I am a medical transcriptionist at our local hospital.  Well, I walked into work yesterday and the boss told me that she had my yearly evaluation ready (it's ONLY eight months late ).  Anyway, I wasn't worried or anything because there were no problems that I was aware of with my performance.  Well, the evaluation went okay.  I was marked "adequate" in most areas and "above adequate" in some areas.  .  She did mention that she wanted me to increase my productivity by six to ten percent (which I don't know how I am going to do, since we are actually running low on work right now, and actually I have been trying to be courteous enough to leave some work for the day shift ).  Then she said "you mean you're not going to squawk about the request for increased productivity?"  I said "No, I just figure I'll do my best".  Then, of course, she opened it up for my comments/concerns.  I told her my concerns about other transcriptionists not working well together (there are a LOT of conflicts going on right now), which is resulting in me being dumped on with x-rays to type, which HAVE to be typed the day they are dictated (even though the overall workload is low, we still do about 50 to 80 x-rays a day).  I get dumped on because so and so doesn't get along with so and so, and doesn't even want to deal with them even to ask for help or offer to  help when x-rays get behind.  And besides x-rays, I also end up a lot of times having to type preoperatve History and Physicals for the next morning (patient's can't have their operations until the History and Physical report is in the Surgery Department). 

Anyway, the thing that upset me the most is when she said "I should be getting (x-amount) of productivity from all of you transcriptionists" and also made the comment "none of you would make it in a big hospital" (how the heck does SHE know?  SHE has never done transcription (she's just the supervisor).  I just can't believe anybody could say something so ignorant and insensitive!  She also said that she has been advised by "agencies" (consulting firms, I guess?) that transcription is overstaffed. I told her that for once we don't have to worry about getting snowed under if someone got sick and had to be off work for a few days.  She said "I can't plan my staffing around someone being sick" . What???  I think bosses SHOULD plan for employees to be sick sometimes.  She just said "that's why everyone needs to pick up and do overtime when someone is sick".  Geesh!  Oh, and she also made the comment sometime during this diatribe that she "doesn't want to have to get rid of anybody".  She also accused me of playing computer games at work (I have NEVER done that, and I told her so rather forcefully -- I did, however, used to go online to this site and some other sites as part of my break, but I don't do that now).  She said "Oh, I thought you did".

The more I thought about this, the madder I got!  Now, of course, I have just had a sleepless night.

By the way, this same lady earlier in the day actually had to ask me how to spell "handle" (and she thinks I wouldn't make it in a big hospital? Hah!

Some supervisors have no idea what it like to be in "the trenches" even if they worked their way into supervisory positions.  Once they get there they develop amnesia about being a regular worker.  They believe that its their job to find fault with everything because they can't have their workers feeling good out their job.  It is my opinion that they really don't want the workers to get along and work well together.  Supervisors will work behind the scenes to keep problems/feuds/etc. simmering.  That way the workers are against each other and not against the supervisor. JMO

I am sorry she gave you such a hard time. I know what you mean. My boss is the owner and everytime someone mentions a way to help make things easier (like getting a cash registar that works...or shuts all the way for that matter) she gets mad and finds more work to keep us busy. I hate that people are always wanting more and more our of us and no one EVER thanks us or says what a good job we are doing.

I am sure you are doing the best you can. I used to work in an OR. in a hospital in New Mexico and you transcriptionist are very important, I think you have a hard job from what I have observed and I personally wouldn't/ couldn't do it. So I give you a pat on the back and hope your day gets a little brighter.

Oh, question. Our transcriptionist's offices were located in the basement.......they don't make you all work down there do they?

My former supervisor was in the same situation. It got so frustrating for her that she quit. Some of our co-workers referred to her as Boss's Whipping Girl. I felt so bad for her because she would just sit there and take it. No sense arguing because it would have just made it worse.

That's how I've been handling the last 4 years working for her.  I joined Weight Watchers about 6 weeks ago.  I decided I wanted to lose weight and get healthier.  I got scared at the thought of going on cholesterol meds and decided to do something about it before I got any older or in worse shape.  Also, my blood pressure was getting to the higher end of normal.  I think what I need to do is to start walking or something and listening to music or a book on CD while I do that. 

There certainly are some who do this, they are the worst managers and usually fail within a short time. It's a funny thing, these days there are alternating bouts of managers being hauled on the carpet for not getting rid of enough people, and then getting hauled on the carpet during the next cycle because they are having retention problems.