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Those situations different than STAYING in bad

Posted By: situation. SM on 2008-03-07
In Reply to: Believing that a victim is at fault in anything... - mt

Robbery or scamming are an in and out situation that you have little control over.  Staying in a bad job is usually a long term situation that you CAN control.  It is hard to change jobs.  However, the longer you put off starting the process, the longer you are allowing yourself to stay in a bad situation. It is sad to think you would give someone else such control over your life that you let yourself be abused. And the only one that can change something like that is YOU.  The buck stops with you when it comes to who has control of your life.  


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    sometimes these situations
    can be a blessing, by causing us to realize we can't do it on our own, that we NEED God...and again we learn to TRUST and depend upon Him.
    Sometimes there are situations where
    "forgive and forget" don't work. Leaves it up to all parties involved to work with the best solution. Gifter may have solid, personal reasons for having issues. I can relate. You have to respect that.
    I also have been in these situations before sm
    I have been working at home now for 17 years. My kids are 18 and 16 now, the 18 year old in college; however, while growing up both were athletes and in every sport year around. I have seen other kids who never had a parent at their games or special occasions. My kids always appreciated the fact that I was there, never missed a game or event, and always home when they got home from school. That in itself is reward enough.

    It brought about a sense of love and security, at least for my two kids, while growing up and knowing Mom is always there. They could call me at lunch or after school before practice if they needed something, etc.

    It grounded them and brought stability into their lives and they excel academically.

    All-in-all, I would never trade this profession for anything else. It has paid off big time for me.

    Now, I just have to wait about 10 years or so for grand kids and the cycle will start all over again!

    Isnt' this one of the main reasons, we who have children, work at home?!!!

    There have been similar situations posted before.
    I'd be looking for another job and if they owe you any money I'd start trying to get it.  Send a certified letter, contact labor department, etc.  
    In true IC situations, the company CANNOT set your hours...
    However, your contract can stipulate that you do a certain amount of work within a certain timeframe.  They also can ASK you for a general idea of when you will be working, but they cannot make you/tell you that you have to be working certain hours.  If they tell you when you have to work, you are not longer an INDEPENDENT contractor - "independent" being the keyword here.  If they set the hours, you are an employee. 
    You seem like a person who can look ahead and do analysis of situations...

    you definitely should take the at home job. You will make significantly more money as long as you actually are on the keyboard. I think it's a surprise sometime as to how much time is actually spent transcribing and how much is wandering around. If you time yourself at home, just to take the laundry out of the dryer can add up to 10 minutes in no time. So take that into consideration. You won't get paid for 8 hours - you'll only be paid when your fingers are actually making contact with the keyboard.  Check your line production at work if you can to get an idea of how many lines you are actually cranking out in a day.


    Now, that being said, you need to take a good long look at what is coming down the pike for MT. In all reality, MT is not going to last until you retire. Don't forget, what is left of MT is going to have to be either a) spread around amongst all of us or b) competed for by all of us. When there are more MT's than MT jobs, you can bet pay and working conditions is going to go down. So right now, while you have a job, you need to be thinking and planning where you are going to be when you lose your MT job and can't find another - or at least another that pays decent...Ask yourself, what would I do if next year I lose my job? and start exploring options that way. Me - I'm enrolled full time in nursing school for a BSN. I wasn't sure I could go back to school at 46, but I am and doing it quite successfully, no less. I still have at least 15 more years to work before retirement...so just plan ahead...


    Did you ever notice how many real life situations (sm)

    there are where you can say it reminds you of a Seinfeld episode?!  I still watch reruns - never get sick of it.


    Not all 8 cents a line situations are created equal sm
    I am coming off a job using Extext and going into one using ChartNet. I have used Smart Type for over a decade and for Chartnet I have to go to Instant Text. I am able to do over 200 lines an hour after about a week at the new job. I will get to 300 again in a month or so. I say again because I have not done that much in a long time.

    Extext...I loved it when I first used it, but after 18 months I can't get above 170 lph and that is with echoes and normals with lots of free lines, and that includes dozens of normals and report shells I have made myself. It won't get better and that is poor pay at the 8.5 cpl base rate, but then again I always have bonuses of a couple of kinds and shift differentials...but I can't do better than 1200 lines a day with any consistency, not in 8 hours a day.

