DICT8 Plus (new November 2022)

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Hi, Here we go again, anyone else set up a new thread yet? Hope to find everyone 🙂

@EmilyJ23 I don't think you can delete them 🙂. Hope you get a good response, although work with Dict8 isn't very abundant at the moment, and hasn't been for a good few months. I think you will see if you read back the comments on this thread that Dict8 do not pay very well at all sadly.

I haven't had great day today on Dict8 but I didn't start work until the afternoon. I'll check in tomorrow to see what is available ... other than that I am losing a couple of days this week to do some Christmas shopping and looking after my grand-daughter on Friday - c'est la vie

I had a good day on Dict8 today but this is the first consistent checking I’ve done in a while

So after applying for dict8 and TPro yesterday - ideally wanted tpro after reading your experiences on here, they are not hiring at the moment 😢. Dict8 said they need a reference letter. just trying to work out if it will be worth my while getting in touch with someone for a letter as reading on here it doesn’t seem to be a great company and difficult dictation, if any?

@EmilyJ23 - it depends on your situation and specialties. If you need to earn some money, sometimes any is better than none at all, and some specialties have better dictators than others. The hospital contracts with DICT8 change, and also the junior doctors rotate so there may be rotten dictators now but in six months or so they move on. You can always give it a go, you might be lucky and it turns out okay for you.

what attracts me to dict8 is that you don’t have to let them know hours you can work in advance. You can just decide to log on and how much you do. Due to I’ll health I am unable to commit to anything x

@EmilyJ23 : I can't see you have anything to lose by getting a reference letter and take Dict8 onboard. I have good days and bad days. Some days I can't do any work due to disability issues and family commitments. Some money is better than No money especially now.

Tried to get a reference from my manager, who says as I’m on a career break(I’m not travelling the world or living my best life or anything, my sick leave had finished and I had no other option to go a career break) I’m not allowed to do any other work! I’m tempted to just leave my job completely and sign up to online typing.

@EmilyJ23 i didnt get a reference from y direct boss i got a reference from the Specialist i was working for and my direct boss didnt know anything about it until after i started doing some typing and had spoke about it. I dont know if that is an option for you for a refernce.

@EmilyJ23 - I got a reference from one of my consultants. When I worked in the hospital a couple of other ladies also worked for DICT8 as a side line. I started working for them for a couple of months in the evenings to see if I liked it etc. My manager knew nothing about it, as far as I was concerned, it was nothing to do with her. Also, DICT8 want to know if you can type, know medical terminology and so on - a doctor knows that aspect of your work better than a line manager.

@EmilyJ23 If a lawyer had a look at that policy they could argue it no problem. It says if you take a close look as long as its not your main reason for a career break then technically you should be able to. I took career break to go study radiography. I work part-time with Dict8. I don't think they have a leg to stand on the way it's written up.

@EmilyJ23 I would look into that. As you are not being paid by the NHS while on a career break I don't think they have the right to stop you doing any other paid work, especially self-employed at home. I once took a career break but I was already registered with DICT8 beforehand. Many transcribers also work for DICT8 whilst still employed by and working in the NHS, so this doesn't make sense.

That's the thing with DICT8, you can do it alongside another job that has fixed hours, so it therefore doesn't interfere with your usual job as it can be dropped any time to give your usual job priority, I would argue this point too.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I didn’t think it was right either so I’m going to speak to my union tomorrow. I just wanted to try online typing to see what I thought of it, worth my while and if it was for me before my career break is up so it would give me a better idea if I should return to work (don’t think my health will allow me tbh) or if I wuld be able to do online typing only

times like this makes you think how badly you are treated in work and all the policies and procedures you have to go through. Think I wuld be happier at home anyway! Less stress x

The past week or so I have found that it has picked up and there has been quite a few dictations, although nowhere near what it used to be when I first started 5 months or so ago. However, today there is barely anything coming through - no rhyme or reason for it.

@YellowBellyLola I have looked on half a dozen times throughout today, each time not a single task showing - certainly cannot rely on any work with them these days which is a shame as I used to love working for Dict8

What I don't understand is why Dict8 are still advertising for transcribers. They've been on Indeed all this week and one of the specialities they're asking for is one I do and there's very little of it. It just doesn't make sense. All the hassle for people registering with them, getting references etc and then there's no work to be had, it really is bizarre🙁

@Lovemydaxie I have noticed that too - it absolutely does not make sense, it's like a promise of work that does not exist. I also find it very strange that we are not getting an update as it seems to be the only company with a lack of work?

@Chrissols it's just so odd. As you say no updates for months. I remember the days when we used to get a regular newsletter, think it was monthly. They just don't seem bothered about their loyal transcribers any more. Such a shame because I find it a useful extra income when I have a good month and would be so sad if it folded.

Hello. Sorry I've been quiet of late. I had a very sad and traumatic bereavement recently. Dipping my toe back in this week.

Does anyone have an email for Tpro please. I'm sure I had one but I can't find it much like my marbles of late

@deflatedbirthday sorry you have had such a tough time recently. Somebody recently posted that they contacted Tpro and was told they are not taking any new people on at the moment. Otherwise it is easy to contact them via their website, they do not have an email contact as such.

Thanks @Gally123. It's been a very testing time involving police coroner and inquest. It's actually been a slight relief to get some typing done. A little normality.

Ah thanks!!

so BT workers who earn £50,000(!) or less are getting a wage rise of £1,500. What are we getting?

@Gally123 Sweet... Sure lecturers or teachers were on strike because they were only getting 7% or they were wanting 7% or something. Ha! Try it from this end.