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Update - took on new account
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| Donna in Texas 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| Hello, its me (again). Last time I posted about this, it turned out to be a
controversy. Don't know if you remember or not, but I got an account in
addition to my full time job at the hospital. $30 a tape. Well, after a
month, I have figured I'm only making about $7/hr. That's less than half of
what I make at my full time job. I am going to ask for a raise. I took the
job with the agreement that we could negotiate the rate later if need be.
Well, it's not worth it to me to do it for $7/hr. My question, should I ask
for an equivalent of what I am making at my full-time job (which includes
very challenging and difficult dictation), or a little less, say $40 per
tape (which would be $10/hr, about $4 less than I make). He's a real easy
dictator, but this is a side job...
I'll probably get flamed for this deluxe, but if there are any kind souls
out there with advice, would appreciate.
Thanks..
Donna in Texas.
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| Mariette 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 07:05:04 GMT, "Donna in Texas"
<miladybug1@yahoo.com.com> wrote:
>Hello, its me (again). Last time I posted about this, it turned out to be a
>controversy. Don't know if you remember or not, but I got an account in
>addition to my full time job at the hospital. $30 a tape. Well, after a
>month, I have figured I'm only making about $7/hr. That's less than half of
>what I make at my full time job. I am going to ask for a raise. I took the
>job with the agreement that we could negotiate the rate later if need be.
>Well, it's not worth it to me to do it for $7/hr. My question, should I ask
>for an equivalent of what I am making at my full-time job (which includes
>very challenging and difficult dictation), or a little less, say $40 per
>tape (which would be $10/hr, about $4 less than I make). He's a real easy
>dictator, but this is a side job...
>
>I'll probably get flamed for this deluxe, but if there are any kind souls
>out there with advice, would appreciate.
>
>Thanks..
>
>Donna in Texas.
How funny, I was just thinking about you and wondered what happened
with that. I remember all the widely varying estimates you got here
of what you might make per hour too, if at an average 1:3 or 1:4 ratio
or other, but it seemed that you figured you would make out quite a
bit better than that because of how fast you could do him before, at
about 1:2. What do you think happened to your production rate with
him? Is he recording at the wrong speed or something? What other
factor/s could account for such a big difference from your original
estimate?
Anyway, I would think you would want to ask for enough of an increase
to not only make what you're being paid at your full-time job, but
also enough extra to compensate for your pick-up and delivery too?
Expecting to make at least $14/hr at even just "a side job" isn't at
all unreasonable, IMO. I can't imagine doing something like that for
any less, myself (I recently quoted $15/hr for a non-MT side job of
transcription to someone, but even then I was giving them a big break
because of them being friends of the family and all).
--
Mariette
--
(wabewawa61-at-earthlink-dot-net)
| |
| 14tonks 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| Good luck renegotiating. I got the impression the guy was well aware that he
was offering you peanuts for the work. Whether he's going to be willing to
raise that to what he really should be paying you is another question.
However, it sounds like you are still perfectly happy to take less
compensation than someone would need if they were a real IC who actually had
to make a living from their IC work, so maybe you can get him to give you
something you will be happy with, even though a true IC wouldn't consider
it.
If that sounds like a blast, it's probably because it's too early for my
coffee to have percolated yet, and those of us who do have to make a living
from our MT work just get really tired of being asked to match the rates of
people working for "pin money" on the side. If you are a real IC, you need
to make at least a third more than someone makes at a full time job with
benefits, because you have to provide your own benefits. Then you need to
make a little more than that, because you have to pay your own overhead. But
the docs are good at finding someone who figures any money she can earn at
home is some money, and that hubby has her on his benefit plan, and his
salary pays the mortgage, so she will be happy to work for just a tad over
minimum wage per hour, or even less. ARRRGGGHHH!