    I work a job in MedRite. Like Extext, it is a Word client and rather similar. Top rate for MedRite is close to 300 lines an hour on a horrid account with 80% PLUS ESLs. It is just a faster platform.

    Enter ChartNet...never used it. Had to switch to Instant Text...never used it. I have been working about 5 days on it and I can do 200 lph and only one doctor so far who throws me for a loop when I can't do that. She is not an ESL, but a slurring motor mouth who skips around and forgets what she is doing on the phone in the first place.

    The Extext work has been 90% OP notes, my specialty. The others are all the basic 4, and I have to say that I went from clinic for many years to OP notes, skipping the rest in between. I have very little experience in DS, CN and H&P notes, VERY little time with those. I'd be faster with them if I had done more of them before.

    Part of speed is the expander, part is the platform and part is you. It doesn't matter how great you are as a typist and how perfect your expander, if the platform isn't very good you can't make money at any line rate. If the platform is good, but you are not Expander savvy, you won't you make it either. You can, however, be like me and a poor typist with a great expander and a decent platform...and STILL make money. LOL

    In MY experience, the largest problem with making more money is the expander GLOSSARY, not which program you choose. I have heard some of the craziest stories about how to use an expander while on this board...ridiculous, wonky, time wasting, counter intuitive toro pu pu!!!! If you are struggling with an expander FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME. I am happy to spend my time helping anyone who will genuinely give my methods a shot.
    Life's full of situations where you're backed into a corner
    a winner thinks outside the box and takes a chance rather than be ASSURED of a life-time of misery.

    You're the type of people who live in the same town their whole life even when there are no jobs and complain that they're unemployed.

    Complacency will get you nowhere, neither will whining about having no money when there are other options but you refuse to look into them.

    Your employer may be partially responsible for the trouble in your life right now but the only person keeping you in this mess is you.
    Interesting! Fiber is used in constipation and diarrhea situations, which I always thought was
    :+
    Wow. After reading all of these sad situations and posts I actually feel pretty blessed. I did sm
    Have my car repoed about 8 years ago and it was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I've since come out of a rut with me working and having a husband who works FT. We are blessed. We have definitely struggled with our bank acct. being overdrawn to the tune of 700.00 before, but we luckily came out of that and it only happened once. To everyone who is in a dire situation, may you find grace and peace in God. Believe in miracles. Don't give up. Good luck to you and I mean that in all sincerity.
    Situations change. We are all in this for the money. Loyalty is great but appreciation (monetarily
    And be honest. This is a financial issue and a matter of there is only so much time in one day. They may be shook up for a bit but in the end, they will remember you for the work you produced and your day to day performance and personal character traits. Give them plenty of time to find someone new if you are very fond of them and, in this case, you could offer to train the new person.
    Proof positive that an hourly rate would eliminate those types of situations.

    Not me. I'm staying. NM
    ..
    Staying with IC definitely. Thanks.
    I make 700.00 a week 4 days a week at my IC job. I turned the job down. Thanks again.
    STAYING AWAY FROM TRANS.
    A. I strongly discouraged anyone I meet who has signed up for any kind of program at the community colleges or elsewhere who wants to learn transcription. It's really distressing to see people pay their hard earned money for training in a field that is virtually in the toilet. I find myself making 1/2 of what I was making 10 years ago as an MT with no benefits and 50% more grief.
    In staying with this man for as long as you have,

    having his children, and allowing him to verbally and emotionally abuse those children, you're setting the example to your children that this is how a relationship works.  Now that your 16 y.o. daughter is reaching the age where she will begin dating, she has learned from home life that men call women names and expect women to clean up after them.  She's going to wind up in some lousy dysfunctional relationships herself.  Where is her bioDad?  I'll bet he wouldn't be happy to hear from her how stepfather dearest treats her.  Is he a positive role model in her life?  Probably not, or he wouldn't be your ex.  Teach her to have respect for herself and never tolerate mistreatment.


    Anyway, off the soapbox now.  You go, go quickly, and never look back.  Get out of there! 


    I am staying at the Stratosphere
    for the first time in May.  We had booked the Stardust, but its being torn down to build a new hotel :(  Stardust was our favorite.  I have also stayed at Fitzgerald's downtown a couple years ago and it was really reasonable and nice, no complaints, but it is downtown.         
    Staying in MT for the "perks" - sm

    Is not a good enough reason to do this job.  period, end of story.


