What would be a fair rate?

[GripGuru]

I was "downsized" last month. Former employer is upgrading to NX6 shortly and wants me to come back to compile and test all of my old GRIP programs. They were so kind as to offer me my old salary/2080 per hour. I had proposed 2.5x.

What would be a fair rate to charge? How much are they going have to pay to get someone else in to do it?

There are several complex programs that are in daily use with over 100,000 lines of code.

 

[PheasantPlucker]

Tell 'em to pound sand. Start a consulting business as a sole proprietor and charge them at least triple your old hourly rate.You can't even get a plumber for $60/hr.
Perhaps they didn't think through your "downsizing".
My 2 cents

 

[FXjohn]

2.5 times rates good to me. And they'll be back.
Just because you're gone doesn't mean they can do without you.
Many times companies will lay off tons of people but have to settle for the people they have to have.."necessary evils".
charge em!

 

[cowski]

The bad news is - there is probably nothing you need to do to get the grip programs to run on NX6. Grip has been in maintenance mode for years now (as I'm sure you are aware), but legacy support has been excellent. If they install NX6 and run your programs, chances are good that it will work.

 

[cowski]

To answer the original question, I would say it depends on your future intentions. Are you trying to get your old job back, or are you intending to move on and do some consulting work on the side?

I'm guessing the 'old salary' they offered you was what you saw on the checks you took home; but your true salary was probably a fair bit higher when you factor in the benefits that they are no longer paying you (insurance, vacation pay, 401k contributions, etc etc). To match your 'old salary', 2.5x your take home pay is probably in the ball park. If you are just looking to make some money on the side, I'm guessing 4x your old take home pay would not be unreasonable.

 

[GripGuru]

Thanks to all for the input. I'm sticking to my price. The responses tell me that I'm being more than fair. Its a full time job looking for work in this business climate so I don't need any distractions. A couple of days or weeks here and there isn't going to help much in the long run.

I wouldn't count on GRIP running error free on the next upgrade. They are running NX 3 and jumping to NX 5. I've been doing this since UG V6 and have never had an upgrade where something wasn't broke!!! If you are just running the really simple short programs like the documentation examples and library, you're probably going to be just fine.

I wrote some fairly complex applications.

I got around some of the limitations of GRIP by writing out and then executing script files and also by using xspawn to run an external program. Did all kinds of cool stuff like that. Like create a tool path, save it, run the post processor,and then copy to the appropriate directory. Another app is a FEA mesher that creates not just the mesh but the entire model ready to run along with a set of batch files to run and post process the model.

I spent over a week just moving from Unix to Windows.

 

[hudson888]

GripGuru,

Its a small world and you don't kick a man when he's down. Charge a reasonable rate without attempting to extort from your former employer and you'll be better regarded by word of mouth down the track.

In this case you need to decide whether you'll go into business designing and selling those designs or you'll basically go contracting. If you contract then you need good will if you're really going write your own ticket less so.

I'd explain your reasoning to your former employer for setting a rate comparable to other contractors, for short term gigs the rate can be a bit higher on occasion. I'd let them make you an offer and as long as it's not so ridiculous as to be insulting then I'd accept it because you probably garner a reasonable amount of goodwill if you can say that a former employer would and did have you back.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[GripGuru]

I guess my problem is that I was insulted when they made such a low initial offer.

I'm looking for a full time job. I am near full retirement and don't have the interest, time or energy to build a consulting business. This would just be something that would be some extra money from time to time as needed.

I'm really doing them a favor. I mentioned the port to Windows. They put it out for quote and no one would touch it.

 

[FXjohn]

I wouldn't worry about charging them too much.
After all, you know they'd be shelling that much out to a job shop without blinking an eye. No one is going to remember or care what you charged if they pay it.