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Workers fail to meet standard
Published on: 10/20/2009.
by MARIA BRADSHAW
THE MAJORITY of Barbadian workers who underwent one year of Government-sponsored training in the medical transcription field, were put on the breadline because they were performing below the required standard of work.
So said Robert Harvey, director of the United States based company TRSi, which trained the workers and set up a local company here.
A year after the company set up business here, 60 of the less than 100 workers have either left the company, or were dismissed.
Harvey, who spoke to the DAILY NATION in a telephone interview from the United States yesterday, said the company had changed the workers' contracts after it was determined they were not performing up to scratch.
"The medical transcriptionist is a very tough business to get in. There are two products we sell - turn around time and quality. You have to have a 99 per cent accurate medical record - this is important and I make no apologies for that," he said, adding that he did not intend "to pay someone to sit on their hands and not meet the minimum standards required".
He said the workers were given 90 days to meet the minimum standard and this was even extended further.
"We had a meeting with them and we told them that some of them were getting paid and were not meeting the requirement and they would have to do the minimum to remain employed.
"We changed the pay plan. The message we delivered did not go over very well," he said.
He said some of the employees had left the job, but denied that the company had responded negatively when some of them decided to join the union.
"I have no idea who is in the union. We have no problem working with the union," Harvey said, adding that the Barbados Workers Union had sent correspondence to the company.
He said TRSi intended to expand its operations in Barbados despite this setback.
36 comment found!
spelling errors : 10/29/2009
all u stupid ppl that are talking about spelling on this forum shut the hell up..this aint no spelling competition or we aint gettin paid for this...I still work at TRSI and never failed an audit...My quality has to be great dont u think... u seruiously think im gonna come here to leave a comment and im gonna be checking for every lil mistake or typo...get a life!!! some of u americans ever have to come here and go to school u gotta enter a lower grade than normal for ur age cos wunna doan want nain wid our education... SO STUDY IT.
re non-national : 10/25/2009
to the non natiinal. I guesss when you are in your homeland the same situation applies
Survival : 10/23/2009
If what is said about workers not meeting the minimum standards, this would be ridiculous. The world is changing and if our work ethnics do not change to suit, we cannot survive as a country. They are other countries vying for this kind of business and they are people that are willing and ready to jump at these kinds of opportunities to provide for their families. We have got to change our mind-set and realize that if we are being paid to do a job that we should do it to the best of our ability. This behavior can definitely leave a stigma on our country and can deter people from doing business with us.
lazy bajans? : 10/22/2009
I guess non nationals built Bim, since Bajans are lazy, just like non nationals built the USA, since Americans are also lazy. I'm always amazed how non nationals can build another country, but not the country they came from.
TRSi : 10/22/2009
From the looks of the front page of the Nations Newspaper it appears the Government agrees that improving productivitiy and efficiency is the key to our being competitive on the world stage.
: 10/22/2009
I am in total agreement with the poster who stated that some bajans are lazy. I am a non-national working in Barbados, and I have had first-hand experience with workmates who stay away from work regularly, without being ill, and when some are at work, they just simply idle. Some nationals are of the opinion that because this is their country that they have a right to a job, and that employers have to keep them, regardless of their behaviour. For some, it matters not what time they have to get to work for, they are always late. In the end, non-nationals are accused of 'spoiling things here', because most non-nationals are punctual, and do what they are paid to do. I DO HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD WORK ON REMOVING THE MISCONCEPTION OF SOME NATIONALS THAT THEY HAVE A GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO A JOB HERE, because they are Bajans.
TRSi : 10/22/2009
Where is the Minister of Labour? What is the Barbados Government doing about this situation? Please investigate this company and set standards for our workers in terms of salary, benefits, and working conditions. Please do not allow American or any other foreign lcompany to take us back 25 years.