    The money is out there, but you have to look for it and you really have to want it.  You are looking for "everything" and you cannot have it - it's just not possible or reasonable.  You have to like the job to make it worth your while or to push yourself to achieve what you are looking for.  Chances are, you are probably make good money doing editing at 5cpl, but its your lack of desire that takes you so long to get the job done thus driving down your hourly wage.  You're in love with  staying home and getting a paycheck and not the job.


    If you do not like your job, your performance is going to suffer no matter what field you are in and when your performance suffers, so does your wage especially in a production based job like this. 


    staying away from message boards
    Two years into MT I found message boards.  I had some small complaints about my job and was kind of in a love/hate stage of my relationship with MT.  Reading the boards with people complaining so much really put me more in that frame of mind to the point where I started hating my company and hating transcription in general.  When I left the job I had at the time and started a new one I vowed no more message boards because I felt they had poisoned my attitude, which was easily influenced at that time.  I stayed completely off message boards for the next five years and now am back (obviously), but that gave me enough time to get more established with my company and actually know and like my career enough that reading a lot of MT complaints doesn't bother me now.
    It'll flame. I'm staying out of it.

    staying home w/teenagers
    Can not agree with you more.  Where my preteen & teen hated that I was at home all the time, their friends loved it...duh, guess which mom was there to haul them around before they got their drivers lisc.  Still think they should be 30 before they can drive
    Just ignore this poster! Obviously staying on
    subject and reading comprehension must not be a strong point in their skills list! Of course we all care more about children. This poster just doesn't know how to stay on topic and obviously wants a fight.
    what are your ideas on staying focused??
    When I am on my game I can do 250 to 300 lines per hour, but then after a couple of hours I start dropping to less than 150 lines per hour.  How do you stay focused?  I have tried working different shifts, split shifts, etc., but I just do not seem to be able to stay focused.  I have no small children at home, so that is not a problem.  I am in my own office space, but I just seem to start drifting after about an hour and then that is it.  Any suggestions?  Thanks. 
    Help staying awake and productive
    I have real problems staying awake, focused and productive.  I am alone all day, I think I get enough sleep, and I keep the TV on in the other room for another voice, but I get bored and can't keep my concentration and then I start web surfing and my productivity goes in the hopper.  Any suggestions on staying awake and focused?
    If the meeting consists of her staying

    and listening to dictation, yes, it should be paid and she as an IC should set the amount she should be paid.


    I pick-up and deliver, and that's in my line charge.  I also do that at my convenience, not theirs.  A real office is fine with that and understands the meaning of IC.  Lisa is a vendor like any other contractor.


    If I had to sit and listen and sort patient lists, etc. and spend more than 5-10 minutes tops at an office, then I would charge for that time spent at that office sorting through their mess.


    Let's face it.  The office is a mess and Lisa is their scape goat.  Since now they know she's bending over backwards, they will take advantage. 


    Again, Lisa should not spend her time sorting out their mess.  Furthermore, if they can't figure out what to give her and "don't have time", then Lisa's response should be that she doesn't have the time either unless she charges them for that time. 


    It just sounds like a real mess of a deal.  I can't wait to hear if they actually pay her at all! 


    Okay, I'll shut up now!  Just the fact that she's posting again is hysterical.  I guess I'll keep my mouth shut after saying from the last thread regarding this "I told ya'' so." 


    You all thought "oh just this one time."  Why do you think the other girl quit?  Hello?  Can you say doormat?


    Staying at home with the kids, yeh, right
    Your message just said it all. That is why the field is looked down on so much now. Staying at home and go broke, no one really cares anymore. I had heard it all now. You get asked reasonable questions and you say in a little wifey-mamma talk, "can't we all just stay at home with Junior." I guess it will be important when the employer starts charging you just to work, will it still be that important. Get real.
    does anyone have a problem staying awake while typing?
    even when I dont feel tired, I sit down to type and my eyes start dropping.  HELP. SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
    Reasons for staying, not as simple as just quitting!
    Well, for me, I stay because of reasons already mentioned on this board - fear of unknown, dread of getting stuck with an even worse company (it could happen), but also very realistic reasons - my research into other MTSOs, taking tests, and gathering info has yielded no good news - I would be taking at minimum a 2 cents/line pay cut from my current pay at MQ but yet if I stay with MQ, my pay is likely to go down anyway (yet some part of me keeps hoping, probably naively, that I will not experience this). Not a single company I contacted would offer me my current pay or even talk about that I could hope to reach it at some point in the future. So, you tell me, with my 20 years of experience, does anyone really think it's that easy to just go to another company and purposefully take a pay cut - yet knowing the one you have been with for 8 yrs is likely gonna give you one anyway - can you see the dilemma of trying to figure it out???? Add in that I know of MTs who got fed up with MQ long ago, moved on to other large MT services, "better" ones, only to have it bought out by MQ!!

