extremely dependent on our personal expanders, and when we have to walk away from a job it's critically important to be able to take at least a copy of the dictionaries we spent many months developing with us. Patient privacy could even be an issue depending on what's stored on them.