Standards : 10/21/2009
First, in the US that is an incredibly low hourly minimum for MTs. A few years ago maybe, not today. Second, from the quality of most of the posts on here claiming to be current/former students or employees, I would suggest more English grammar study. You can not expect to meet minimums with difficult work when the basics are lacking. Third, large companies have work from many different accounts. You do not get to pick and choose the "easy" ones or the ones that you like unless you own the company. Nor do you get the luxury of time to get used to the new dictators before they expect you to be able to do the work with accuracy. Fourth, pay for all of us, at what ever we do is always an issue. Whether it is commission sales or medical transcription the more we produce the more we get paid. Minimum standards are the norm in many fields of employment--meet them or find another line of work--not slavery or bondage, a choice. Last, not meeting standards does not make a person lazy, it is a way of gauging productivity. [My son works in a warehouse loading pallets--must meet minimum counts with accuracy (99% also) or be docked in pay each week.] I would never think an entire group lazy based on a story in the newspaper nor would most people. I wish all involved resolution.
Response to Time To Take A Stand : 10/21/2009
What is a shame is comments like yours. The fact is that they are not accurate. You are making assumptions about others pay that are wrong. I have to laugh at responses like yours. You sound ridiculous. Nice jab at "white folk"...really makes you sound pathetic to resort to racial comments. This is not a racial matter. Please lets keep this professional and to the point.
Workers Failed to Meet Standard : 10/21/2009
I don't know if this may help any: My husband is now retired from a company, he was employed with from day # 1; when the company moved to the present location. He helped assembly the computers, sweep, setup desks and did any thing needed to to be done. He is now retired, received a fanastic package and pension after working with the company 30 plus years, he was treated with real respect, and promoted. Workers, we understand perfectly your plight. We have been there: I work among white folks all my overseas life and BELIEVE ME, THEY TREAT THEIR OWN PEOPLE LIKE HOW YOU ARE BEING TREATED NOW. If the work dead line is not met. Time is money for any business: The competiton is tough out there. Many laid off workers around the world will love to be in your position right now. I do empathize with you, for when I was living in Barbados, my outlook on life was the same. So don't you workers think we do not understand. If the company don't have work for their employees, the employees are sent home. My suggestion is when you are at home improve yourselves: be an asset to the company not a liability, and the money will come. Good workers are rewarded for their work. The enthusiastic Barbadians succeed in the world and know that to reach different levels improvement is the name of the game. Many Bardadians are lazy and think the world, namely white people owe them. Look at Oprah, Tiger Woods, President Obama. These trained, improved, trained, improve and took the opportunties that came their way. They had major disappointments in their lives, but beat the odds by being the best at their vocations. Think on it Barbados Workers. Believe me, we do understand: Company locate in the islands because of the government's incentives. Why should government take over the company? When everyone knows government workers are the laziest people, of all.
Proud Bajan : 10/21/2009
Please do not make this a racial issue. Both whites and blacks alike have been mistreated by TRSI, lied to, and taken advantage of. Basically, if you questioned any of their practices, you were 'blacklisted' and eventually tossed out like an old shoe.
US Company : 10/21/2009
What do you acutally do @ medical transcription ?What are the Qualifications to get @ TRSi ??
Time To Take A Stand : 10/21/2009
What I find to be utter nonsense is how some people can actually find a way to insult us bajans who have worked very hard at this career. If we are so lazy as they so coldly put it why are offshore companies always looking to set up camp here? On the matter of pay, we were led to believe from the inception that we had the potential to make $3200 monthly and at this point people would be luucky to make that amount in a fiscal year. What really aggravates me is the fact that her now husband who was a cleaner at the company before he got his US visa was allegedly making $30 an hour. Yet, the same old story was always told that they could not pay us more because the company was not making any money. This shows the lack of regard that they have for us when they are giving us that pitance and then for her dearesr husband he can have a relatively decent salary. The next issue at hand is about happily-married Kathy Nicholls. Imagine your boss saying to you that if you leave it would be a favour to her cause then she can pack up and leave. She also went on to say that the cost of living in Barbados is not like the United States and we can survive on our salaries. This statement infuriated al of us and this is garbage to the fullest. In conclusion, all of you posters who think that all bajans are lazy have your facts twisted. I don't believe that this is representative of the average bajan because we are smarter than than. We know all about you white folk who would like to relive the plantation days. You think you have power over us and then you give some of the same blacks power and they turned on their own. It's a pity we all thought you were different. SO MUCH FOR BREAKING THE MYTH. YOU SHALL REAP JUST WHAT YOU SOW.
