At Spectrum Reporting, our court reporters are employees, not independent contractors. You may not be aware of the employment status of your court reporter. Most court reporting firms prefer to use independent contractors because the cost of doing business is less … tax savings and savings on employee benefits, to mention a few. Spectrum prefers our court reporters to be employees even though we spend a substantial amount on supporting our reporter-employees through payroll taxes, employee benefits, equipment, tech support, training, etc. There are also many intangible benefits to hiring employees, such as building ongoing, working relationships.
So, why does Spectrum Reporting employ their court reporters and how does it benefit our clients? Your case files are available to you anytime you need them.
1. Your case files are available to you anytime you need them.
Spectrum Reporting retains your case files because we employ our staff. On the other hand, an independent contractor controls your case files, not the company you hired. You may need to order a transcript months or years after a deposition took place. If an independent contractor was used and that court reporter is on vacation or has left the company, then it may be difficult or impossible to retrieve your files. At Spectrum Reporting, we maintain your case files and can make them available whenever you need them.
2. We will preserve your files and keep them safe.
We maintain a backup of all your files, both on-site and off-site for added security. You won’t ever have to track down a court reporter or worry about losing your transcript or exhibit files because a court reporter moved, changed employment, had their computer crash, or a basement flood. You can rest assured that your case files are safe with us.
3. Company culture matters.
Spectrum Reporting provides its employees with benefits, training, equipment and support. Trust and loyalty are built when people know their company is investing time and money in their future. Employees that trust their company feel a sense of security and satisfaction in their work. And happy employees make for accomplished professionals that do great work for our clients.
We are a company, but more importantly, we are a team. We rely on each other. Court reporting is at the heart of what we do. Employing our court reporters and ensuring our product is protected enables us to operate as a successful team, developing trusting relationships with one another and our clients.
P.S. The same is true for our videographers and office staff.