Schedules. Are you talking about *employees*...
Posted By: sm on 2005-10-26
In Reply to: No, it is the schedules - CMT-me
on *schedules* ... or SE/IC's on *schedules*? Thanks.
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
schedules
We have to work a schedule every day because its patient care/coverage, but we do have flexibility because sometimes things do run out AND sometimes they get swamped and NEED our help! Wont they see that that wont work? I guess if people are sick or on vacation they will transcribe it themselves. LOL
Hope it works out for you all.
schedules
Yes, I realize the reason that MTs have to have set schedules for TAT, coverage, etc. I actually don't have a problem at all with a set schedule, but it is really frustrating when continuously (nearly every day), there is no work to do during your schedule. When I started with MQ, I gave them a schedule and had every intention of keeping to that schedule. Within the first week, I ran out of work and had to work at a different time to get my lines. That was nearly two years ago.
It's not the schedules, it's the PAY. That's sm
why they can't get help from US MTs. The nationals I have applied to are offering about 6-8 cpl for experienced MTs. Who can live on that. No wonder they can't get good experienced help.
No, it is the schedules
One thing works in relation to the other. I can tell you that each day I turn on my computer I have bleeding from the eyes because I cannot get people to work their schedules and they are NOT making .06/line either! It drives me crazy because they have a great situation with our company. The bigger companies have always had their problems in direct proportion to the way they mistreated their people and eventually it will come back to bite them, but somewhere in this equation our home grown MTs have to take responsibility for themselves and know what they are doing, do it in a timely fashion, and produce a good work product. If the clients are not happy .. it should be obvious that they will move on. No company should have to QA each sheet of paper that leaves their office, but many should!
pay schedules
Because based on my experience - they either have a tier structure based on production/experience/test scores or the rates are based on the particular account you work on and vary from account to account. I agree I'd like to see at least an average range given but it seems most don't.
Schedules
National companies are concerned with getting the work back to the hospital within turn around time. It usually does not matter to them who gets the work done. A company is not going to "save" work for a certain person's schedule. If you want more work, you may have to try working outside your schedule. This is just the way the game is played. Maybe it isn't fair but then you know how the say goes....life is not always fair.
schedules
Sounds like you are one of those people who wants a set schedule, regardless of when the work is there and evidently you are not willing to work "off schedule" - you are in the wrong field my friend, most MTs have to work whenever they are needed, not just when they want, the company I work for often asks for extra help, in return I ask for time off and have the pleasure of knowing I am not going to be scrutinized for it, you scratch my back and I will scratch yours - the MT business evidently is not what you expected???
schedules
Same here - and I work Tuesday-Saturday - but as an IC, if I want a weekend off, I just tell them I can't work. I have found a pattern though, at about noon on Friday everyone shuts down and then those of us who do work the weekend are flooded with work - wonder why the CO. hasn't figured it out and done something about it. We even get paid more to work on Saturday and Sunday - but go figure.
IC schedules
A lot of the companies allow for a 12 to 24 hour window to get your lines in. I guess that's where the flexibility comes into play. I picked my hours with my company and stick to them, but they do not require their IC's to do that. The companies are out there that aren't so rigid with the hours, you just have to find them. Good luck.
Wait a minute, I'm not just talking about the boards, I'm talking about the news article.
Specifically,
"JLG has a contract with Arrendale Associates/ A+Network/CBay Scribe, which the group says is in India.
A letter from JLG to Barbara Dingman, chief compliance officer and director of health information management, says all medical transcriptionists assigned to the Medical Center Hospital account live in the U.S. and all work is done in America."
But yet they do business with Arrendale/A+/CBay, what am I missing here?
MT's choosing their schedules.
