I opened the file and began reading through the contents. There’s another thing I’ve learnt about employers: sometimes they get a bit confused and, as a result, their written offers have this way of looking a tad bit, or a whole lot, different than their previously uttered verbal offers.

Cont. from Last Tuesday:

The first thing that was glaringly off in the written contract was the salary quoted.  In the past, I used to have all these strange ideas about a salary.  Once upon a time, I truly believed that I should not have to haggle over numbers and that it was impolite to do so.

In my mind, an employer and employee settling on a salary was but a courteous formality, coming at the end of a series of spoken and unspoken agreements.  Maybe, it’s something in my upbringing which made me not particularly great at or the least bit keen on talking money matters.

It was all very simple to me: you court me- we agree to marry and the obvious things are left unsaid.  Like my worth.  I expected an employer to be honest, weigh my worth- potential and real- to his or her company and pay me accordingly- without a sigh or grimace. But, here was this contract- asking things of me at a rate which was neither acceptable nor morally right. It was clearly a case of an employer attempting to force a two-for-one sale.  It was also clearly not what we had agreed upon during our earlier discussions.

Thankfully, my timidity with money matters was now a thing of the past and so I quickly sent a stern query across and politely suggested we began negotiations anew.  Once upon a time, I might not have done that. Would I have taken the salary offered, even if I was aware that it was way lower than what I was earning as a freelancer? Who knows? But, there are things you learn to do when you give up on being overmodest or understand that modesty has nothing to do with being ignorant of your value.  You learn to haggle. Politely, of course.

So, I haggled about the salary issue and other issues and was assured that the contract would be reworked and sent back to me almost immediately.  In the meantime, I was left to continue, quite joyfully, I might add, as a freelance writer- just waiting for a new draft of the contract to be sent to me almost immediately. But, the weeks melted into each other with a new draft nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, others at the company were looking to me as if the deal was done and I had to continuously remind them that this was not the case.  I was still very much a free animal- the freest of the bunch.

I even had time to catch some flu bug and was out of things for a while. I even decided to hang up my working hat while I recovered- heard a voice in my head smirking “let’s see you do that when you re-sell your soul to the devil!” And still no second draft. And still another payday looming on the horizon. I recovered from the bug, sent out a note saying that I’d recovered from the bug, and, of course, asked after the new contract.  I received a note, almost immediately, which informed me that it was thought I was already staff, but that I could start as a staff writer whenever I wanted and that certain items were now being procured to welcome me into the fold.

I graciously accepted the generosity to start as a staff writer whenever I wanted,  but, shockingly decided to continue freelancing for as long as a contract was nowhere in sight.

Coming Next Tuesday: #30 And this too...