Of course, sometimes those docs end up calling a real IC back, because the
pin-money person doesn't want the work to interfere with holidays, weekends,
school events, the family vacation, etc., etc., and they get tired of having
their work delayed all the time. Even if you aren't in that category,
remember that if you are thinking of ever leaving that hospital job for IC,
what you are charging this guy is going to be well known among his
colleagues, and you will have a darn hard time ever getting more from any of
them in the future.
--
Sheila
To reply to me, add the prefix real. to my address.
"Donna in Texas" <miladybug1@yahoo.com.com> wrote in message
news:KAJfd.6005$186.4676@fe1.texas.rr.com...
> Mariette, thanks for replying. Well, I don't know why, but this doctor's
> dictation through my full-time job (at the hospital) is somewhat
different.
> In his private practice, the H&Ps seem to go on forever. It's not usual
for
> his H&P's or consults at the hospital to be 20 to 30 minutes long, but
they
> aren't that difficult and I can to them in under and hour. It took me 2
> hours to do one H&P through his private practice tonight (and I speeded
up
> the voice), and then I did two progress notes and there is still one left
> and that is just one side of the tape. Doesn't seem worth it to me at
this
> point. He's NOT a bad dictator, easily understandable, so that's not the
> problem. I dunno......
>
> Donna in Texas
>
> "Mariette" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:lknun09eie68640gfsu0ke9dctcuhd0dac@4ax.com...
> be a
in[vbcol=seagreen]
a[vbcol=seagreen]
half[vbcol=seagreen]
> of
took[vbcol=seagreen]
> the
be.[vbcol=seagreen]
I[vbcol=seagreen]
> ask
includes[vbcol=seagreen]
per[vbcol=seagreen]
> easy
souls[vbcol=seagreen]
>
>
| |
| 14tonks 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| "Liz" <lizhug1@mycomcast.net> wrote in message
news:Q5udnT0-NuWtDuLcRVn-qQ@comcast.com...
> I agree, $7 per hour just isn't worth the
> aggravation....personally I wouldn't do anything for under $20 per hour.
> And furthermore, I agree with what Sheila wrote...charging less than the
> going rate is stabbing your fellow MTs in the back as you're forcing them
to
> have to lower their own rates to your standard in order to keep their
> accounts.
Right--$20 per hour as an IC comes out to less than $14 per hour as a
salaried employee, and even a salary of $14 an hour isn't really all that
great a pay rate for what an MT has to know and do. But as long as there are
people out there who will sign contracts to do MT for what they could get
flipping burgers, that is never going to change.
--
Sheila
To reply to me, add the prefix real. to my address.
| |
| djgordon 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| If it was left open to negotiation, go for it. I always say the worst anyone
can say is no.
Dani
"Donna in Texas" <miladybug1@yahoo.com.com> wrote in message
news:AMHfd.2470$EI6.2255@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> Hello, its me (again). Last time I posted about this, it turned out to be
a
> controversy. Don't know if you remember or not, but I got an account in
> addition to my full time job at the hospital. $30 a tape. Well, after a
> month, I have figured I'm only making about $7/hr. That's less than half
of
> what I make at my full time job. I am going to ask for a raise. I took
the
> job with the agreement that we could negotiate the rate later if need be.
> Well, it's not worth it to me to do it for $7/hr. My question, should I
ask
> for an equivalent of what I am making at my full-time job (which includes
> very challenging and difficult dictation), or a little less, say $40 per
> tape (which would be $10/hr, about $4 less than I make). He's a real easy
> dictator, but this is a side job...
>
> I'll probably get flamed for this deluxe, but if there are any kind souls
> out there with advice, would appreciate.
>
> Thanks..
>
> Donna in Texas.
>
>
| |
| The Brown Family 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| Well depending on the speed of the tape (1.2 as opposed to 2.4) that would
be twice as much work.
In other words if you thought it was 30 minutes of dictation for $30, but
the speed is actually 1.2 it would be 60 minutes of dictation for $30.
Cheryl B.