EXPLOITATION : 10/21/2009
How can these girls be unproductive, when for a fact there were sent home early on several occasions because they were completion all the work in the company's work queue before day end and at one time they were always asking for more work to transcript. There girls production was fine I until the tried to stand up for there rights. Shame one you guys who are adopt an uninformed stereotypical conclusion, YOU DO NOT KNOW HALF OF THE HELL! OR SEEN THE TEARS THEY SHED these girl had to endure so don't cast stones. There is so must you don't know which haven't been cover by this article. To Ms Bradshaw, please follow up with the Union on the correspondence and the labor office as well, the can give you confirmation and valid the girls who have been crying out for help for a long time now. Modern day slavery
Same Experience : 10/20/2009
For any Business to succeed! The workers preformance, productivity and quality must be at the highest level. Workers should take pride, in producing quantity and quality work, and the preformance, at their best. Workers should be prepared for opportunities of advancement at all times. People are usually rewarded for accurate, and quality assignments finished on schedule. Therefore workers, stop making excuses and try for speed and excellence. The blogger that crying cheap labor, did not enlightened you to the speed and accuracy of the Americans workers, so please improve your speed and accuracy: Too, look at the big picture, and learn all you can from these companies; let your ojective be finding a better position for yourselves overseas. Remember the world is coming out of a reccession; so be ready and prepare for any opportunity that presence itself. Many Barbadians youths migrate to the America, Canada, and England in the sixties and seventies because of the experience gained in the electronics industries and the garments factories. Yes, the money was not great but we gained the experience. Again Barbadian Youth improve your skills and create your opportunities. I was one of the Barbadian youths back them, in the sixties and seventies WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ATTITUDES. Time has changed but yet little have changed.
: 10/20/2009
for those abroad who deemed all Barbadians as lazy, not so. The funny thing about it is that those who are prepared to give 200% are the very ones often disadvantaged. I know two of the people on this programme and I can say they are intelligent competent, dedicated mature ladies only in need of decent employment. Although this is a novelty to us and from my understanding is indepth, I'd be surprised to learn that any of those two ladies and I am sure many others couldn't acquire minimum standards. In other circles, it's the lazy, dependent, political pimps devoid of brains and looking for quick handouts who always seem to be successful. Government need to examine these schemes more carefully before allowing them to set up shop, and they should be subject to local investigation and audit, especially in the early stages of operation. Had this been done, these troubling nuances of substandard training on the one hand and inferior students on the other should/would have long reared itheir ugly head and hopefully should/would have been addressed. It would be of interest to learn what the benefits are for both Barbados and this company. As a progressive country, it cannot be business as usual in granting benefits such as tax holidays, that is if we have grown up and recognised that they were not in our best interest. Retired.
