......but I don't work here anymore.

[CO-guy]

OP is handling this just fine. I'm enjoying the ongoing story.

Thanks. As satisfying as it sounds to say, "Take this job and shove it!" Or, "When hell freezes over," keeping a level head has served me well in business.

I responded earlier today to reaffirm that my rate is competitive and gave them until Friday to accept the offer. I'm fine either way, so best of luck to the "dumpster fire."

 

[albireo13]

If they respond complaining about your terms, just reply " that is unfortunate"
and leave them thinking.

 

[scrabbler1]

Fun thread to read. About 5 years after I ERed, a friend who still worked for my old company mentioned in one of our conversations that someone in management wanted my friend to ask me if I was interested in doing some work for them again. It would be purely WFH, he said.

My immediate answer was, "Sorry, not interested."

Ironically, my company's ending of its open-ended telecommuting in 2003 was the big reason I ERed in 2008. From 2001-2003, I worked mostly from home, coming to the office one day a week and for a total of 20 hours per week PT. From 2003-2008 I still worked PT but fulfilled my hours at the office, forcing me to commute on the lousy trains 3 days a week.

I remember telling the HR flunkie during my exit interview that ending my telecommuting in 2003 was the big reason I was leaving after 23 years. I also told him even if they offered me my old PT WFH deal back, I would turn it down because coming to the office once a week was too often. I might have considered once a month, but only if I could return to their group health plan. I didn't want to still work but have to buy my own HI on the outside (pre-ACA, and COBRA had expired).

But 5 years later, going to the office ZERO times a week would be too often LOL!

 

[TickTock]

Thanks. As satisfying as it sounds to say, "Take this job and shove it!" Or, "When hell freezes over," keeping a level head has served me well in business.

I responded earlier today to reaffirm that my rate is competitive and gave them until Friday to accept the offer. I'm fine either way, so best of luck to the "dumpster fire."

I am happy with my offer. Please let me know how you want to proceed. I love it!

 

[Koolau]

OP is handling this just fine. I'm enjoying the ongoing story.

Yeah, I think it's a cool story. Lots of ins and outs of corporate greed and corporate "entitlement" attitude. I still recall when some folks quit my Megacorp and it was the talk of the coffee break. No one could believe that anyone would actually quit Megacorp. Turns out, it was just the beginning of folks no longer singing the company song or towing the corporate creed (that Megacorp was the best company in the world to w*rk for.) It was refreshing.

Still, I enjoyed a lot of my time at Megacorp, but I became more realistic about how I fit in there. I'm sure no one noticed I was gone and no one would have asked me back on a bet. Megacorp really had NO idea how valuable I - and many, many other "drones" or "w*rker bees" were. Too big to fail also means too big to notice.

Keep us posted. This is fun!

 

[mystang52]

OP: Notwithstanding the back-and-forth that has already taken place, it sure looks like you want to get a consulting gig with them if they meet your terms.
If your end goal is indeed to land the right contract with them, then it's time to make a call and see if this can be ironed out. Writing forces the writer to stand by the offer/demand; conversation often leads to flexibility. And if not, you'll know for sure it was never meant to be. Either way, win-win for you.

 

[CO-guy]

OP: Notwithstanding the back-and-forth that has already taken place, it sure looks like you want to get a consulting gig with them if they meet your terms.

It would be a high paying gig: Hourly, it would be around 160% of the rate of my most lucrative contracts. That said, they responded this morning with another lowball offer (well below my usual rate) and my response was the following:

"Thanks for your message. It seems that we are unable to come to an agreement. Good luck and please feel free to reach out if the requirements of a future project align with my skills and expertise."

No doubt they'll respond, but for now I'm closing the door. My guess is that they'll flounder through the current process, and 12 months from now I'll be bidding on the project to clean up the mess from the previous year. In the meantime, it was a good reminder that I am FI and don't need to entertain lowball offers when I have a solid portfolio of clients that are grateful for my help.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

"Thanks for your message. It seems that we are unable to come to an agreement. Good luck and please feel free to reach out if the requirements of a future project align with my skills and expertise."

No doubt they'll respond, but for now I'm closing the door. My guess is that they'll flounder through the current process, and 12 months from now I'll be bidding on the project to clean up the mess from the previous year. In the meantime, it was a good reminder that I am FI and don't need to entertain lowball offers when I have a solid portfolio of clients that are grateful for my help.

Good for you.

 

[Route246]

I've been on both sides of this. With FI you are truly calling the shots. I just recommend you continue to remain professional, courteous and available if you so desire. No reason to do anything differently.

It would be a high paying gig: Hourly, it would be around 160% of the rate of my most lucrative contracts. That said, they responded this morning with another lowball offer (well below my usual rate) and my response was the following:

"Thanks for your message. It seems that we are unable to come to an agreement. Good luck and please feel free to reach out if the requirements of a future project align with my skills and expertise."

No doubt they'll respond, but for now I'm closing the door. My guess is that they'll flounder through the current process, and 12 months from now I'll be bidding on the project to clean up the mess from the previous year. In the meantime, it was a good reminder that I am FI and don't need to entertain lowball offers when I have a solid portfolio of clients that are grateful for my help.

 

[RetMD21]

It would be a high paying gig: Hourly, it would be around 160% of the rate of my most lucrative contracts. That said, they responded this morning with another lowball offer (well below my usual rate) and my response was the following:

"Thanks for your message. It seems that we are unable to come to an agreement. Good luck and please feel free to reach out if the requirements of a future project align with my skills and expertise.".......

That seems like a great response. You can even recycle it it they give you another low ball offer.

