Extension Guidelines

The due date displayed in the file's Session Details box indicates the amount of time you have to complete the file, i.e., it's your maximum allowed extension. Once you have gone over this mark, you will still be able to work on the file as long as you remain active on the screen - a 1-hour default extension will apply with each save should you need a short break - but you will not be allowed extensions after that point.

Remember that this time frame is based on when you first opened the session. This means that if you opened a file to view it but rejected, canceled out of, or dropped it, your due date will NOT reset if you later decide to work on that file. For this reason, we discourage "session surfing" for files if you are not ready to sit down and work.

This due date is directly proportional to the length of the file, as follows:

• For files under 30 minutes in length: 20x the duration of the audio
• For files 30-90 minutes in length: 30x the duration of the audio
• For files over 90 minutes in length: 40x the duration of the audio

Note: These limits do not apply to our brand-new probationary QAs. Most probationary QAs have no problem completing sessions within these times, but we want you to focus on quality, not speed.

Priority 1 files may have different due dates and extension availability, as we typically have only 24 hours total to complete these files and return them to the client. See RUSH File Extensions.

The 5-Minute Rule

Never pick up a session until you are ready to begin working, as we are on a tight schedule with our clients. Extensions are meant to allow you a break AFTER you have already started working on a file, not to set one aside for later. You must transcribe/edit AND timestamp at least 5 minutes of audio before self-extending and saving your session. As long as you are active within the session screen, the file will automatically extend for 1 hour at each save, so you may still take short breaks while completing your first 5 minutes of stamping, and the file will remain in your queue for up to 1 hour if you become inactive on the screen.

If our admin team notices that you have self-extended a file and there is not at least 5 minutes of text and stamps, the file may be sent back to the queue to be picked up by another QA who is ready to work on the file. Any session that is not timestamped up to 5 minutes is free to be worked on by any QA and will not be reassigned to a QA who claims it as 'lost' if anyone else has picked it up. See the Lost Sessions Policy for further details and see 'No Timestamps' Files for staking your claim on No Timestamp sessions.

Self-Extensions and Due Date

The self-extension feature is dependent upon the due date you see counting down at the top of the session screen. As such, the shorter the file is, the shorter the maximum self-extension option will be. For example, files over 30 minutes in length will have a maximum self-extension option of 10 hours, whereas a 20-minute session will have a maximum of 4 hours, and a 1-minute file will have no self-extension option at all, as you should be able to complete the file in one sitting. Remember, as long as you are active on the session screen, it will remain in your queue, and should you need a break, the default save time will always be no less than 1 hour. So, again, DO NOT self-extend a file until you have completed at least 5 minutes of transcription and timestamping and intend to finish the file.

Self-Extension Countdown

Depending on the file's length, you may be able to extend for the maximum amount of time you originally saw in the dropdown menu (e.g., 10 hours) for several hours as you use up your applied extensions. However, as a file nears your due date, the amount of time available for self-extension will gradually decrease until, eventually, no self-extension option is possible, even though you may still have time remaining before your due date. The 1-hour default extension will still apply each time you save, but you won't be able to self-extend more than that after a certain point, as long breaks are no longer advisable this close to the due time.

Help Desk Extensions

If you need a longer break than your self-extension allows and you have transcribed and timestamped at least 5 audio minutes of the session, create a Help Desk ticket and request an extension, making sure to include your session ID. The Help Desk will calculate the amount of time you have left to complete the file and grant extensions accordingly. Once the Shift Lead has extended the file, it will stay in your queue for the length of the provided extension. Click Save frequently to keep track of your remaining extension time.

Help Desk extensions override the self-extensions, and if you are still within the time frame the HD extension was granted, then your file is safe. Once the extension time has expired, the file will drop from your account and be released to the QA queue. Make sure to keep track of the time remaining on your extension. The self-extension box may not appear on your session while the Help Desk extension is in place.

Going Beyond the Due Date

Once you have gone past you due date, i.e. the amount of time you had to complete the file in relation to the file's length, you may continue working on the file, but you will not be granted any more extensions (barring extraordinary circumstances). After that point, the file will remain in your queue as long as you are actively working on it, and the default 1-hour extension will apply with each save until you complete the file.

If you lose a file, i.e., your extension expires after having gone over your allotted due date, the Shift Lead will assess whether or not to return the file to you based on how much of the file you had completed. Depending on the file's priority, it may be assigned to someone else to complete. Always be sure to set aside enough time to complete any file you commit to, know your limitations, and act accordingly.

RUSH File Extensions

RUSH files are Priority 1 files wherein a clients pay extra for a 24-hour turnaround time. If you commit to working on one of these files, please be sure you set aside enough time to complete it as quickly as possible. You MAY NOT keep these files overnight, as we need to get them to the client ASAP. Note that RUSH policies only apply to RUSH files under 70 minutes in length.

3-Hour Activity Requirement

Our admin team monitors all RUSH files to ensure they are being actively worked on. If we find that you are inactive on a RUSH file (i.e., not working on it) for over 3 hours, the file will be removed from your queue and assigned to someone else.