A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Anyone else have PTSD from MTSO abuse?


Posted: Mar 2, 2016

I have 30 years experience and am working an account specialty I have 18 years experience in.  I get responses from QA who correct documents that are were transcribed correctly and per specs, but they are just not per the personal preference of the QA person.  The platform has lots of bugs that we need to continually deal with and I've had legit errors in not remembering all the bug fixes, but overall do a good job.  I do a lot of work I am not paid for and they never show any appreciation for that - only put downs and blame for frequent dictator errors, giving the wrong name for a CC, misspelling a patient name, wrong DOB, requesting the wrong template, etc., etc.

I'm suspecting that over recent years, with so much criticism and nitpicks, it has slowed me down considerably. I rarely sail along, transcribing 80+ WPM, it's choppy, with pauses and  I'm constantly stopping on things that could be correct 2 different ways, dreading more criticism and feeling no matter how I do this, it will be wrong.  Having had PTSD for other reasons in the past, this feels like another PTSD that makes it difficult to sleep and in a state of fear that I will have to go through another horrible poverty period alone.  I've been through the loss of work, not being albe to afford groceries or pay utilities, my good credit being completely ruined and I never want to go through that again!  These managers threaten me with termination to the point that I don't know if I still have a job and am stressed out for days, only to find work still downloaded to me, so I guess I'm still employed.  I bend over backwards to please these people but nothing seems be good enough, and I do provide excellent transcription.  I feel that they are just using me, and possibly others, to unload their frustrations with whatever is happening in their lives.  They tell me to do something a certain way, and when I do, they say that is wrong.  I then I have to provide the emails proving I did it the way they requested, but never an apology.  Every work day I fear being terminated or thier finding more "errors" as they make up the rules as they go along. One day I was told to hold off on starting as they had to enter data on the work first.  From that point on, I have always emailed them to ask if I can start the work.  One manager told me I could, so I went to work and did all the transcription, to find another email from a different manager telling me they had not entered the necessary data before I started.  The next time I emailed both of them asking if I could start work and I got a nasty email from one manager stating "We went over this before, that you can't start work until I enter the data!.  Well, that's why I emailed her!  I'm so sorry for not being psychic!  They just create errors and drama.  I was being rudely treated for giving them the courtesy of checking before I started work. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I think there are many who have suffered the same criticism and emotions over recent years. I just wonder if you feel it rises to the level of PTSD, or is it just me being too sensitive?   Thanks for any comments. 

 

;

MT PTSD - SynMT

[ In Reply To ..]
One of my previous managers called it "battered MT syndrome", but I do believe that it exists and is a form of PTSD. When reading your posts, some thoughts came to mind:
1. Sounds like a hostile environment to me. Maybe this would be an argument for collecting unemployment after resigning, depending on the laws in your state.
2. PTSD is qualified as a disability, is it not? If so, there is social security disability to consider unless you are already collecting social security.
3. Life is too short to spend one extra minute in such a horrible situation.

I agree - R2

[ In Reply To ..]
I completely think this is true. I had a friend/co-worker who had a "breakdown" after being bullied by this company. She ended up quitting, and they denied her UEB, even though MM did not attend either conference calls, so be careful with that. I can't sleep at night, and can't eat, can't exercise, can't do much of anything, and all I do on my days off are ruminate about this place, "did I do that right? Did I do that wrong? Will she call me? How many snotty emails am I going to have when I log on? It is horrible to be like this, and I consider myself a strong person, but they have finally gotten to me, and I hate myself because of it. Good luck.

R2 and others - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
I truly think that all of you who have been treated abusively need to speak to an employment lawyer who specializes in plaintiff cases. Many of them will give a free initial consultation. Just Google "plaintiff employment lawyer." We are not living in the era of Charles Dickens and nobody should be treated like this. I know several Viet Nam vets who have PTSD and it ain't pretty. I encourage anyone who has been put through this to take some action. More and more MTs need to stand up for themselves. I know of more and more companies that are being sanctioned by the DOL for various situations. The more you stick together and advocate for yourselves, the better off you will be. Good luck!
Thanks to everyone - To R2 - Broken Spirit
[ In Reply To ..]
I really appreciate the replies. I'm not at all surprised that others have been through this or are currently going through it.

I think MTs would have a good chance of getting on disability for the PTSD caused by abuse in the workplace. Nick, thanks for your legal input.

R2, Please do not hate yourself! The MTSOs use the same tactics with their employees that are used in domestic violence situations: Isolation and destroying the woman's self confidence. We need to at least not let these people convince us that we are worthless! It's not you - it's them.