    Have you read these boards and found any company that sounds ideal, one that would make you feel secure enough to know it will be better, one that you would jump ship for? At another time, this may have been possible, but our industry is changing and fast, and pay across the board is going down. A friend of mine keeps saying "the writing is on the wall."

    So, for those of you question why we stay - first, be glad you are okay with your job, with MQ or not - and also remember for most of us, life isn't black or white. It just ain't that simple! I.e, Job/Company Sucks does not always equal Quit and Find A Better Job! If you are tired of hearing the complaints and frustration and your experience with MQ is just great, count your blessings. Remember, there are lots of other postings on this board to read unrelated to MQ complaints, so why waste your time telling those of us who are trying to figure out what to do that we should hurry up and do it. If we sound like broken records while we commiserate, are validated by one another, and are all trying to figure it out, well, geez, quit listening to the record. I'm sure it gets old for you all if your MQ experience is a good one.

    Sorry for the rambling thoughts, but thanks for listening.
    Atlanta sure enough is. Folks need places to go. A lot are staying
    x
    How? I've done pretty well staying out of debt, but
    I'd like to get some money set aside for retirement and pay off my home. Any advice you can give?
    Why does not driving equate to staying home? (nm)

    Staying on board a sinking ship
    I worked at a different company in an unrelated field where all the employees were required (not requested) to take a 15% pay cut and receive stock options in return.  I left.  Others chose to stay with the company and told me I was crazy to leave; I would "never" earn as much money elsewhere.  I thought they were crazy to stay and said so.  The older employees said they had to stay or lose their pension.  Well, the company went under anyway, the stock was (of course) worthless, and the pension fund had long since been looted by the major shareholders.  Staying on board a sinking ship of a job may be more comfortable but not in your overall best economic interests.
    Staying on board a sinking ship..maybe
    I forgot to add that if you are making top pay at that company and the 1 cent per line pay cut is still better than you would earn elsewhere, it may well be in your best interests to stay on board that ship patching and bailing (grin) but still being mindful that the ship may go under suddenly.
    Staying Focused -Energy Drinks
    I am having a huge problem.  I cannot seem to find the energy to work all day.  This sounds so bad because I sit all day!  Seriously though, it feels like I get so bored sitting here at the computer.  When I drink some of a Nos energy drink, however, work is so fun, I have tons of energy, and I make a lot of money sitting here.  I love this work, but what's the deal?  I don't even like consuming caffeine.  I got an energy drink the other night to stay up all night and finish some STATs, and now I feel like I can't work without it.  It was hard to focus even before I started the caffeine.  What is going on here?    Why can't I just get my work done like a normal person?
    I am glad you cleared up the reason for staying in bed
    I was thinking gosh she sure is lazy but then you said RA. I got out of bed this morning so stiff and took 1/2 of a pain pill just so I could start to function and not feel so bad. I am bothered with fibromyalgia but once I get up and get started I don't think I could start to type any other way than what I have done for years.
    I see posting all the time about transcription, why are you staying, really?

    First of all let me tell you about myself. I am way past the time when I have to "make" a living, do not have children to raise, can work if I want and not if I want, have just reached that point of not having to put up with much of anything anymore. My question is to you- yes you- the one who is posting here complaining and complaining about how this work has gone downhill and it has. If you are younger and really need the money and need to work and make a decent salary, why are you hanging on to something that does not look like it will change? I see the letters supposedly being written to the president, 60 minutes and the like. What do you think that will do, if anything? I am really surprised that the trend in this job is sinking even further in the money department, no raises ever and if you want more money, then work long, long hours and 7 days a week. Instead of fussing and being irritated about the lack of work, the lack of money, etc., why in the world do you not try to find another "real" profession before you get to an age to where you would really be stuck, that is not ever being able to pull out from this hole ever. I could not raise a family on what I make now but that is the difference in me and most I read on here. Ladies (with an occasional gent thrown in here or there) what are you thinking about? Why not make a change while you are young and can? There are loads of jobs for the medical field, if this is what interests you. Staying at home with the kids was perhaps ok at 1 time but not anymore. Why not get out while the getting is good and you still have a chance to really enjoy your job while at the same time being able to survive? Think about it.


