[austechwriter] Re: Another one down - and almost out

Geoff,

You have taken my comments completely out of context and used the old 
"staff jealousy calculation method" that involves simply taking a rate, 
multiplying it by 40 then by 52.  (Few if any contractors get to work more 
than 40 weeks of the year, often much less at the moment.)

Life doesn't work that way and nobody gets to work a non-breaks full year 
or they'd be in no condition to work for another and they'd have no life 
left to work for.

Most assignments are relatively short and have substantial periods of no or 
little income in between.

Annual staff salaries are a different matter.

Contractors get no holiday pay and have huge overheads, including 
insurances, equipment and other down-time costs, including training and 
seminar costs.

The idea is to work to live, not to live to work.

You have most definitely grabbed the wrong end of the stick.

Multiplying your AUD$0.02 cents worth, by 40 (80 whole shiny cents a week) 
then by 52 gives us AUD$41.60 a year of valuable commentary, but that would 
be too wearing for you (and for us) so, in deference to your needs, I'm 
willing to give you 4 weeks paid annual commentary leave worth AUD$3.20.

I've just given you a break.  Now, why don't you give us one.

Michael Granat
Write Ideas
Carnegie, Victoria, Australia.

At 16:47 30/6/2003 +1000, you wrote:
><snip>
>I think that $40 x 40hrs x 52weeks = $83200pa
>
>Anyone who thinks that $83,200 p.a. is an unrealistically *low* salary will
>probably remain uneployed for a considerable amount of time.  Most employers
>are not looking for The Ultimate Tech Writer, they are looking for someone 
>who
>can do the job for a *realistic* salary.  If a writer applies for a job at
>$25/hr, and can do the job - what employer is going to pay someone else 
>$40/hr
>to do the same job?
>
>I've noticed that most people who complain about low rates devaluing the
>industry are hanging out for rates that get them laughed out of most 
>jobs.  Be
>thankful that I have a job, because I'd be happy to take on most tech writing
>tasks at $30/hr salary.
>
>Michael, you may feel wounded by my comments, but expecting a salary so high
>when so many of your peers are unemployed is just as bad for the industry as
>asking $15/hr.
>
>0.02c
>
>Geoff

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