I tell former employers I cost $125.00 an hour, plus expenses. I do that because I do not want to support an environment I left, because I know those left to carry my workload, and\or those coming in to replace me are going to change everything anyway.
I don't want the headache. I tell fellow employees this price too.. I don't get called to support them. imagine that. LOL From: David Lum [mailto:david....@nwea.org] Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 13:29 To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Supporting former employer Totally agreed. It's all a judgment call, every situation is different. J David Lum // SYSTEMS ENGINEER NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION (Desk) 971.222.1025 // (Cell) 503.267.9764 From: John Hornbuckle [mailto:john.hornbuc...@taylor.k12.fl.us] Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 11:07 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Supporting former employer But refusing to help a former employer for free shouldn't affect good will one way or another. If one of my techs left and later wanted to charge me for helping me with something, I would bear no ill will towards them for it. It would be unreasonable of me to do so. I'm a nice guy, too. Charging for my services doesn't mean I'm not. J From: David Lum [mailto:david....@nwea.org] Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 1:58 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Supporting former employer You can't put a price on good will. My time is valuable, but my reputation as being helpful is equally so. It's also a judgment call depending on how your relationship was while working with the former employer. If I feel they're just using me, then by all means I charge, but if it's a genuine "hey, I have problem with." and I don't think they're being abusive about the request then I give them basically "I'm being nice to you, pass it forward when you get the chance". I will always err on the side of being too nice - I sleep better at night that way (my "be nice" and optimistic personality makes me run this way), but everyone's personality and situation is different. You just never know when being nice will pay off "You're looking for a tech guy? Hmmm..oh yeah, I know a guy who used to work for my wife's company and she said he was always helpful, nobody ever said anything bad about him..." David Lum // SYSTEMS ENGINEER NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION (Desk) 971.222.1025 // (Cell) 503.267.9764 From: John Hornbuckle [mailto:john.hornbuc...@taylor.k12.fl.us] Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 10:47 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Supporting former employer The number of responses from folks recommending against charging surprises me. I fall into the pro-charging category. I'm not saying be a jerk about it, but there's nothing at all unreasonable about viewing your time as being valuable. What *is* unreasonable is for a former employer to expect you to work for free (not saying yours expects this-I don't know). If I left my organization, but boss would never DREAM of asking me to help out for free after the fact. If my services were needed, she wouldn't hesitate to get a purchase order processed for my time. I wouldn't charge for answering a few e-mail questions or for spending a few minutes on the phone. But beyond that, I would be inclined to charge for my time just like any other professional would. Any former employer who would begrudge you of that is (A.) someone you probably wouldn't want to go back to work for and (B.) likely to come up with some other reason to give you a bad reference in the future. John Hornbuckle MIS Department Taylor County School District 318 North Clark Street Perry, FL 32347 www.taylor.k12.fl.us ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
