Dict8 Plus 2024

[Gally123]

@Carosel2 @danblack87 @Gally123 @TypoQueen1 @Lunnuni @deflatedbirthday @nomadchild  @Frazzledbynature @Chrissols @cathyk2002 @Pinksville @DeeWu @Lovemydaxie

I've started a new thread, as the old one seemed to have ended. Apologies if I have missed anyone.

@Gally123 if you go into one of the phone shops, I have found found them to be really helpful. If you explain your predicament they will help guide you. You can buy very simple phones without loads of features and they will set it up and demonstrate it. My 86 year old dad had one 10 years ago and he managed to use it. I honestly think you will find it's not anywhere near as bad as you imagine and once you get used to it you will wonder how you managed without it. If you can use a PC, and you obviously do, it's just a mini computer. I urge you to go into one of the many shops (when it's not busy) and ask them to talk you through it.

@Gally123 I agree just go into a phone shop and I am sure they will give you lots of advice on how to use one and will set it all up for you, plus you can always call in to the shop if you need any further assistance or ring helpline in the future with any questions. I'm lucky as my husband sorts this out for me as I am clueless but I have the most basic phone, I ring on it and take pictures and that's about all I need it for. I use WhatsApp to text. You can even log on to Google when you know your way around and shop on there just like you would a computer. I'm sure you would be able to sort it as you work a computer, you don't need an all singing and dancing one and I think the same as @Lovemydaxie you will wonder how you managed without one before, if you don't want a bill at the end of the month, just buy a phone and pay as you go, you just top up your phone when you are running out of credit. I'm sure they do finance too so you don't have to fork out for a phone in one go 😊Good luck!

@Gally123 they do have basic mobile phones called Nokia 2660 Flip.
Have a look online there is plenty of information that might help you.

On another groundhog day note, has everyone been paid today ?

Submitted my invoice first thing yesterday morning and just logged on to check - still not been paid.

Has anyone been paid?

I put mine in on Sunday 1st. I was paid yesterday.

Dict8 is a very distant company to work for. There is virtually no communication from them. We used to have a monthly newsletter.

I'm just disgusted with these companies full stop, they operate in a way that provides them with a cheap workforce as and when they require and this releases them from the requirement to pay employers national insurance, sick and holiday pay and the minimum wage as they disguise it as self employment, even though in many respects they manage the 'workers' as employees. Loopholes Loopholes to avoid paying taxes and fair pay.

@Whitestar55 I agree. What is needed is a central NHS owned transcription company paying transcribers at bank rates, thereby cutting out these other companies that are making a profit and using slave labour!

@olddoglover great idea.

I have tried on numerous occasions to offer my service on a temping basis to my local NHS (knowing that some secs work from home), but got told secretaries don't work from home? I truly believe that those in charge do not want the NHS to function properly and efficiently probably because they wouldn't get extra money every year if that were seen to be doing the job properly

Just want to vent about the notes box. Sometimes, the messages dictated for the secretaries are longer than the letter itself. I think we should be paid for all that is dictated particularly as the 8p a line rate has been in place for nearly a couple of decades, I believe? I can see how transcriber could deliberately send a lengthy personal note, about querying a point in the text, so, maybe that could be typed in the notes box but I think the messages that are dictated and necessarily transcribed, should be paid for. I work PT for the NHS where letters are outsourced and the instructions dictated to a secretary are typed at the bottom of the letter so other outsourcing companies pay for all dictated.

@tryingcouchto5K yep annoying, there are a few in my queue now that are messages to the secretary only and no letter, but I have previously raised this with you know who and she is not concerned that it may be an illegal practise on their part - and on our low pay how can we afford to sue? All we can do is leave them but there is usually someone who will pick them up and type for the 1p it earns them to put the date.

I throw them back in, refuse to do them, but as @Gally123 says, someone else will pick them up and do them.

Anyone had a notebook this year?

@TypoQueen1 nope, nothing

@TypoQueen1 - nor me!

Me neither

Not yet

Nothing for me 😒says it all really 😂

Happy Christmas everyone x🌲
My wish for everyone in the New Year is that we all get a pay rise - perhaps from the money they have saved from non-payment of the note box and the lack of Christmas appreciation notebook 😃

I hope they make a rise too. How long can the 8p a line continue? Band 2s in the NHS will probably see another rise next year, the gap between the lowest paid in the NHS and DICT8 is ever-increasing.

Happy Christmas All. Wishing you all health and .. ahem.. wealth xx

For those of us who do pay tax on our meagre earnings - there's another petition currently active asking for the tax level of £12,570 to be raised to £45,000. Which is quite a jump. But I do agree that £12,570 is too low, and has been at this level for a few years now, dragging more and more people into paying tax. You can find the petition by googling "raise the standard tax-free allowance to £45,000." Even raising it to £20,000 would help a lot of people.

@Gally123 I agree £20,000 would make a huge difference, but can’t see it happening under this government.

No notebook, but an email saying thank you and Happy Xmas wouldn't have gone amiss. I had a thank you email from a company I registered with but have never worked for so that's something I suppose 🤣

@TypoQueen1 An email to say why they weren't sending us a little notes book this year wouldn't have gone amiss - they are getting worse and worse to do any work for, and the money is diabolical

Highly suspicious that we didn't get a notebook or diary this year. This is the first time since I started working for them in 2006 so I hope the writing is not on the wall 😒