RE: Ethics of Jumping To Another Contract Job

["Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>]

> Behalf Of John Posada

> The rate was agreed on for the term that was agreed on. When 
> the term changes, why shouldn't the rate be considered. After 
> all, you now know more, so you are more productive...you are 
> more valuable and they should be prepared to pay for that 
> additional value.

In my case, it was 1997 and rates were rising in the market.  I agreed to
the short-term contract because it was not a job that I wanted to keep for a
longer term.  When rates went up, I wanted a raise.  I could either find
another contract or work with the current contract.

> Also, probably the reason that it is being extended is the 
> scope of the project has changed. You might have given a 
> different rate if you had been presented with this scope in 
> the first place.

I began as one technical writer and more projects came in, so two new
writers were added.  I was the defacto lead and the project manager for all
of the documentation projects.  Project management and team leadership were
not in my original contract.  As it turns out, I had a medical issue that
required the medical insurance that the company provided, so I didn't argue
about the rate.

> You're not saying you WILL change your rate, you just want 
> them to know that if they reserve the option to change 
> something, so can you.

I have stopped doing work that wasn't contracted, like I don't do project
management for technical writing jobs without there being project management
in the contract and with an appropriate rate, unless I want to for some
reason.  That did make one manager mad when he kept asking for me to manage
the current project and I told him that I was a technical writer.  I think
the recruiter lied to the manager about what he was getting.  I think that
now, if PM, or some other issue, comes up for a non-PM contract, then I will
mention that we can re-write the contract and adjust the rate accordingly,
if that's what the client wants.

Lauren

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