lack of honesty from the beginning : 10/20/2009
Had they told people from the beginning that they were gonna be paying them 4 cents and 8 cents a line... those classes would not even have started
my 99 cents worth : 10/20/2009
I have been with the company from day 1 and I can say helped build this company scratch literally speaking. When we arrived there there was nothing in the room but carpet. We unpacked computers, assembled desks and chairs from pieces and parts. Was there when we had no work and I am grateful to them for paying us nonetheless. Had one of the best instructors but the fault was the in the training. We spent too much time doing bookwork when we should have been working on typing skills and listening skills. None of the dictators we had at school compared to what we heard when we got on the job. You could easily pass a test my memorising questions because they were all multiple choice questions. When we finally got work we were all excited and ready to work. I have seen people who I know did good work, may not have been producing enough but their quality was good enough that with the good mentoring and help could have made it. We get monthly audits to see if we are maintaining our 98% accuracy which is all well and good but in my opinion it's all about luck, because some people were just unlucky to have some of their worst work audited. First they said work on your accuracy the speed will come with time. Then they change their mind and say get your lines up. This was not a problem from the begining because the majority were getting it done. We had maybe 10-15 doctors we got regularly, so we had time to get accustomed to them and eventually we mastered the most of them. There were and still are some dictators from the first account that up to today you are still not good with because of theeir refusal to speak well or slower, or they have english as a second language. In comes, the 2nd account we get to work on, this means more work. Yippy... Not really, because these were some difficult doctors who were retty difficult and particular about their work. and a specialty we had to learn. Ya know what we got them down too... We are human and will make mistakes... nobody is perfect... Now comes 3rd account we got which was supposed to be a temporary thing... good news right... yes and no. More work but this is where the MTs started getting trouble. within the first week of having this last account we got about about 20 new doctors... every day you hear oh you guys are doing a great job keep it up. So they kept adding more and more doctors; sometimes 5 new doctors a day. Thats not good, you can't get accustomed to any one doctor or any specialty because you've got about 50 of these new doctors plus the other 2 accounts we had before. You know how they mentored people who were not making it? Gave them a piece of paper with a list of things to do.. what kind of mentoring is that? how does trhis help... Not one bit. This is something that comes with practice. Now imagine if you will, about 70 new doctors, about 20 different medical specialties, each doc wants their work done a different way so before u can start to transcribe you've got to read their job description what they want and how they want it specifically. sometimes instructions are mixed up in between samples so you've gotta search through up to 10 or more pages of instructions to find what you want...and this client does not want any blanks, so they all gotta be filled. If u cant hear something, blank it and send it to QA... Guess what we heard, too much work is being sent to QA... you are allowed to send through a certain number of jobs a day to QA. that leaves the MT struggling to fill blanks sometimes that they are not sure of. Quality declines because people trying to meet their lines. Each doctor speaks differently some speak well, some not so well, and some well they are just horrible. Some of these doctors have english as a second language. Some eat, cough, go to the bathroom, go jogging, driving home from work in busy traffic, on the train, exercising, watching telly, dog barking in the background, papers ruffling. Some of these doctors refuse to speak properly. They know what they want to say so they are gonna say it and say it fast. This is what we pt up with everyday... So until you have walked a mile in our shoes and felt the pinch... Dont be so quick to judge
Both transcription companies need to be closed. : 10/20/2009
We have been lied to from the beginning up until now. How do you advertise such a fullfilling career with a livable salary and then offer persons such degradeable salary rates? How do you cram a 2 year program into someone in 9 months or less. Train them, granduate those that meet your extremely high pass mark. Offer them jobs, place them in jobs and then boldly say that they do not meet your standards? NONSENSE! The government has already invested over 8 million dollars in this program. Could it hurt to invest a few more million if need be to open medical transcription locally where we would work for local companies, polyclinics, doctors and even our one and only hospital? Instead of having to work for these two pretensive companies who expect 98% for each dictation. Most of the time the files are of doctors that you cannot understand their language, not even the tutors when we were at class could understand some of the dictations. Once again please understand that not only are we new to this but the last time I checked we were not gods and therefore perfect at all times. How can it even be suggested that we who have been sent home be given jobs at the other company. Is this a joke? Has no one investegated that company (ACR) also.This company has also aready lost more than half of the employees they started with. In addition the salary offered there is the same eight dollars an hour. Workers there are not working 8 hours a day up to now. Overthere are no better roses. Time to take us serious. How do you offer a certificate the that is acceptable even in our country. We cannot get jobs anywhere else with this certificate. Stop joking around. We really need help.
