Dear M,
Since I replied to your text message in which you have announced that “you will not be available” since today I gathered a few reflections which I feel I need to share with you (and anyone interested).
First — I want to say that I sustain what I wrote in the SMS last night. I do feel responsible for the situation and I do understand, respect and accept your decision.
However having read, early in the morning today, again your initial message I cannot restrain from saying that I find the intimate thought behind it a bit unfair. You seem to imply that I have acted dishonestly against you by not paying you on time for the translations you’ve done some time ago (two months, maybe a bit more) and that you were out of the bargaining process or something like that (I don’t have my mobile on me, I quote from memory). Generally speaking — it is very bad not to pay people on time. You know it. I know it and I can rest assured that you very well know that I know since we discussed this problem over and over again on many occasions. And, you see, this is precisely what surprised me a bit. Because, having had this discussions with you individually and with the whole of the team, I know very well, that you know very well that there is nothing like a bargaining table were our people try cut out a bigger portion of the cake for themselves. What you know as well is that we suffer from enormous delays in payments from our clients and that this causes severe problems and kindly helps in accumulating debt since we need to pay the VAT and the PIT taxes at the end of each month without having received the taxed sum. I can easily recall having loyally warned you numerous times that we are entering a turbulent period and that money is really short and that I expect obvious problems that this can bring about. And it was not exclusively your problem, but ours — we all, in full solidarity, suffered (and continue to do so) from it. Of course, we can now get really technical and start valuing if the once cent paid to X or Y is more important than the one not paid to Z or A or L, but I see no sense in doing so. Everybody in the team were paid for their work with huge delays. It is not good and it might be no excuse and I do not write it as such. I just want to point out, what by the way I’m pretty sure you know, that we are equally all victims of the fact that we’re starved of money.
To that I feel I should add that the translations money are a result of a job on the side. The money for the translations did not arrive to you — this is a fact. However the money for your regular job did arrive (although also delayed, just not as badly as those from translations) and the sum I owe you for November I promised to organize before Christmas. Alas, you seem to have conveniently forgotten the fact that you have done this translations during your normal working time. It took four days — almost a whole working week. And I imagine you perfectly know that if I were a “normal” employer I’d force you to do these translations either after you leave or would care to deduct from your regular wages the sum for the four days. I could have also told you that you were paid for the translations since you did them during business hours that you were paid for. I did not do so. More, I allowed coming to the office and leaving it whenever it suited you (with maybe one or two exceptions), I invited you and other people to various catering premises in order to try to compensate the cash-flow problems and to keep the good spirit in the team. I did not mind informing (please mind the word — informing, not asking) me of the fact that you will not be around just a day or two before… The list of concessions is longer. You know that.
Now, considering all that, to say, that my attitude to you is a “raw deal” because I asked you to wait some more time is — euphemistically said — a bit over the top.
I don’t quite also understand why do you think that it will be “the best solution”. I do not agree, but — as I said — I respect your decision. However I need to know more. Do you want to be paid for December? Do you mean to leave for good or just until you’re not paid for the translations? Either is OK, but I have to know. Do you want to be involved in any translations if the future? (Please, do not forget that you’ve done translations in the past, that I had organized and afterwards corrected with you and that were paid either on time or almost on time).
I wrote all without any particular reason. I will not attempt to convince you to change your mind although you are very much welcome back! I just thought you might want to know what my point of view is on the things and I wanted also to let you know that I am prepared to discuss it over a cup of coffee (or something stronger) if you feel like that too. I think it would be an enormous loss if we stop contacting — at least on the social level if on the professional it will not be possible.
I wish you all the very best,
Take care!
Bojan
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