(I think you should just charge per line)
"Donna in Texas" <miladybug1@yahoo.com.com> wrote in message
news:AMHfd.2470$EI6.2255@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> Hello, its me (again). Last time I posted about this, it turned out to be
a
> controversy. Don't know if you remember or not, but I got an account in
> addition to my full time job at the hospital. $30 a tape. Well, after a
> month, I have figured I'm only making about $7/hr. That's less than half
of
> what I make at my full time job. I am going to ask for a raise. I took
the
> job with the agreement that we could negotiate the rate later if need be.
> Well, it's not worth it to me to do it for $7/hr. My question, should I
ask
> for an equivalent of what I am making at my full-time job (which includes
> very challenging and difficult dictation), or a little less, say $40 per
> tape (which would be $10/hr, about $4 less than I make). He's a real easy
> dictator, but this is a side job...
>
> I'll probably get flamed for this deluxe, but if there are any kind souls
> out there with advice, would appreciate.
>
> Thanks..
>
> Donna in Texas.
>
>
| |
| Donna in Texas 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| Liz, what do you think a decent "per line" rate is? I have no clue. I have
7 years in-hospital experience, and 5 years psychiatric experience. I think
I'm worth more than 7 cents a line for sure.
"Liz" <lizhug1@mycomcast.net> wrote in message
news:Q5udnT0-NuWtDuLcRVn-qQ@comcast.com...
> Donna, why not just tell this doc that you're not making enough per hour
on
> that per tape basis and if he wants you to continue then you'll be
charging
> him by the line from now on. That way you should be able to consistently
> earn approximately the same amount per hour, no matter how much he
squeezes
> onto a tape. I suspect that the reason you're not earning as much as you
> had thought is that he's dictating at a much faster WPM rate in order to
get
> more for his money. I agree, $7 per hour just isn't worth the
> aggravation....personally I wouldn't do anything for under $20 per hour.
> And furthermore, I agree with what Sheila wrote...charging less than the
> going rate is stabbing your fellow MTs in the back as you're forcing them
to
> have to lower their own rates to your standard in order to keep their
> accounts.
>
> Liz
>
> Donna in Texas" <miladybug1@yahoo.com.com> wrote in message
> news:AMHfd.2470$EI6.2255@fe2.texas.rr.com...
be[vbcol=seagreen]
> a
a[vbcol=seagreen]
half[vbcol=seagreen]
> of
> the
be.[vbcol=seagreen]
> ask
includes[vbcol=seagreen]
easy[vbcol=seagreen]
souls[vbcol=seagreen]
>
>
| |
| Donna in Texas 2004-10-31, 4:08 am |
| Cheryl, yep, he is the one who told me "30 minutes on each side".... not
so...
Those who said colleagues would expect the same I agree with... and that's
not worth it. Right now, at the hospital I have very good benefits, which
keeps me staying. Told ya'll I have a lot to learn, but this just fell into
my lap one day and I jumped on it.
| |
|
| Donna, you should be able to figure out how much per line you've been making
on the current $30/tape charge by calling up a batch of finished dictations
and running your line count software on it (assuming you do have such
software). Once you know how many lines you typed for that $7 per hour,
then you should be able to set a line rate by tripling the number to bring
you to $21.00 per hour. I really can't tell you what is the best line rate
for you because I don't know how fast you transcribe, etc.
"Donna in Texas" <miladybug1@yahoo.com.com> wrote in message
news:uFQfd.6246$lM1.2032@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> Liz, what do you think a decent "per line" rate is? I have no clue. I
have
> 7 years in-hospital experience, and 5 years psychiatric experience. I
think
> I'm worth more than 7 cents a line for sure.
>
> "Liz" <lizhug1@mycomcast.net> wrote in message
> news:Q5udnT0-NuWtDuLcRVn-qQ@comcast.com...
> on
> charging
consistently[vbcol=seagreen]
> squeezes
you[vbcol=seagreen]
> get
them[vbcol=seagreen]
> to
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> be
in[vbcol=seagreen]
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> a
> half
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> be.
I[vbcol=seagreen]
> includes
per[vbcol=seagreen]
> easy
> souls
>
>
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