     


     


    I see posting all the time about transcription, why are you staying, really?

    First of all let me tell you about myself. I am way past the time when I have to "make" a living, do not have children to raise, can work if I want and not if I want, have just reached that point of not having to put up with much of anything anymore. My question is to you- yes you- the one who is posting here complaining and complaining about how this work has gone downhill and it has. If you are younger and really need the money and need to work and make a decent salary, why are you hanging on to something that does not look like it will change? I see the letters supposedly being written to the president, 60 minutes and the like. What do you think that will do, if anything? I am really surprised that the trend in this job is sinking even further in the money department, no raises ever and if you want more money, then work long, long hours and 7 days a week. Instead of fussing and being irritated about the lack of work, the lack of money, etc., why in the world do you not try to find another "real" profession before you get to an age to where you would really be stuck, that is not ever being able to pull out from this hole ever. I could not raise a family on what I make now but that is the difference in me and most I read on here. Ladies (with an occasional gent thrown in here or there) what are you thinking about? Why not make a change while you are young and can? There are loads of jobs for the medical field, if this is what interests you. Staying at home with the kids was perhaps ok at 1 time but not anymore. Why not get out while the getting is good and you still have a chance to really enjoy your job while at the same time being able to survive? Think about it.


     


     


    Virginia is taking 4000--- some are staying at the Mariot
    Nice digs. They are also putting them in camps by the lake.

    I know it is nice, but think of what it is like to not have a home.

    I would not want to be like this, but it could happen to any of us.
    Having trouble staying on task to produce lines?
    I do.  I was beginning to think I'd developed adult ADD, but I think I found the cure.  It's a free download called Home Typist 4.01.  This program is a small utility application which makes each keystroke sound like the strike of a typewriter key.  I cannot believe how much this has helped my line count.  There was something about the typewriter sound that just drove all distractions from my mind.  My fingers were flying, and believe me, they haven't flown for years!  This was my first full day with the program.  I had my usual mix of good and bad with one really long, horrible resident who had no clue what he wanted to say (it took me an hour and a half to get through his dictation), and I still increased my count today by a little over 300 lines!  I kid you not.  Windows XP is not listed as a system it can be used on, but I assure you, it works quite well with XP. 

    Mine got worse after staying home and working...
    I think having to get up and leave the house and face people daily actually helped me. It wasn't until I started staying home that my anxiety got worse and I went back to a psychiatrist and then got back on medication. I make a point to not get stuck in a rut and venture out very often. If it is severe though where someone could not work at all, then I think this would give them another opportunity to earn a living where they wouldn't have had one at all.
    I see lots of reason people are staying in the field,
    about the low wages. If everyone is so happy with the satisfaction MT gives, the flexibility, etc., are these the same people complaining of low pay? It almost sounds like it's okay to make a lousy wage in exchange for what it gives. I still don't think Pattie's question has been addressed: Why complain?
    if people are anything like our higher education with a degree person, i'm staying in.
    really and truly, i have a very intelligent and supportive network of friends and family and i am not a recluse. i just don't mingle well with people who don't think before they talk as in the higher education chick. that's downright scary when you think about it.
    I'm having a hart time lately staying motivated and getting a good count,
    x
    Oh one more thing..if your traveling and staying at hotels, plan ahead. I learned the hard way.

    A hotel that states they have "internet access" does not necessarily have it in your room. A lot of them have what they call a "business" center where they have like a community computer to share with other guests or to have access on your laptop you need to sit in that room. I dont know about you but I dont feel like dragging out all of my equipment and sitting in a lobby somewhere to work. Double check that they have internet access available in your room.. and be forewarned that most chart for wireless internet access like maybe $10-12 for a 24-hour period. We just got back from Vegas, and to me, it was worth that fee for a whole 24 hours. I got the most work I could out of it.


    I love it too - love doing my nails 5 hours a day and staying awake

    Love NOT getting paid while sitting doing my nails too.  It's a real turn on.


    I tell all my friends to try it -- sit in front of your computer while you have no money to pay your rent and instead do your nails, you get a real buzz down in the pit of your stomach.