Cheap Labor : 10/20/2009
This reminds me of a time many years ago when Wildey housed a number of garment factories and many teenagers came out of secondary school and found themselves working for slave wages, having to say prayers, having to open their bags, perhaps be search, all of which was very humuliating. After a few years these businesses reached the end of their tax holiday, packed their bags and left. The only reason why this company has opened here is to take advantage of high unemployment, make tons of money while paying workers a minimum wage. Transcriptionists in the US make US$25-$40 an hour based on experience, accuracy, tenure, etc. Herein lies the mystery of cheap Barbados labor. At any rate for those who have no choice but to have a go at this, you cannot then do a mediocre job and expect to reap high rewards. You either know it or you dont. Time to go back to school; then you can tell this dude to shove it.
To the Outsiders. : 10/20/2009
Let me be the first to say that some of the people who have made responses on the matter at hand are not in this position and do not know first hand what was happening and is still happening. I was employed by TRSi from August 18, 2008 and in the beginning things were very good and each time Kathy Rockel Vice President of the company made a promise that was it, only a promise. Then things started to change from as early as January 2009. There were things Kathy Rockel now Kathy Nicholls wanted to do to the workers that she had discussed with her supervisors that were met with a challenge from her supervisors who knew that she was doing wrong. You had workers that would sacrifice most of their lunch and both breaks to meet the standard requirements and still that was not good enough. When asked why would one person grade a report one way and another a different way, no answer was replied because they themselves did not know. In comes Wynelle Neverson Assistant Manager or as some would call her the bosses errand girl. She herself knew that a lot of things were being done wrong especially when the then Human Resources Manager Jennifer Grigg based in North Carolina sent the employees an email with numerous questions pertaining to how the union could and could not help them. The numerous emails about not meeting the required standard by a specific deadline which was only 60 days and not 90 as Bob Harvey had suggested and that it would lead to termination. A lot of workers were fired wrongfully and something must be done. The local company ACR which is runned by Celeste Foster who now is head of the Small Business Association is another joke for a company. How can you have workers working only 4 hours a day at 8 dollars an hour. Both of these companies have made quite a mockery of the Government and people of Barbados and they should be made to pay for it. So, for those of you who have not been in a similar position don't judge all Barbadians by a few who are just plain and lazy and would like easy money. I worked hard and long for my money to meet the required standard, but in the end was still fired for what they claimed was not enough.
Poor Wages : 10/20/2009
Most American transcriptionists make a minimum of 7 cents a line US, not 4 cents a line Bds. If Barbadians are to be compared with the US job market, that would be 14 cents a line Bds, and we would not be having this conversation today. Give us incentive to work and we can work as hard as the next person.
Waste of Money : 10/20/2009
It is true that Bob Harvey is only here in Barbados once in a blue moon. But what is even worse, the vice president who is living here in Barbados hardly ever steps foot in the office. She only comes in to give us new rules. When they changed the pay, the VP told us if we didn't sign the new contract, then we were trespassing and needed to leave the premises. The only person they ever sent here that helped us was terminated a few months ago. If only they had let her run things instead things might have been diffrent.
You get what you pay for: 10/20/09 : 10/20/2009
If employees are not meeting the required standard whose fault is it ? TRSI trained these said employees many of whom graduated with distinctions. Maybe TRSI need to update the transcriptions that are used for training since they are old and in some instances the quality is poor. Not to mention the dictations by some doctors which some of the graders could not understand themselves. In addition, the method for grading is inconsistent and seems to be subjective. Hence, one grader may prefer things typed one way whilst another may prefer it done differently. And what do they expect for $8 an hour - 99% accuracy and still so many lines per day?. Even gas station workers who do not have to possess such a skill take home more money than these employees who sacrificed 1 year of their lives studying various aspects of medicine. It is okay for persons who are looking in to have their own opinion but until you walk in the shoes you cannot feel the pinch. I would like all of the persons who participated in the program to come together and let the public know what has transpired since the start of the program. This should have been done since we were in the program but many of the students were chicken hearted and feared that they would not be employed. Both of the companies involved in the medical transcriptions business are exploiting their employees and it makes no sense going from TRSI to the local company since they are even worst than TRSI. It is time Barbadian workers join together. Unity is strength.
