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Poll: Who is going to be working weekends more

Posted By: InquiringMT on 2008-11-06
In Reply to:

It seems like there is more work on the weekends, and I guess this question is for SE/IC, more than employees, though it may apply to employees too.


Lots of companies seem to be advertising for mainly weekend and evenings, or shifts over the weekend, or actually giving preference on a bigger workload to people who do decide to work weekends every week.  Who has decided to go for that, since the work is there and so is the money? With the economy the way it is, this MT was just wondering if it makes sense to just grab the work when it comes in and less worry about the bills and the holidays. 


Thanks in advance for your conversation on this topic.  This MT wonders because it is hard to get a gauge what is going on outside of this MT's company and wants to see how people are handling their workloads/wallets.




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Who loves working weekends?

I DON'T!!!!!


I'd be alot more interested in working weekends, -
overtime, holidays, etc. if what I got in exchange for that actually made any difference. Unfortunately it does not.
working 3rd shift and weekends sometimes gives you bonus incentive pay. nm
x
weekends
job seekers board -- one from 10/13 that says IC - op reports/genetics etc -- I talked to her  -- is looking for weekend people.  :}  Hope helps.
weekends
I think it's because everyone prefers M-F shifts and there just aren't enough people to pick up the load on the weekends.  Personally, I get on and transcribe as much as I can but my kids aren't here, they're in college.  Makes it tougher if you have little ones at home.  I think it would be wise if you can for the money and especially now with the holidays coming up.
I LOVE weekends........sm
Weekends not only pay more, the work is mostly ER.. chests, bones, etc. After MRI's and Specials all week, it's like being on vacation!
Anybody know of a place you can work just weekends (sm)
With going to DQS looks like the OT/bonus is gone.  Personally I can't make it without the extra (supporting 4 on one salary). Need to fine a place to work weekends only.  Anyone have any suggestions? 
IC being asked to work OT weekends
I'm new to the IC business, always been a employee in the past.  Can a MTSO ask you as an IC to work overtime on the weekends if that was not what you signed up to do originally?  Do labor laws require an employer to pay overtime over 40 hours a week?  With the summer months and the other MTs obviously on vacation, we are backed up  at work but I don't want to work every weekend when I've put in a 40 hour week (my regular scheduled hours).  I have always volunteered but its getting old and since they cut our pay scale for ICs 6-7 months ago, I'm really not motivated to break my fingers as it were.  Does anyone know the legality issue of an IC being asked to work more hours?
I work graveyard on weekends
I can't say there's any real way to prepare for graveyard shift other than going to bed earlier the night before, this way you are well rested for your shift.

I work day shift and evening shift Mon-Thurs, but come 3 pm on Friday, it's bedtime for me. I work graveyard shift on weekends, and I love it. I don't really have a problem adjusting my schedule, as I have massive sleep deficit accrued all week.
The problems that I do find are with:
Family not getting it through their heads that I wake/work early on weekends.
Deliveries (UPS, FedEx) normally take place during the hours I would be sleeping.
Phone usually rings during the hours I sleep.

Other than those outside factors, no problem for me adjusting back and forth between shifts.


Have always worked weekends and second shift. nm
X
Me too. We get called all the time, especially on weekends....
It seems some people do not want to work at all on weekends, but if everyone would just get on and do 300-400 lines, the ones at our MSO would not be called every weekend.
wants to work weekends and they need weekend coverage.
Most companies now are going a Tu-Sa shift of Sun-Thu.   Clinic work usually is M-F.  
If they want to pay me 20 cents a line to work weekends.. I'm
and no I'm not making it up or exaggerating.. with 26 years experience you really CAN make excellent money in this business.
10K for 12 hour weekends, work privately