 

[pb4uski]

I would just ghost them for the rest ot time. You have better things to do.

 

[CO-guy]

That seems like a great response. You can even recycle it it they give you another low ball offer.

No surprise, but they did send me another low ball offer, this one came with a Friday deadline, and I recycled parts of my previous reply.

"Thanks for your message. I agree that opening the bidding process will help the organization to better understand both the scope of the work and that my rates are competitive. Best of luck with the search and please feel free to reach out if the requirements of a future project align with my skills and expertise."

I've already decided that I won't be bidding, so my best guess is that they'll receive zero bids.

 

[HarveyS]

Just out of curiosity... how much did they increase their first low-ball by? 10%, 20%?

 

[Qs Laptop]

No surprise, but they did send me another low ball offer, this one came with a Friday deadline, and I recycled parts of my previous reply.

"Thanks for your message. I agree that opening the bidding process will help the organization to better understand both the scope of the work and that my rates are competitive. Best of luck with the search and please feel free to reach out if the requirements of a future project align with my skills and expertise."

I've already decided that I won't be bidding, so my best guess is that they'll receive zero bids.

You've got way more patience than I would in this situation.

They have your bid with your costs. They keep coming back with offers that are not near your number. Previously you said they were coming in at 50% of what you used to make working for them. I assume your current consulting bid is higher than what you previously made working for them full time, as it should be.

How far apart are you, on a percentage basis? For example, if your consulting bid is 100%, what are they coming in at?

 

[Original Wally]

Johnny Paycheck had the best answer to situations like this.

Indeed -concluding with "I ain't working here no more"

 

[Original Wally]

w*rk is a 4-letter swear word.

 

[Original Wally]

My story was not exactly with a DFM. Worked for a public utility district in Sacramento. I actually LOVED the people I worked with. I was just burned out. Period. I had given them a retirement date (12/18/2009 IIRC)
Had an MD appointment on 12/07 (Pearl Harbor Day). My MD and I had an understanding. ANYTIME in the last couple of years that I wanted extra time off, he would give me a two week notice for "stress" (I had TONS of sick leave on the books).



SOoooooo 12/07 I said - "Doc - I am REALLY stressed. Can I get two weeks off?"


Went back to the office -told the b*ss - "Well, Doc gave me two weeks off. So I am out of here as of NOW."


"Regrets? I've had a few. But, then again, too few to mention..."

 

[Koolau]

My story was not exactly with a DFM. Worked for a public utility district in Sacramento. I actually LOVED the people I worked with. I was just burned out. Period. I had given them a retirement date (12/18/2009 IIRC)
Had an MD appointment on 12/07 (Pearl Harbor Day). My MD and I had an understanding. ANYTIME in the last couple of years that I wanted extra time off, he would give me a two week notice for "stress" (I had TONS of sick leave on the books).



SOoooooo 12/07 I said - "Doc - I am REALLY stressed. Can I get two weeks off?"


Went back to the office -told the b*ss - "Well, Doc gave me two weeks off. So I am out of here as of NOW."


"Regrets? I've had a few. But, then again, too few to mention..."

Cool story!

 

[Timeisprecious]

Talk about tone-deaf!

Reminds me of something that happened a few years ago. A nonprofit I have donated to a number of times in the past got a new outfit to send out solicitations for new donations.

But apparently they didn't understand the issue, because they mailed me a paper marked INVOICE in large letters, and the amount was for the largest single donation I had ever previously made there.
"Avoid late fees by mailing your payment immediately."

You can guess where that paper went.

And you didn't contact them back with an appropriate and enjoyable (for you) comment? I'm surprised!

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

My BIL "retired" at 60 with 20 years with his mega corp. He then worked on a contract basis for 18 years for 3x to 4x what the mega corp ever paid him as an EE. Certain industries have that option (he's in oil and gas and a lot of engineers there typically take this route). Hard to stop working when you can pull down a million in 2-3 years. He retired in October at 78.

 

[jldavid47]

w*rk is a 4-letter swear word.

Unless you are doing it on your terms. The best j*b is the one where they need you more then you need them, you can dictate the terms and can tell them to, um, buzz off at any time.

 

[CO-guy]

Just out of curiosity... how much did they increase their first low-ball by? 10%, 20%?

It's not how much they're increasing the offer. It's that each increased offer includes additional expectations added to the offer.

Half of my previous annual salary for just over 400h of my time this past year worked out to a bit less than my rate as a contractor. However, once health insurance and retirement benefits (11% employer contribution) are added in, it's a little above my typical rate as a contractor for bulk projects, which is why I took the contract last year.

However, "dumpster fire" management wants a steeply discounted rate on each new line item they add to the negotiations for next year. For example, initially they offered to give me my full annual salary, but they wanted at least 1200h of my time (including in person), which was a hard pass. Nothing they've offered since has been even that lucrative, but like I said previously, these are just line items for these folks. They have no idea what's even involved, and they've been told to play hardball with someone that's already packed up and left.

This is officially my last week on the half-time contract I've been on for the past year, which I have truly appreciated. No doubt "dumpster fire" management will follow up again, but I already set up my away message to make it clear, "I don't work here anymore."

 

[RetMD21]

I like that setting up your away messages early. Let us know if they get back to you after the bidding process. If they have 0 bids it seems like they might

 

[pb4uski]

Ghost them... it sounds like it would not be fulfilling at any rate.

 

[skyking1]

It's been a great thread to follow. You have done everything by the book and they could indeed have your experience and services, but they have chosen to release you. I think it is a huge favor, there is no going back to that nonsense. Enjoy your time away from that nuthouse.