I have responded to these people with the unwillingness to do the free labor I used to do for them. When a fax number wasn't in the database for a cc, I searched until found one and updated their DB. No more freebies from me as I'm tired of this one-way street, all give and nothing in return. I'm sick of wasting my time on these unappreciative people.
Regarding the freebies - Nick
[ In Reply To ..]
That alone may get them cooked with the DOL. Nothing you do at work should be "free." I recall a case from some time ago in which there was an MTSO located on a large medical office building which was right next to a hospital. The MTSO did all of the transcription for the hospital and then one of the MTs had to walk over to the hospital, go up to the cardiology floor and hand deliver the EKG reports to the clerk. Were the MTs ever paid for that? No. One of them was married to a law student (no, not me) and she encouraged her colleagues to join her in a complaint to the DOL. Well, the DOL came through with a fat financial award for each MT who had been used as an unpaid deliveryperson, plus of which the MTSO got a big sanction. The point here is that the DOL DOES listen. I say, go for it!
Questions - Rusty
[ In Reply To ..]
If someone would file with the DOL, wouldn't companies like MM make their life a living hell? I know, that would be more grounds to file, but in the meantime I need a job/income. Is this a private issue between the DOL and the employee or would the company know who was filing? Thanks
Not Nick - But
[ In Reply To ..]
There was an MT, I think she called herself "Fedup" from Nuance and she said she filed a wage claim from CA for unpaid work, rest break pay and internet reimbursement, and got a settlement over 10,000 bucks, then later on was fired. What does that tell us? They bully and intimidate and scare us all into silence. Like somebody above said, they isolate you then break you down. What power do we have to affect any change? If we file a claim, then expect to get fired? How can you prove the two are connected?

PTSD - Chi-town Lady
[ In Reply To ..]
I had occasion to speak with an Obummer care representative a couple of weeks ago and he urged me to apply for disability. Said it sounded to him like I had all the signs and symptoms of PTSD. What have I got to lose by trying? I'm seriously considering it.

PTSD - magwheel4

[ In Reply To ..]
I just left a company after almost 15 years for exactly what you are describing. The constant yelling, screaming, cursing, changing how something should be done one day and then my doing it that way, and getting yelled at the next day (you must have misunderstood, but no I have the Email, well that is not what I meant), all sound so familiar. Did you get told your account would be taken away from the company and moved to India because of you, or the account would be lost completely because of you? I did. When you vomit, cry, lay awake night after night from stress, cannot eat, eat too much, or have no life because of a company, it is a caustic, hazardous work environment, and they should be accountable for their actions. I think the company I was with was trying to get me to quit so I could not get unemployment, but alas I have a meeting with the employment folks and hopeful of the outcome. I am too old to start looking for work again, live alone, and am the sole support of myself. I also help my elderly parents financially as I am able. I quit that horrible, horrible job recently, and for the first time in 15 years I am almost able to sleep through the night. Once the unemployment issue is resolved maybe I'll be able to breathe deeply, smile at life, and sleep all night. I cannot wait. Best wishes to you.

Magwheel4 - Rusty

[ In Reply To ..]
I am so sorry you have to go through that. No one should. Life is too darn short to be treated like that. I hope and pray you find peace, able to get benefits, and/or find something to tide you over. I too, hate where I work, get treated like crap, and put up with it, but there will come a day when I can't take it anymore or something better comes along, and then WHAM, they will hear all my frustration. I pray it is sooner than later. Good luck to you, and keep in touch to let us know how things are going. Prayers

PTSD - Magwheel4

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much for your kind words. I had a hearing by the unemployment people and my ex-boss was conferenced in. She lied about so many things. I was shocked. She came up with items I had never heard of before with this company, made it seem like I was not adjusting to the system (last QA review 0.002%) and told so many lies I cannot begin to list them. She indicated she knew my parents (never!) and I had taken off so much time to take care of them (no more than anyone else including herself). and she made herself sound like a saint for allowing me to attend my mother's open heart surgery. I am so very hurt, angry, defeated, and depressed by her actions. I gave almost 10 years to that company, sometimes working 60 or 70 hours a week just to make pages required. I am of course looking for jobs and have been for many years before this all happened. I hope and pray something comes alone soon. I am about to lose my house and car.
Mag - Rusty
[ In Reply To ..]
I am not surprised by the lying, just maybe the extent to which they will go to stop us from getting EUB, which we have paid into, but it horrible all the same. I am sorry you have to go through this. I too, am actively looking, and not finding a thing, thinking it is my age, even though no one will say that. I pray you find what you need, when you need, and if you are a believe in God, it will happen if you ask. Hugs,
PTSD - magwheel4
[ In Reply To ..]
Hi everyone. I had one denial of UE and then when I appealed I was denied again. The "boss" was such a liar, and even though I could provide Emails to all the issues addressed, financial records, and daily logs she was so convincing. I rebutted the "facts" as she gave them and was told it sounded like a personal issue. I am so disappointed in my State UE people that even though I provided proof for my appeal they still supported her lies. She actually said she had met my folks when I went for training in NY (sound familiar anyone?) in the office and gave my dad a baseball company hat. Never happened. She said I did not really accept the new system and was confused and asked too many questions (got 99.2% QA). Lied when she said she never cursed at me, threatened me, or that she "encouraged" me to come back to work early (3 weeks after I broke my shoulder and dislocated it) as she called me and indicated that work was backed up and I was sooo very needed (a lie, no work on the next day). I basically talked the doctor into releasing me early and lied about my pain and limited ROM because of that call. If you have issues record every conversation you have, do keep emails, and more detailed records than I did. It probably will not do any good in certain states when you file, but I am still so angry that printed records count for nothing with UE people, just acceptance of her lies and more lies, and "oh I did everything to try to help her." Excuse the length of this. Just got hired and starting new job first of June. Even at part-time position will make more money as is straight pay than with her in the last 2 years. Thanks to all for their good thoughts and warm wishes. I survived but at times did not think I would. I borrowed so much money to live on waiting for UE now I have that to pay back but am so much calmer than the 10 years I was with the MT company I quit from.

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