I always volunteer to work holidays, weekends, etc. because my husband is off
so he can watch the kids while I earn incentive and holiday pay.  Plus, I'm the one who has to cover so the childless women can go on cruises with their latest boyfriends or husbands, or they didn't show up for work because they met a guy at a bar and have the bottle flu.  Oh, poor you.  Life's unfair.  Suck it up and get over yourself.
How does it work full-time to have rotating weekends
My brain is fried with all this job hunting and I can't think.  All MTSOs want weekend commitments now.  If I offer to do rotate every other weekend for Saturday and Sunday, what does my schedule look like so that I still have two days together off, and without working 7 straight days (hope this makes sense...I'm so tired :(. 
Probably people aren't too thrilled about being sick on weekends either. nm

I prefer weekends. I find most cherrypickers also avoid
weekends, so I at least get a decent selection of work to do.
I also work from tapes and pretty much plan my day/weekends the way you do. sm
Agree with posters below-you owe nobody an explanation/excuse. It is your business/career to do as you see fit. Good luck.
1700 during the week, 2500-3000 on weekends
:-)
Hi Neighbor - middle-TN -- AND all the public pools close except for weekends.
we are on year-round scheduling 9 weeks on, 2 weeks off and just off June and July.
I've worked weekends for 10 years, now I want to move onto a company
that does not require at least one weekend day.  I realize hospitals are open 24/7 but you would think that companies seeking good MTs would be more willing to offer a M-F shift.   
In our area of NY, I've found that hot summer weekends are terrible...sm
for sales. No one wants to get out of their cars in the heat! Have done best in early spring or in Sept/Oct., here anyway. And a Fri./Sat. combo is more successful than a Sat./Sun. weekend. Have BIG signs at major intersections and showing the way into your neighborhood and right to your house. Run an ad in the Garage Sale section of your paper. Be prepared for early birds coming down your driveway or right into your yard 2 hours ahead of time. Block your driveway with a car or sawhorses until you're actually open, but be ready to say 'come back later' when people show while you're setting up. Have prices on everything or group things by price in one location. Have lots of singles and quarters for change. Bring your phone outside with you. Paper and pen if people want to call you later. Have packing material for glass and china, plastic or paper bags for purchasers. Some hard candy/mints on a table out of sun helps people stick around longer. If you have big jackets, long dresses, bedspreads, etc. put them up for display - on hangers, in trees, strung up between ladders. Try and keep all your displays up at table height - people aren't keen on getting down on the ground to paw through boxes or check out stuff spread out on a bedsheet. Use every card table, picnic table, folding table, etc that you can find for displaying stuff. If you have anything electric to sell, have an extension cord plugged in so people can see that items still work. Keep expensive small items near you at your 'check out' station to keep them from walking away. And always be ready to come down on price as everyone will ask you, "can you do any better?" Or "what's your best price on this?" Enjoy your sale and treat yourself to pizza after all your hard work! :)
You get more working the evening or night shifts and working w/o benefits. And producing like a mad
,
Ditto....granted I am not working much these days, but am currently trying out a new way of working
when I do work which seems to be helping.  I am timing myself and keeping a log of how long it takes to to type however many minutes.  I am averaging anywhere from 13-18 minutes of dictation an hour now doing this.  Granted the time fluctuates between who I am typing, and if I have to look up names, addresses, etc., just depends on the division I am doing at the time.  But work that used to take me 3 hours to do is now taking me under 2 hours, I am also trying to put in more macros as I go along, which slows me down initially but pays off in the long run of course.  I was working "all the time" before but took forever to get done since I was not applying myself. This new "attitude" has helped me a lot.  My goal, in the Fall, is to do 90 minutes a day consistently at 6 hours, and then maybe get up to 120 minutes a day at 8 hours, still while having at least half of the day free (do 60 minutes at night, and the other 60 by Noon).  Thereby doing 1200-1400 lines a day.  I have never really buckled down and done more than 8000 lines per pay period, so it will be a nice change.  Maybe you can do something like that and have a specific knock off time as was suggested below. 
Working holidays? Out shopping in stores where someone IS working

that holiday you refuse to work?  Grocery stores, food joints & seems any store is open on holidays and you expect them to be fully staffed, so why shouldn't we?