One of your complaints about being a supervisor is regarding people who give more than their fair share of time and those who are "just there when they want to be". I just want you to clarify. You see, when I hire on at a company, I tell them EXACTLY how many hours I will work. One of the main attractions of this job that companies always cockadoodle and cluck about is that you can name your hours. Flexible schedules, be with your kids, blah, blah, blah. Or you commit to a minimal line quota, and again, I tell them EXACTLY what line quota I can meet. I can tell you from past experience -- going on 20+ years now, same GREAT company for the last 5, that some other companies wait until after you've started with them, agreed to a schedule/quota plan, and then say, sorry, scrub your personal home plans, you see basically we lied and comitted contract fraud when we took this account on and promised them 2-hr turnaround when we are understaffed. But we have to lie, that's how we get accounts. A former supervisor for MQ actually told me this. She truly justified doing business this way. And yes, it was MQ. But neither of us work there any more, and I'm sure other companies do this as well. And I'm REALLY sure that makes it okay.
I don't think the MT should have to apologize for saying "No, I can't help you. I put in my time. Sorry. I have a spouse and children and other responsibilities." And you're right, they may be only there for pocket change, since that is what so many companies offer. Why kill themselves? Sorry, but the MT has the right to choose whether she wants 10 hours/week, 20 hrs/week, or 60 hrs/week. She takes the smaller check as a trade-off. So you see, there may be another perspective.
I'm rarely on here lately because of schedules ...
I work when I want to so stick it if you don't like it! Hahaha
work schedules
I just wanted to let you know that Spheris wants you to work your schedule, whether you have achieved your line count production "quota" for the day or not. If you are scheduled to work 8:00 to 4:00 and you achieve all your required lines for the day by 2:30 p.m., they still want you online until 4:00. It's something they enforce and regularly check up on.
Kids schedules
My 12-year-old daughter isn't as busy as some that I know. She has Girl Scouts every other Thursday, Student Council after school one day a week, and an after school bowling team (for her middle school) from 3:30-5:00 one day a week for the next eight weeks. She also wants to do Color Guard this year, but I'll have to see if that is going to be too much for her. She's a straight A+ student and I want to make sure she has enough time to do homework without feeling rushed.
Schedules are there for a reason
Say I'm scheduled to work a certain time slot. Say you feel entitled to work an extra 4 hours each day that laps into my time slot. Then I consistently run out of work and start doing what you're doing. Soon everyone is working weird hours and schedules mean nothing, and the supes can't adequately staff accounts because everyone is cherrypicking their hours. How is this fair to anyone?
work schedules
I worked in house 24/7/365 and we were called in on our days off and after hours. Middle of the night call ins were not unusual.
Not always...not all companies are flexible with schedules!
..
Kids schedules outside of school....sm
It's amazing to me how many parents push their kids to the extreme with extracurricular activities. I saw a cousin this weekend and her 2nd grader is taking 4 dance lessons (4-1/2 hours a week), an acting class (1 hour) is in some special gifted program that meets 1 hour after school each week and is in the church kid's choir on Wednesdays. This means this 7-year-old has 7-1/2 hours of extracurricular activities scheduled.
I told her that my 6-year-old chooses 1 activity to participate in outside of church kids choir (meets on Sunday) and that's all she does.
What about your kids if you have them? If you have your child scheduled in a lot of things aren't you worried that they will burn out? I've recently read stories that a lot of kids that are overscheduled are getting depressed and I can see why.
Planning, organization, schedules, determination, and
making others be responsible for themselves and respectful of your time, effort, energy.
Taught the boys to do laundry, cook, do housework.
Taught family/friends to respect work/study schedules.
I don't feel the obligation to answer to anyone else anymore.
Don't forget the Sun-Thur/Tues-Sat only schedules as well! sm
I wrote a post about this a while back and was surprised by the reaction I received.
Every decent company seems to have gotten into a new trend of giving MTs two options only, give up every Saturday for the rest of your life or every Sunday, period. All I heard was "well this is 24/7 business." Well so is law enforcement, nursing, and even being a clerk at the nearest 7/11. I don't know any cops, nurses, or clerks that have such limited options that require never having a weekend off again...ever! Even doctors get an occasional weekend off! I refuse, but that's just me. :)
I'm talking about MT school, not K-12, which is where I learned most of what you are talking abou
My clients DO NOT LIKE IT when I correct their wrong crap - did you actually read what I said?
I'm not talking about ignorant as in grammar or spelling. I'm talking about sm
ignorant in general.
Doesn't it give you the option of printing all the forms and schedules?
x
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.
How do you MQ employees manage
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.
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.
|
