DICT8 Plus (new November 2022)

[Whitestar55]

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

I see the Christmas/comunciations dept is very effecient with the note book; maybe the finance dept can take a leaf out their books and send the blooming cheque out in time seeing the delivery post is a little iffy..... $@%#&

@Chrissols - I dont think they do bank workers anymore as the whole department got shut down and they started to use NHS professionls and I had to join them to do any temp work but that was before COVID. I might enquire just in case because I dont see any jobs advertised through NHS professionals anymore either. Il give it a go. Thank you for the tip. Il let you know how I get on. I can understand the Trusts doing that as it makes sense but Dict8 has shot themselves in the foot by sounds of it as its given the Trusts ideas now. Dict8 basically let us down during COVID offering their services free and that stopped us guys making any money now theyve bèen bitten by them as theyve used their idea and started offering it to home workers direct. I think its a good idea as theyl know the secretary and itl be cheaper for them than paying over the odds for an agency. I hope it carries on then itl stop agencies ripping off the poor transcriber that is actually doing all the hard work in the first instance. Thanks Chrissols 👍😊

I think the NHS has finally realised that the propaganda stating they can save a fortune by using an outsourcing company is a false economy and the service promised is not what is advertised, I mean just look at the letters they get back, full of 'notes' and queries, ridiculous layout, information missing (dates, names etc), it must take as long to edit and integrate as it would for the in house secretaries to type up themselves, which isn't, of course, the fault of the remote transcriber.

Good morning everyone. This job is definitely driving me potty. I decided to put a hot water bottle at my feet next to my foot peddle, as I can't afford to put the central heating on due to our low rate of pay, but I keep pressing the hot water bottle instead of the foot peddle!

@Frazzledbynature : I understand the waiting game re. Carer's Allowance - I never got it because of a certain 'Clause' My daughter's (she was 5 when he was diagnosed and 7 when he died) father got help with some gas/electric/clothing through MacMillan BUT it was a long time coming (just £250) he died 4 months L8R. I hope you hear something soon. It's an awful system. I had to leave DP at home whilst I worked full-time. It was a nightmare which I wish never to be repeated for anyone [mind you this was back in 2001- 2002 (so, 20 years ago now)] - hope thinks have improved somewhat.

@Lovemydaxie : I haven't sent the e-mail yet ... waiting for a calm moment in an otherwise hectic pre-xmas rush!!! Also, waiting for my cheque -- hopefully will be here by weekend.

@Whitestar55 That's so funny re. the hot water bottle LOL - 'Hot food pedal' 😎😂. I have an electric oiler heater under my desk and my feet (in socks) are tucked under it (cosy) - I turn the heater on every other hour - don't put central heating on (unless absolutely necessary) ... I only live in the 'office' and my 'bed' when necessary /././. it's bloody freezing today. PS I don't have a foot pedal. 😁😂😂😅

Actually I might invest in a hot water bottle - great idea - cheaper than using the oil heater I guess!! Thanks for the idea

I have an electric heater I use sometimes when typing as can claim it back off the tax. I did buy some thicker socks which helps but my hands get cold and I do not think I can type in fingerless gloves.

This weather reminds me when the hospital was having building work done and some of us secretaries were moved out into unheated portacabins. We would sit and work in our coats and woolly hats, but the powers that be maintained that the conditions did not go against health and safety regulations.

@Whitestar55 One of my daughters gave me a hot water bottle that you can wear. I've been using one for my back while I'm working but every time I moved it fell off the chair! This one's a hot water bottle body wrap cat. Just googled it and found it on Studio for £11.00 and various other sites at different prices. Now I can wear that for my back and have another one on my lap (which isn't very practical as that falls off)! I'm trying not to put the heating on for too long so my hot water bottles are my best friends at the moment! What a way to have to work.

Thanks, it's on week 7 now, heard not a thing, they did request further information just past week 2 and all I could provide them with were invoices from dict8, even my previous employer hadn't sent me a P45 which was annoying. Too much is done online/electronically but the system is that archaic they request hard copies of the information they should have access to or at least you would think they did.

Postal strikes aside, it's taken longer to get a cheque (still waiting) since the 1st of this month than ever before, I've had to borrow from my son's accounts to pay for the credit card I'm trying to clear with the cheque when it arrives. I think as a society we are heading backwards fast.

Just seen a job advertised:

Stable staff needed.
Ideally 8-12 (Flexible)
For turning out, mucking out and haynets
£10/hour.

It would take me more than 4 hours of transcription to earn £40, and hating it in the process, whereas s**t shovelling with horses - bliss 😂if I were younger.

@Whitestar55 is that "8-12" the number of hours per week or the ages of the help required??

It's most likely 8 am until 12 pm to turn the horses out in the field, muck out the stables and to fill the hat nets for when they're brought in later, so it looks like four hours daily to do the morning chores, it doesn't say specifically or for how many days per week, it was a post on Facebook.

That should say 'hay' nets not 'hat!

Anyone ever hear of or do work for UK Transcription? Just wondering what they are like to work for.

@joewe41 not heard of UK transcription but I would say to avoid WeType

@Gally123 Thanks - Tpro are nice to work with but I'm finding the 500,000 character minimum hard going. Might need to find a different company.

@joewe41 I have managed the 1,000,000 every month this year, it's not as difficult as you think. Once you get your confidence up and try some of the longer tasks in different specialties you will find it easier. My first few months with DICT8 I struggled as well.

@joewe41 whst I do is start with some long ones and save the smaller ones for the end of the day when I’m tireder I find that gets my character count up easily.

My cheque finally arrived on Saturday (thanks postage strike) so now it's not going to start the clearance dates until today, an even longer wait. I'm thankful I managed to earn an extra £100 this month to carry onto December just in case it goes all quiet around Christmas. I'm planning a week off but it's a dodgy decision these days.

I'm sick of this job being so undervalued and misunderstood and that fact that we have to work so hard and intensively for a salary that rarely even equates to hourly minimum wage over the course of the day, never mind earning enough to put aside for sick/holiday pay and savings. We are truly taken advantage of and you tend to become trapped in it as it's so time consuming. I'm very reluctant to try other companies as they are all pretty much the same. I know people in other industries that work much less tediously than we do and their benefits are greater, plus they're working from home. My New Year's resolution is to not be taken advantage of again by TCs.

@Gally123@Gally123 It's more time that's issue. Uni full time with assessments/exams and placements on top means I'm literally doing nothing but work study and bed. It's not sustainable. That's why thinking need to find something that doesn't require minimum amount. Unfortunate 😕

@joewe41 yes, I see. It was easier when I joined Tpro as I had a minimum of 150 letters a week and it was easy sometimes to pick short ones to make up the number. Unfortunately these days many companies want people to commit to a minimum amount of time (at one time it was mentioned that Tpro said 6 hours a day, and WeType wanted either full time or part time, ie mornings/afternoons only) so you may have to stick with DICT8 and hope it picks up.

@joewe41 I'd be tempted to just do what you can manage with TPro and see how it goes, they may be happy with whatever amount of work you can do, plus they are paying you per character and not per project, so it's not like you'd be paid for doing nothing. I don't think they can legally stipulate that you do a certain amount of work per month whilst classifying you as a freelancer, all they could do is end your contract, but would they do that if you are at least bringing them some money in, rather than nothing?