Pittance pay

What a joke it was!

I received my an email from my boss.
She offered to pay me $10 (that is 3.33 pounds sterling) per hour for the hours that I had put into the 2 jobs that I had done for her since the beginning of the year.
According to a friend of mine, a Secondary Two pupil can earn $9+ per hour at MacDonald's.
And that another said $10 per hour is the going-rate for a delivery man.

I suspect my boss is annoyed with me about several things.
And that she was trying to insult me for disappointing her on several fronts.

For one, my decision not to take on the additional task had her guessing that I may have already decided who (out of the 2 job offers I have, one of which is hers) I want to work full-time for.

On a professional level, she is eager to retire, and I may have messed up her original plans about wanting me to lead her company within the year.

On a personal level, her retirement is just so that she could concentrate a little more on starting a family, being recently married.

I counter-proposed the rate offered in my reply-email, and justified my working hours in the process.
I decided to adopt the magnanimous approach by asking for an hourly-rate that, as a civil servant in a specific sector, I would be paid (i.e. $36 an hour, or 12 pounds sterling).
And that is not considering the going-rate as a proper consultant in the same field, with Doctoral qualifications, at $150 (50 pounds) per hour - which is information I ensured I included in my final reply-email to her.

What is money now that a supposedly good friendship is already strained?
By saving her company tons of money, she has belittled a friend greatly in the process.
Not only that, it indicates clearly what kind of a boss/person she is.
One minute she is your good friend, the next, she is not.
Frankly, she cannot afford to take things so personally in her line of job.
It could have an adverse effect on her rapidly-growing, successful business.
Not to mention that she may have tarnished her credibility that she has worked so hard to achieve!
In addition, our paths WILL cross again, since the line of work is so similar.
Her company and I may even share different responsibilities on a same project!
Let's hope that this incident does not come back to bite her.
And if it does, it has NOTHING - I repeat, nothing - to do with me.

What money I have been deprived of now, I can always earn it again in time.
To me, losing money is not a big deal, although to most people, it is/could be.
Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.
Good job I have decided not to join this company to work full-time prior to this incident.
Imagine what more would/could have happened???
I shudder to think...

I have also learnt a little more about myself - that I have the strength to weather such "knocks"!
But let's not forget the support that a few of my friends who are in-the-know have given me.
Their emphathy and sympathy has been most appreciated.

Thank goodness for friends, eh?

LESSON LEARNT: whether for friendship or as a gesture of goodwill, ALWAYS talk terms first (money and job scope) before starting work!