I'm being blackmailed!

SRXThunder · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:18 pm Post subject: I'm being blackmailed!

Here’s the deal. A little more than a year ago I really got hosed by this one particular consulting firm. I’m talking really bad. I swore I would never work for them again, or refer anyone to them. Fast forward to now…my unemployment has been held up for reasons I couldn’t explain until today. My current firm is working real hard at solidifying a real sweet deal for me right now. My plan was to hang out for a couple of weeks, pull in one or two unemployment checks, then get right back to work with my current firm on this new contract. The phone rang at 6:30 PM tonight. It was the old firm. Seems the Division of Labor sent them a letter stating I had applied for unemployment and asked if they objected. They had been sitting on the letter for a week or so now, that’s why I haven’t started receiving my checks. Never mind why they got a letter and all that, that’s a whole other Oprah, but the old firm took it upon themselves to begin submitting my resume again. They got a call this afternoon from an IT manager that wants me to start Monday. I told the old firm that I had a contract with my current firm pending and their response was that if I hadn’t put my named on the dotted line yet that I had to accept this contract or they would object to my unemployment claim and report to the Dept. of Labor that I refused work, which is illegal to do if you are collecting unemployment in the state of Missouri. The S.O.B.’s are straight up blackmailing me! I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t. If I sign the contract I am legally bound for the next 6 months, which shoots down any opportunities at my current firm. If I don’t sign the contract they will object on the grounds I refused work I go without unemployment for 3 – 4 more weeks, which we can not financially afford me to do right now. I have been on the phone all night with my firm trying to figure something out. The bottom line is that they can’t guarantee this contract will come through in the next 7 days. Realistically we’re looking at 21 days. I can’t go that long with a pay check right now. I have to accept this contract. My firm's CEO did say to sign the contract and immediately fax a copy to him. He’s going to get the company lawyers to look at it and see if I can get out of it. If it’s a matter of financial compensation if I break the contract he said the firm would pick it up for me just so they could have me back under their wing, which I thought was really cool. I just can not believe a company would force you to work for them. Unbelievable!
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Some motherf*ckers are always trying to ice skate up hill.

RichS · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 1:08 am Post subject:

Bad luck mate - seems like your old firm are trying to make life hard for you. What did ya do to them to deserve that???? Wink

Or do they just enjoy meddling in ex-employees lives? - It wasn't really up to them to submit your resume to other companys was it?

Anyway, what I don't understand is, why would the CEO of your present firm ask you to sign this other contract before faxing it to him? Wouldn't it be better to sent him an unsigned copy for the lawyers to look at? Then you'd know the possible options before you signed anything.....
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...dance like nobody's watching...

RichS · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 1:40 am Post subject:

Another thing - if the CEO at your present firm is being straight with you, and is seriously suggesting that they'll pay contract breaking compensation to this other company to get you back, which could be very expensive, then it indicates that they really want you, or they're stalling for time, for whatever reason.

Why not tell him that you need cash now, by way of a retainer (to a minimum value of three weeks unemployment payments that the state would have given you) or failing that, a cash advance on your new contract to tide you over?
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...dance like nobody's watching...

SRXThunder · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 8:15 am Post subject:

RichS · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 11:38 pm Post subject:

- sounds like you've got it under control.

Fair play, to each of your replies and no disrespect intended with any of my comments, including towards your present firm CEO.

I often talk about my own business with a couple of mates over a beer or two. While they don't necessarily understand all the intricacies and problems within my business and industry, I usually find it useful to be challenged by another point of view. (Even if they're wrong!) Wink

Hope it works out well for you....

Rich Smile

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...dance like nobody's watching...

SRXThunder · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2003 5:30 pm Post subject:

RichS · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:20 am Post subject:

Nothing to apologise for - I was just making sure that my comments weren't misinterpreted... or something like that... whatever!

As I said, hope it works out... Very Happy

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...dance like nobody's watching...

SRXThunder · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2003 8:17 am Post subject:

Thanks Rich. I'm sure in the end it'll all work out just fine.
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Some motherf*ckers are always trying to ice skate up hill.