Lies, lies, and more lies : 10/20/2009
How can u train over 200 people and only a small few meet the minimum standard? They obviously were not adequately prepared for the job or proper manangement was lacking. This speaks volumes about your company and their training program. Why would employess bust their butts to make the standard of125 lines an hour for 4 cents a line which translates to 5 dollars an hour. GET REAL!!
Workers : 10/20/2009
Gosh! this is not a job for the normal Bajan. Productivity is a bad-word for most Bajans. Please encourage the majority to stay away from this profession. Friend in the cold
: 10/20/2009
It's about time someone let some of these lazy workers know who is boss. Productivity is key. KSR
Standards are Poor (Barbados Ltd) : 10/20/2009
Perhaps we should second Mr Harvey to the Public Service, starting with BWA.
Workers Fail : 10/20/2009
in most countries people get short listed through a series of progressive prequalifying testing this cuts the wheat from the chaff so neither the prospective employer or employee wastes time or resoures
Waste of money : 10/20/2009
Bob Harvey is based in the United States he is here once in a blue moon. How about the vice president who is now living in Barbados. She is very much aware of the union and is treating us the Barbadians workers like we are backward. Why should TRSi care about the workers when they have pocketed the government money and all we have to show for it is a certificate which is not even recognized in Barbados. What a wasted of government money
: 10/20/2009
These workers were getting exploited. Amazing this article did not point out the very very low pay rate these workers had to accept after being promised a decent salary to be paid on the same scale as workers in Chefette or Big johns
Part of the letter given to workers after attempting to join the union : 10/20/2009
The purpose of this document is to get some facts to you regarding the attempted unionization within the company and also to let you know about some company-related benefits and future plans. I am disheartened that some employees of TRSi felt the need to approach the Barbados Workers Union, as the management team here is open to your suggestions and concerns and we do look to improve benefits, wages, etc in the coming years as we grow and prosper as an organization. The purpose of a union is to help negotiate on your behalf in regards to unfair treatment, handle complaints against management, wages and benefits, etc and protect you against threats to your health and safety while at work. We do not feel that having a union in place is necessary given that we already provide a competitive benefits package to you, we listen to your concerns and take them to heart, and you have a Human Resources Director to come to if you do not feel comfortable going to your Manager regarding a sensitive issue.
: 10/20/2009
It is truly amazing that people trained by this company at government expense are now said to fail production goals after the union sends correspondence to the company.
: 10/20/2009
This exploitive, union busting entity needs to be asked to leave Barbados now.
trsi profit or loss : 10/20/2009
Paying people $4.00 us an hour shame on you,any bajan working for trsi pleaes join the union for plenty reasons, as you can see these people don't care about you its the dollar look what they did took it back. Did trsi made a profit? if you dont know thses people don't care about you all
Productivity is a must. : 10/20/2009
Workers in Barbados don`t understand what it is to be productive. There`s a word they use when they becomes perma- nent meaning they can`t be fired.The workers that are in the Government offices, they are the worst.Then they`re the others whose defence is that because they want to be unionise that management is against them.When you are in a union,they must be negotiations between the company and the union,its not like joining a credit union, where you can keep it to yourself. People are complaining every day about the services in Barbados with the Lawyers, trademen, in supermarkets the cashiers seem to come to the job a tired bunch.The union deligates could hold some seminars and let their members know that because they`re members, they do not own the business.With this kind of poor work proformance and threatened strikes, no one will want to come to Barbados to do any kind of business.The 90 days probation period I know that only a few would make it. NYB.
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