Pro bono?
A couple of years ago, I was teaching the odd hour here and there in a university near where I lived at the time while I looked for a proper lecturing job. My contract period ended, but I was kept on.

One day, I was photocopying something when A, the Head of Department, saw me. "Oh, Enzyme," he said, "we're going to have to renew your contract so you get paid, aren't we?"
My hands and brain being full at the time, I said something like, "Oh, don't worry about it."

I meant this to mean: "I am busy at the moment, but come and find me later if there's anything you need me to do."
A took it to mean: "Ah, Enzyme is willing to work for free."

A didn't come to find me, so I assumed that there was nothing I had to do, and thought nothing more of it. Which resulted in me working for free, and without a contract, for the best part of a year.

That's dumb. On the other hand, I was earning so little - less than £3k p/a - that even when I was paid, once NI and pension contributions had been deducted, I didn't actually notice the lack of deposits in my account. Grrr. That's quite dumb, as well.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Sat 22 Dec 2007, 12:22, 1 reply)

Enzyme...
That is quite monumental. Mind you, Tourettes has just noticed that the council are still only taking council tax to the value of single person occupancy. She told them I had moved in 6 months ago...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 24 Dec 2007, 10:19, closed)