Employment Status - Summary to date

[JDigi88 <JDigi88 -at- AOL -dot- COM>]

I would like to thank everyone for their responses and their time. You have
been great, and you have given me a lot to think about. At first, I really
needed a reality check because they were telling me I was not fired.

Of the 32 responses, everyone agreed I was fired. Curiously, when I did talk
today to the woman who sent the contract (Vice President), she expressed
surprise and wonderment that I would even think I was being fired. She assures
me that was not her intention, and all I need to do is go to the bottom of the
5-page contract titled, Contracting Agreement, cross out the word "Contractor"
and write in the word, "Employee".  I don't see myself doing that. I'm
thinking they believed I would just gratefully sign the contract.

Several people emphatically said DO NOT SIGN. There is an issue with losing
unemployment if you willingly change from employee to contractor. People
thought there might be some room to negotiate a higher per-hour rate. People
suggested considering taking what was offered while looking for something
else.

Some people said, leave and do not look back. Some people had great advice on
locating contract assignments.

Several people suggested seeking legal advice. At the very least, I should
hire a lawyer to review the contract offered to see if it is equitable. There
needs to be language in the contract that would protect me or give me some
legal basis for redress if needed later.

I felt everyone's empathy, and that helped me a lot.

My temptation is to use this event as the occassion to just-walk-away. If I
trust these people again, the next event is really my fault for trusting.

Someone asked if I had any notice of this. I was a telecommuter, so there was
email. The last email I had said the client accepted the training course I had
written as is, with no changes--that I had hit another home run,
congratulations. If I knew how to read the signs, there probably were signs
over the past months. I need to work on reading signs.

I will certainly leave this work situtation older and wiser. I'm thinking,
older and wiser is not a bad place to be.

I have told them that I want the option to convert the insurance and letters
of recommendation from them. I don't know if I'll get it, but my chances are
better if I ask.

Thank you all again. You are one great group.

Jackie DiGiovanni
Technical Communications