Edit: I understand asking for a higher rate as contract work, what I need help with is how do I add in that I don’t want to help them after they screwed me? I would like to give them a clear “fuck you and I told you so” while staying professional.
Before I left my previous job, I sat down with my boss and told them that I was doing work way above my title and pay grade and higher volume than anyone else in the department/admin staff and that I would like a promotion and raise. If I had been promoted like my coworkers had during their time at the company, I would’ve been making at least $5/hour more than I was and I had the evidence to back everything up. I was told they might be able to give me a $0.75/hour raise, but it would be probably more like $0.50/hour and that the best they could do in terms of promotion would be to add Senior to my title. I told my boss that if that was the best they could do then I would find a job elsewhere where I will actually be appreciated. I ended up transferring to our sister company, so I still work fairly closely with my old boss and department.
My old boss originally tried to replace me for $5/hour less than I was making when I left but couldn’t find anyone to accept that pay. They finally hire someone for $1.50/hour more than they had been paying me. The first replacement didn’t work out after three months. They hired someone again for $1.50/hour more than they had been paying me. This person is doing 1/8 of the work I was doing in that role.
While talking to my old boss last week, they asked if I would come back to work for the company and that they would give me everything I asked for before I left. They said my second replacement is failing and the whole department is doing more work than they every had before and are working more hours than they every have and I was right and they should’ve just given me what I asked for and never let me leave because I am not replaceable and they did not realize until I left. I told them I wasn’t interested in leaving my current employer. They then asked if I would help them out with certain projects if I was able to take on the workload. I said I would think about it before giving them an answer.
I reached out to my old boss yesterday to ask what projects they had in mind. I was under the impression it would be higher level projects but the list I was given was stuff my replacement or their receptionist should be doing.
How do I let them (professionally) know that I am not interested in being their dumpster, that I feel they are still trying to take advantage of me, and why would I help them after they basically told me to go fuck myself when there is clearly no advantage for me? I am having a hard time drafting up a response because I still have to work closely with my old department on occasion and as a person I like my old boss but as a manager they are dog shit.