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freebird5825 · 11-12-2009, 06:42 AM

3 words...RUN LIKE H*LL

Congrats on your retirement.
Your freedom is the most important thing - away from this former boss' bowl of very twisted up spaghetti between his ears.

donheff · 11-12-2009, 07:16 AM

Congrats on the retirement. I can't believe people can be as dumb as your boss. After the treatment you received you should not "answer an email or two." But, ss others said, everything is negotiable. If you want the option of making a few bucks you could craft your own agreement at double your former hourly rate and then contact the boss and tell him/her that you are not available for projects/lengthy assignments but are available to consult on problems that come up in your former area. But insist that the consultations be under your terms.

ziggy29 · 11-12-2009, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donheff

Congrats on the retirement. I can't believe people can be as dumb as your boss. After the treatment you received you should not "answer an email or two."

No kidding. I guess some managers just can't wrap their heads around the fact that not everyone can be controlled through fear and need of a paycheck.

W2R · 11-12-2009, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum

I don't get most of these posts. The OP said he didn't want to go back at all. And people keep telling him how much he should charge as a contractor! He doesn't want to do that!

Kabekew, no wonder you hated the job with a clueless boss like that. I think you handled it well. They'll survive.

I agree - - I think that many posting here lost track of the fact that Kabekew doesn't want to consult.

As for the idea that everybody has a price, a salary at which they would return to work after FIRE, think twice!! Time=money. There is a point in life at which many feel they have enough stuff, and would much prefer the option of having additional free time to the option of having additional money.

Kabekew, there is a silver lining to this cloud, to be considered here. Namely, now you know that retiring was an even better decision than you previously thought. There are few things worse than working for a clueless jerk. What are you doing today? Enjoying life, I hope.

ziggy29 · 11-12-2009, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R

I agree - - I think that many posting here lost track of the fact that Kabekew doesn't want to consult.

It may not always be a matter of "losing track" of that. It may be case of filing the phrase "never say never" in the back of your head. Even if someone has no desire to do it now, you never know if a few months down the road, assuming someone can be paid fairly and largely dictate their own terms, they may have a change of heart. It may seem far-fetched now, but I've learned that you don't burn bridges that don't absolutely *need* to be burned.

Having said that, I have to imagine the environment must have been at least somewhat toxic if the boss has this kind of arrogant, control-freak attitude even with the people they can no longer control. I would think that even if someone had a little bit of inclination to consider consulting in the future, that attitude would certainly make me a LOT less likely to want to set foot in that place again.

Rustic23 · 11-12-2009, 08:59 AM

I went back an reread the OP's post. It seems like the firm is looking for a consultant, and the OP makes it clear that is not him. I agree with the post that you contact one or two close associates and let them know you are available to answer a question, i.e. 'where did I leave the coffee filters' but only if they are friends you feel you would like a continued relationship with.

The idea of setting outrageous conditions on your time is to do what many contractors do when they really don't want the job. They don't tell you no, they just bid it at such a ridiculous price no one would except it, and if they did, they are really going to laugh all the way to the bank.

kyounge1956 · 11-12-2009, 09:02 AM

Your old boss must be related to thefed's dentist

Congratulations on your retirement!!

MasterBlaster · 11-12-2009, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustic23

I went back an reread the OP's post. It seems like the firm is looking for a consultant, and the OP makes it clear that is not him. I agree with the post that you contact one or two close associates and let them know you are available to answer a question, i.e. 'where did I leave the coffee filters' but only if they are friends you feel you would like a continued relationship with.

The idea of setting outrageous conditions on your time is to do what many contractors do when they really don't want the job. They don't tell you no, they just bid it at such a ridiculous price no one would except it, and if they did, they are really going to laugh all the way to the bank.

We don't have all of the info here. But I suspect that there is more to this story than an overbearing boss and poor planning.

Reading between the lines I get that the OP sold his small software company to MegaCorp, agreed to work there for some time thereafter. Completed any contractual obligations for such. Has issues with cultural differences between Megacorp and running his own small independent company. Evidently the OP did well selling off the company and needn't work anymore.

