Setting work boundaries

I complained to a friend about my current working pattern with a tech company. It all started out simple with a few demands and a simple pay, however, it has now escalated into several demands every other week.

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We had an initial agreement that I would make corrections on their app design and just be available until they were done with production. I agreed that they would pay me $120 for the entire work demand because they were already close to production and the workload wasn’t a lot.

I made a number of corrections and have been available for the entire production process even though they’ve only paid half of what they promised. I also helped create some designs for future updates as well as other random requests that weren’t part of our initial deal.

Again, they reached out to me to practically redo their entire Pitch Deck without a single statement about payment. I’m almost done but I generally feel used because I have no idea when I agreed to be a part of their team but apparently, they think I am.

At this point, I know it’s mostly my fault for not setting boundaries and expecting my friend who brought me into the company to treat me fairly. I’ve done everything they’ve asked for without once complaining but they haven’t even mentioned paying me for my services.

I’m financially not at the point where I can accept shares as payment so that’s out of the question. It just hurts a little that they consider me to be a part of the team yet there has been no conversation or a contract on my reward.

I’ve always been the person to be patient with people so I’m doing my best. I don’t want to ruin a possibly beneficial relationship but I also don’t want to be taken for granted so I’m at a loss for the next course of action.

At the moment, I’m just focused on completing the job and moving on to something else. I’m aware the company’s expecting some funding soon so if they don’t communicate their intention with me on their team before then, I’ll simply opt out and demand payment for the work I’ve done.

Moving forward, I’ll learn from this experience and try to discuss my work and payment expectations with any company I decide to work with. That way I won’t be left feeling confused.

Posted Using LeoFinance Alpha