chronovore | good news, mediocre news (Reply)

Some good news: my next-term contract talks went well today. There was a huge buildup where I thought they were going to tell me they couldn't hire me, but it was about how they can't give me a raise. I hadn't even asked for a raise. I've never received a raise since accepting this position. The Japanese economy has been recessed since my arrival, and is in the middle of tanking, pulling a tragic wingman-follows-the-lead-fighter-into-the-ground maneuver in sync with the USA. (Note: I do not believe we are doomed.) Anyway, between their historic reticence to provide a raise, and the economic environment, I'd not planned to ask for more money -- instead proposing more flexible hours and possible work-at-home time. They seemed open to both suggestions.

They also wanted to reinforce that they like me, but the barrier between contractor-style and employee-style relations needs to be respected, which I had to hold myself back from nodding gleefully at, since it allows even more leverage to get the flexible hours and work-at-home / offsite clauses to be integrated.

Anyway, in short, it looks like I'll be employed here for another 2 year period (though I may request 1 year, and then renegotiate), maybe with more personal freedoms than at any time in the last 8 years.

The mediocre news is that though that went well, it had looked like I might get tomorrow afternoon off to cool my jets in Namba with

aalfonso and maybe even my first two-day weekend in a while, but we have [DESCRIPTIVE TEXT DELETED TO COMPLY WITH CORPORATE SECRECY POLICY] so I'll be here on Saturday and Sunday, leading directly to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...