The OP may have unique experience keeping "the product" up and running and is therefore a very valuable asset.

rescueme · 11-12-2009, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R

Time=money. There is a point in life at which many feel they have enough stuff, and would much prefer the option of having additional free time to the option of having additional money.

One of my favorite refrerences:

easysurfer · 11-12-2009, 11:11 AM

Reading the original post, now I don't feel so paranoid about being a bit guarded after receiving a Happy Birthday email from former co-w*rkers

Congrats on your retirement!

bssc · 11-12-2009, 01:47 PM

Congratulations on your retirement. I hope you hear some stories about your boss missing you. I had something similar when the boss thought he could call me for free. Then he decided that he could figure it out himself. Was your boss named "Mike"?

Enjoy being FIRE'd.

DeborahB · 11-12-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kabekew

Going back as a consultant would defeat the purpose of retiring, especially since I don't need their money and I hated it there! I just thought it was kind of funny and annoying how they assumed I'd want to keep working for them after I specifically quit, since I wasn't "doing anything else anyway."

I'm also going with UNBELIEVABLE. Get out - stay out!

I've thought about this scenario for myself (because I don't totallly hate it but I do hate working). I decided that I'd offer them a consulting possibility (IF they wanted it, IF I wanted it). I'd also name a price. Where I am, in IT, the vendor consultants seem to bill at $100-$200 an hour. Possibly I can be bought

for enough money.

I seriously doubt they would go for it though. I'm still trying to decide if I would give them much notice or just run for the car (figuratively speaking).

mf15 · 11-12-2009, 02:17 PM

Congrats: I just did this, signed about the same kind of contract except I don't need to be an LLC to protect myself. I have worked a total of 5 days in the past two weeks. Found it rather enjoyable after a year off. What was nice is just did technical work,did not have to deal with customers,production,suppliers,people problems,meetings and of course the GLOBAL MATRIX.
The downside is getting up earlier than normal, and shaving.
Besides that my wife told me to get up off of my butt.
Old Mike

Milton · 11-12-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUEGO

Were I in your shoes, I'd privately email or speak with one or two friendly coworkers on the team/in the division and let them know if they ever want to send you a quick email or phone call, up to 30 minutes is free. More than that will cost them a beer, and anything over an hour will cost them a lunch or dinner.

I wouldn't bother: way too much hassle.

Retired = no longer available. If the team has any future difficulties, they can either figure things out for themselves, or management will have to hire a new employee who can.

RunningBum · 11-12-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster

We don't have all of the info here. But I suspect that there is more to this story than an overbearing boss and poor planning.

Reading between the lines I get that the OP sold his small software company to MegaCorp, agreed to work there for some time thereafter. Completed any contractual obligations for such. Has issues with cultural differences between Megacorp and running his own small independent company. Evidently the OP did well selling off the company and needn't work anymore.

The OP may have unique experience keeping "the product" up and running and is therefore a very valuable asset.

Could be. But how would that change the situation?

audreyh1 · 11-12-2009, 06:05 PM

When I got to the point where my personal time and energy was way more valuable to me than money, I knew that it was time to quit working. I had enough money. Now I wanted all my time for myself (and my family/friends/priorities).

It's interesting - this seems one of the things people who wonder why we don't turn our hobby into a business have a hard time understanding as they observe that what we produce might be commercially viable. Sure - folks might buy it, but we're simply not willing to devote the time and effort required to actually operate the business side of it. We do it because it's fun, and we only want to do the fun parts! It's fine, of course, if someone does make that choice - each to his own. But that's why we don't automatically try to make our hobby a "profit center".

Audrey

DeborahB · 11-12-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1

When I got to the point where my personal time and energy was way more valuable to me than money, I knew that it was time to quit working. I had enough money. Now I wanted all my time for myself (and my family/friends/priorities).

The personal time and energy thing really strikes a chord with me. Also, as I've gotten older and had some illness hit me, I feel like going back to work has kept me from being healthy, kept me from recovering completely. I want to spend my remaining years doing things that really matter to me, and not just making money.

I'm not going to have tons of money in retirement but I should be comfortable. The personal time really means more to me than the money.