[geeks] What do you get paid for wearing a pager?

[Mike Hebel]

On Sep 24, 2006, at 8:47 PM, Patrick Giagnocavo wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have a client that wants to pay me a retainer fee for wearing a pager
> from 7AM to 7PM, Monday thru Friday.
>
> Then they want to pay an hourly rate for any work I do for them (usual
> sysadmin stuff, plus of course fixing whatever the problem was that
> they actually page me for).
>
> Kicker:  I need to respond within 15 minutes of a page.
>
> I have done lots of sysadmin work, but really do not quite understand
> how to price the "wear pager and respond in 15 minutes" work.
>
> What are *your* experiences or ideas?

Not for ANY amount of money.

I mean it.

If you do you'll be putting yourself in position for some of the worst 
support experiences of your life and by the end you will have spent all 
the money you earned doing this job and will have nothing but burnout, 
lost time, and bad health.

Trust me.  I was foolish enough to wear one for 6 years when I was 
starting out.  Never again.  And especially never where they officially 
put you on the clock for 7 to 7 but don't have to pay you for that time 
that you're not at the office.

It's the fast track to "living to work" my friend and I would run very 
hard and very fast to get away.

Mike Hebel
----
To realize a mistake, to not lie, to love one another, to not kill. 
Those are very simple things, but these times won't allow for them. 
There is no green on this planet, even though we want it, and want it 
so badly. A place where we can live peaceful days with no wars, nor 
stealing, a sacred place, where people can live as people. Yes there, 
that place is called... -Vash