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I worked for a privately-owned single standing medical supply company. This company had less than 10 employees total. While there, I was trained by a woman named Jessica.
Jessica worked for this company for roughly a decade. Now, when I say she ran the office, I mean she RAN THE OFFICE. She processed qualifying set ups of equipment per insurance guidelines, followed up with doctors for required documentation, reached out to insurance companies for eligibility requirements, followed up with patients to get them back to the doctor for insurance renewals… she. Did. EVERYTHING.
I was at the company for roughly a year before jumping ship. I left because the owner had zero respect for us, and frankly was a poor business owner. She would get mad at us for enforcing company policies that she put in place, and would yell at us for denying set up requests that didn't meet the required MediCare guidelines. She would often say, “rules are made to be broken.” She viewed us as customer service only (including Jessica) and paid me a low wage. Jessica and I became friends, and we kept in contact after I left.
About a month ago, Jessica called me in tears. She hasn't had a raise in over 4 years. She went to the owner asking for a raise, and the owners response was, “I pay $400 a month for your insurance. Have you even researched fair wages for customer service representatives? You are plenty well compensated and I won't be providing a raise.” As if this wasn't enough, the owner was having mandatory hour long meetings during Jessica's lunch hour, unpaid but catered (as if that makes her illegal actions ok?). These meetings were an hour of the owner asking Jessica why she didn't do ABC or XYZ and why she keeps being a screw up – this was in front of all of the employees, which at this point was a staff of 5 as everyone keeps quitting and nobody will work for such low pay.
After Jessica told me everything, she finally said that she was done, and she was leaving. She had turned in multiple applications in town without success. I then emailed my employer and advised that I knew a damn good worker that was in need of a job.
My employer advised me to have Jessica email her resume to them. They called her for an interview the next day. A week later she interviewed, and not long after that she received a job offer with a pay increase.
She called the owner and gave her one week notice. She finished off her week and is settling in well with her new employer.
Last week, she and I went to lunch with a friend of hers whom is still at the medical supply company.
It. Was. Glorious.
Despite knowing Jessica was leaving, neither the owner nor the newly assigned “office manager” (whom was given the title a month prior to Jessica calling me regarding her job search) took any initiative to attempt to learn any of Jessica's job. They kept asking our friend (whom is supposed to only be part time work from home but surprise is now full time in the office) how to do ABC or XYZ, and every question has been answered with “Jessica did that.”
The owner is now outsourcing basically everything, which is resulting in patients going elsewhere, as the personable experience is why they were going to that company to begin with. Work is piling up, insurances are not being billed – the entire office is basically at a stand still.
If they don't figure things out soon, the business wont be worth anything when the owner tries to sell it.
All because the owner wouldn't pay Jessica what she was worth, nor treat her with the respect she deserves.