Yes, I took off for the first time on Christmas day, in 18 years and it was great, but I worked Christmas eve and this whole past weekend.


Someone has to do it!


POLL
Ok, we know what we are unhappy about in this business.   LET'S TAKE A POLL.  In 4 lines or less, what would be your ideal Transcriptionist job?   No flames please. Just list the important factors that would make you want to go to bat for a company.  Include pay plan also.   Thanks. 
re:poll

Consistent, steady amount of work on the same one or two accounts, you know, the ones you know so well you can do them in your sleep?


Pay that makes you feel like getting up and hitting the keys each day.


For at home MT's, at least some feedback from office ie: what's going on, who's new/old etc, instead of calling in, asking for someone only to find out they jumped ship....ooops, I've run over my line allotment


Poll
1. To be treated with RESPECT and shown appreciation.

2. To work 1 account with less than 500 ESL doctors in order to have some consistency and become familiar with your doctors and then maybe be able to achieve your line count.

3. To be paid for your actual lines typed and not what they think you should be paid for.

4. To be informed of what is going on in the company by your supervisor or other higher up and not have to come to this board for information.

POLL

Curious as to what many of my fellow old-timers in this field may be telling the newbies and/or wannabies coming into this profession.  Personally, I'm getting out. Too much disrespect and flat out ingratitude by the doctors and allied health care professionals alike.  I worked so hard to get where I'm at, and have precious little to show for it. 


Therefore, I discourage new people from entering this profession.  STRONGLY!  What do you say on the matter?  Answer:   (Your letter is enough on the reply.)


A.  I strongly discourage newbies entering the field.


B.  I somewhat discourage newbies entering the field.


C.  I have no opinion.  Too tired.


D.  I say go for it, but feel sorry them.


E.  I highly encourage them.  Things will be well for them, and different but good.


Opinions, anyone?


 


That has nothing to do with the poll.

It wasn't meant to be democrat against republican or liberal against conservative.  It was only a question to see what people would rather see their tax dollars spent on.  Both parties pay taxes.  I'm just curious as to what means more to people....taking care of those in poverty whether by their own choice or not  OR taking care of those who are already wealthy and paying for things that we could not afford to have for ourselves like million-dollar pensions.


POLL - sm
Can anyone else not type well if their nails are long?  I have to keep mine trimmed short....anyone else type better like this or does it not matter how long they are?   Just curious if it's just me.   
Poll
What would you go into if you left the MT field with this being your only skill, in your late to early 40s, and having a  high school diploma?
poll
I really would like to know. I dont want to do this anymore.
Poll
I think you youngsters should go for your dreams, and do it now.  I have been  MTing for many years and my arms hurt so bad.  I am tired of being jerked around, making less and less money.  I'm an exM*er (you-know-who) - pretty much says it all.  I now do VR for half the money.  Been through court reporting school and even took flight lessons long ago (flying was just for fun - eh, don't care much for the justice system).  Now going into coding.  Can't wait to say goodbye to the MT business.    
Poll
I went to court reporting school many years ago.  My husband (at that time) paid for it.  He also put me through flight school.  Like I said, I do VR editing for half.  I have no money.  Just to be able to pay for coding school (I intend to go to Andrews), will be a struggle.  No fun, but this is my reality.  What to do?  Suck it up and move on! 
let's take a poll
I am ticked about something that I probably should just forget about and count my blessings.  I work at home usually until about 5 or 5:30 pm.  My husband comes home from work at 4 pm.  He does not even say hello or give me a peck on the cheek let alone a hello smack on the lips. He thinks I should get up out of my chair and quick working for a little bit if I want attention.  Anyone else in this same boat?
Poll

Why not compromise?  He speaks when he comes in.  You stop for 2 (TWO) minutes to respond and then get back to work.  Both happy!


