Pay Attention to the Worksheets Agencies Send!

[Melanie C. Hines]

I accepted a workers' comp job yesterday.  When the worksheet came to me, it had the following note on it: 

"REPORTER - Farmers does not pay more for WC. Pay is normal; no per diem."

So I emailed the agency and asked the following: 

"Could you explain the pay on this job? I noticed that there was a note to the reporter that Farmers doesn't pay extra for workers' comp."

The response was:  "Farmers doesn’t pay for an O&2 on worker’s comp jobs…just an O&1."

Needless to say, I emailed back to take me off the job.

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

By ASCII, you're referring to rough draft, f/k/a rough ASCII.  Okay, so you did a rough and apparently had no agreement with the agency as to rates.  You were okay accepting whatever they would give you.  That was a big mistake, of course.   The prevailing rate for rough draft is $1.50/page and I charge 70% of that or $1.05.  I don't know why I'm only charging 70%.  That's pretty stupid of me.  I should be charging 80% or $1.20.  I think I'll change that on my rate sheet. And naturally it's per rough draft sale and hopefully everybody bites.  $.75 is ridiculous for rough draft but unfortunately it sounds like you don't have a leg to stand on because you didn't nail down rates beforehand.

The last-minute emergency job (harried calendar person so. . .), you asked "what are your rates" rather than say, "I'll email you my rate sheet.  Once the owner signs it and emails it back to me, I'll commit to cover this job for you."   And you got royally screwed.  I have on my rate sheet  a line item for a no-order scenario:  1/2 the O&1 pages + attendance + waiting time + expenses.  I would have billed 40 pages + attendance which equals a measly $213 assuming no wait time and expenses.  If the job ever orders, the O&1 is not refundable or applied.  

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

Yes, if we happen to be in the car and available and someone calls with an emergency, what to do?!   Well, after being screwed too many times, I'd do the same thing as if I were home rather than take a chance on being ticked off later with BS.  Yes, if necessary the job goes away.  Most of those last-minute emergencies are crap work and the agency won't ever say thank you later with a nice job, so it's just as well. What nerve they have treating saviors like that.  We save their ass and they screw us later on the paycheck as a thank you.   It's pathetic.

[Glen Warner]

... and speaking of Farmers, has anybody seen this one yet?

http://washingtoncourtreporters.org/class-action-consumer-protectio...

[Melanie C. Hines]

Very interesting! Thanks.

[kathy - iamwrdsmth]

and we need to stick together to keep the GOOD agencies staffed!!

that will surely show those unethical agencies that they cannot do

business this way!!!