Company chases consultant for advice despite refusing to pay their invoice — ends up costing them big time
'They refused to pay the recurring fee but pleaded with me again on the other matter...'
A consultant (u/omegaJ8006) working for a long-term client agreed to help on a project, provided the management paid them for an hour of their work. The company, however, refused to pay, and the person also declined to work for free. But then came the actual entitlement. The client made repeated attempts to contact the consultant, asking for their help without compensation; in fact, they also refused to pay another long-standing yearly fee, leaving the person with no other option but to take strict action against the management. The consultant shared the story on January 1 on Reddit and was praised online for refusing to bow down to disrespectful conduct.
The client had undergone some changes in its management, following which the consultant noticed a slight change in their behavior. To be precise, a new hire was rude to the person during a Zoom meeting for something that they hadn't even done. Following this, they noticed they were consulted less but didn't think much about it. Later, when the new management contacted the consultant for help, they responded by asking them for an hour's pay. The management argued about the fee and refused to pay, so the consultant ghosted them. "Over the next couple of months, I received one to two follow-up emails per week and at least five calls, all to voicemail," they recalled. Somehow, the management agreed to pay, but the consultant had lost all interest in working with them, so they continued ghosting them. "They stalked me on social media. I blocked them. I sent them another invoice for a different fee, a long-established annual recurring cost," they explained. In fact, the consultant threatened to revoke the client's license. "They refused to pay the recurring fee but pleaded with me again on the other matter. I gave no response, and today I revoked their license," the person wrote. Referring to their client as "Amanda," the employee basked in the glory of her ultimate defeat.
Expecting people to work for free is something most companies think they can easily get away with. What's more surprising is the fact that most workers give in to the ridiculous demands of the employers, fearing job loss. A study by Self Financial, a credit-building company, found that 42% of Americans are working extra hours every week, with 27% of them putting in as many as 5-6 extra hours. In fact, since the pandemic, a majority of working Americans (88.5%) reported waking up early and going to bed late to meet deadlines. Nearly half (46%) of those employees have reported increased levels of stress due to working more. Now, here's the real twist: 20% of people working overtime aren't paid for either some or all of that extra work. One in five overtime workers works 4.5 hours extra for free; that is, they give up $432.72 in unpaid overtime per week, or $5,626 per year.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Reddit post, u/kumquatrodeo commented, "Amanda is just trying her best. She has a lot on her plate now, and lord knows her home life is pretty shaky. Being rude to contractors is really all she has besides those weird circus clown fantasies." u/cute_recognition_880 said, "Don't bring your home problems to work, Amanda. Nobody at work gives a damn about them."
More on Scoop Upworthy
Woman shares how coffee shop asked her to work for free after offering a job: 'I was so happy'
Job applicant has the best response to a company asking him for free work during interview process
Share on Facebook