Poll - Ever since I saw that - sm
commercial where the woman was cleaning her kitchen with chicken leg, I have switched to using a dishcloth instead of a sponge.  That was the most disgusting commercial ....  Anyway, what to you all use?  Cloth or sponge, or other?  Just curious, as it takes time to get use to using something other than a sponge.
Poll
Psychiatry is easy - ophthalmology, denistry and vet - hardest.
poll
Easiest: ER and psychiatry.

Hardest: Cardiology and anything by a mumbler or an individual with a REALLY HEAVY accent.
Poll:
It's whatever you make of it. I've known women who thought it was slavery, and ones who thought it was the pinnacle of their job life. It is what you make of it. Intensely personal experience. I've found that people who are true word geeks feel fulfilled by the learning experience. People who do it cuz they HAVE to, generally will hate it no matter what, because then it IS the equivalent of slavery.
POLL: What is your cat/dog's name?
I have 2 dogs, Bandy and Molly, and a cat, Katielynn.
POLL
All the posts about proofing as you go versus proofing when you finish got me to thinking.  One poster mentioned something about having the TV on while working.  I'm guilty of that myself sometimes.   I don't usually keep the TV on my entire shift but I like to have it on part of the time.  Usually toward the end of my shift I'll turn the TV to make it seem a little less lonely.  I work second shift and everyone has gone to bed before I finish work.  Sometimes I just like a little background noise.  Unfortunately, sometimes something interesting will come on and I stop to turn around and watch.....sometimes too long.  That usually only happens when something VERY IMPORTANT is one like American Idol.  Eating is another habit I do too often while working.  Or throwing in a load of laundry in the washer/dryer.  Oh, and cooking.  What else do you do while working?  I know my wheels are always spinning about what else I need to be doing.....what to have for dinner.....what needs to be done before I go to bed.....what I need to do tomorrow.....  Or cooking and talking on the phone, helping with homework, etc., etc.  Let's not forget being on MTStars while working.  LOL.  These days it is hard to do just one thing at at time, isn't it????
ANOTHER POLL

What are your favorite TV shows?  Do you have favorites that you will never miss?  There are regulars that I tape daily/weekly (unless it is a rerun):



  1. Young and the Restless

  2. Bold and the Beautiful

  3. Grey's Anatomy

  4. Desperate Housewives

  5. New Adventures of Old Christine

  6. American Idol

  7. ER

  8. Scrubs

I also have other favorites, but I don't go to the trouble of taping them.  Only so many hours in a week!  Some of my other favs are the dating shows, Oprah, Tonight Show, Paula Deen, and those entertainments shows like Extra, etc. 


 


 


POLL

I would have to say this week on this board the word "troll".  Seeing that word so many times a day is getting on my nerves more than the posts the "trolls" post.  At least what the "troll" is posting is something different to read.  Of course, then there are a few other overused words/phrases: 



  1. like
  2. you know what I'm saying?
  3. IMO
  4. cool
  5. actually
  6. basically
  7. brangelina
  8. jen and ben
  9. awesome
  10. most curse words
  11. to be honest......
  12. git-er-done (hate that one)
  13. how's that working for you?

Poll
Dog-Rojam 14-year-old black lab retired guide dog--named after his sponsor's grandchildren--Rose and James. Dog-Daisy--golden. Cat-Charlie. Cat-Skoshi-Japanese for "little"
Poll
x
POLL: What is your cat/dog's name?
My cat is Dorothy.
Poll
Need some positivity today!! Having a bad month and want to hear that others are having a good things happen! Thanks.
Job poll
Same here. I was comfortable working for a smaller company until they lost the account I was working on. I was there for 2 years and happy for the most part. Since then it has been down hill. I have held a part-time job for the last 6 months and have tried others only to quit after a week or in one case a day. I have been taking a lot of temp jobs. I would love to find one full-time great job again.