I had a job for 12 years that in February, got so slow that they had to lay me off for a while. I used up all my vacation time and during my "wait" I got a temporary position at another company with the idea that after the temporary position was done, I would return to my original job. My original employers paid my insurance premium until the end of April, and then May, June and July I paid it myself. They gave me a "discount" of $100 a month. In June, they informed me that the lay off would be permanant and I officially have been searching for another job. I still pay my insurance through them at the discounted rate.
Today I was asked to come in for about 1/2 hour to an hour to show them how to use the software that only I knew how to run when I was there (job security, I thought...ha!). The dilemma I have is that it's out of my way to get there, I have to go in after my temporary job, and I had been sitting around doing nothing for 2 months when they could have easily brought me in then to show them how to do the software. I have agreed to go in, but the question is: do I ask for compensation? They are giving me a discount on my insurance but I was very patient with them in waiting to find another job. Also, money is very tight right now because of the extra $$ I have been paying towards insurance and the extra travel time/pay cut to get to this temporary job.
What are your suggestions?
Half an hour? 12 year employment history?
Probably worth the glowing references you'll receive. :)
Ask your temp job if you can leave a half hour early O. day.
How many employees do they have? The reason I ask is because if they employ so many than they are required to offer you COBRA insurance. Typically under COBRA you pay the entire premium + a 2% handling fee. So that leads me to ask if they were giving you COBRA less $100 or were you contributing what your share always was?
Then I wonder have you been collecting unemployment? If not why?
I guess neither really matters in the end. You agreed to come in and show them so I feel you need to honor your committment. I'm not sure why compensation was not discussed at the time they called and you agreed to come in. Plus you don't want to burn any bridges in your quest for a new position. They are more likely to give you a better reference if you come in. So bottom line - I feel you need to go.
Half of my former company was laid off last year. I received a pretty sweet package from them, even had the company car for an extra month. I was happy to help out these people that had been my clients for thirteen years. I felt it would bring good things in return!! It did, I landed the best job ever at a 40% increase (and I wasn't doing poorly before).
I would only ask to be reimbursed for my travel if it is out of your way. They are doing you a big favor by giving you a discount on your insurance. I wouldn't want to rock that boat.
On the surface I'd say you are working they should pay you but then you remember they have been paying you all this time by paying part of your insurance. I'd say how bad would it ask if you could pay you to work the day and thank them for all the help they gave and that times were tough and it would really help
I have never heard of employers offering a discount as long as yours has. They are giving you a hundred a month they are not legally obligated to give. How much could you possibly make that you don't think that is enough.
Okay but Dad's response made me smile.
Yes, you should ask for compensation. It is illegal not to pay someone for work they do.
I'd do it without complaint because you were getting insurance from them for $100 for two months. That saved you two months worth of COBRA payments.
Make sure you call HR from the office before you leave there to get COBRA information/forms, whatever you need to get on that insurance. I've never had COBRA myself, but you need to know exactly what's what.
You ought to go down to the unemployment office BEFORE you go to the office and talk to them about collecting unemployment. The people in the unemployment office will explain all the in's and out's to you and tell you if you need anything from the office manager or HR. If you know what, if anything, you need, you can ask for it as soon as you arrive. They will want to give it to so that you will sit down and show them how to do the software.
Be helpful, but be smart FIRST. They help you, then you help them. You won't know what to ask for if you haven't asked the unemployment office first. I've never had to use unemployment, so I don't know the rules about it. I do hope that you can still collect it since you are losing a full time position. That's one reason I really think you should have your duckies in a row like I have described. It is surely what I would do if I were in your position.
Good luck!
Dawn
That's frustrating but unless travel reimbursement would amount to more than $10 (mileage), I wouldn't ask for comp. They really have compensated you via the insurance and you don't want them to get resentful. If the travel would be >$10, I'd ask if they can reimburse you and say you hate to ask but things are really tight for you now. Maybe you can guilt them a little into paying you for your time. And if you haven't scheduled the time yet, act a little stressed about when you can come in. "Sure, I want to help out. It's hard now bc we don't have as much childcare bc it's so expensive and I'm trying to juggle working some at xyz so would time x or time y work?..." It sounds like they didn't want to screw you over and have tried somewhat to do right by you so I wouldn't outright ask for money for this.
Yes, they should at least pay you for the time to be there, if not for the travel time as well. Tell them that you will be saving them money by getting their people up to speed. If they had to bring in someone to train them, I'm sure it would cost a pretty penny.
I feel for you. I was at a job for about six years when they had some guys from India come into our department for "training". A few months later we were all laid off and our jobs were outsourced. We had unwittingly trained our replacements.
This is a hard one. I wish I had some advice. My gut reaction would be to leave them as high and dry as they left you, but on the other hand, they are giving you a deal on your insurance. Had the insurance not been a factor I'd just tell them that I couldn't afford the trip over and leave the ball in their court.
After my own galling experience training my own replacement I'm loath to give you advice to just go in and help them on your own time (and dime.)
I can understand being nice and trying to maintain a good relationship with the company that in the future might be useful to you. So not necessarily asking for compensation maybe.
Can you request from them to have a conference call instead? With a webex or via skype - so that they can share the desktop with you and you can show/walk them though the steps oh how to use the software and answer the questions? Also, can that conference be arranged before or after work hours? Like 7:00 to 7:30 or 5:30 to 6:00?
I think they should try to accommodate you in those aspects, given that you do not work for them anymore.
If they do not agree to that and still ask you to come in in person, then you can tell them: sure, I agree to come in, but given that I work for a different company I will have to coordinate with them to be able to leave work so I can meet with you guys.
Let them know you have other employer to arrange your time with (even if you know you have flexible hours), so that they are more respectful of your time. The a little later you can tell them you have arranged things with your current employer so that you can be absent from work and meet with them, and give them specific time preference of what day(s) and hour(s) you might be able to come in, and have them agree to that.
Again, you are not an on call support person (and I am assuming you don't have a retainer contract that specifies that you get a discounted insurance in exchange for your availability), and they should be able to be reasonable and respectful of your time. It would be very odd if they would not.
