I’m going to try to make this easy, apologies in advance for my likely failure to do so.
Lets say you own a landscaping business. You’re hired by Acme co. to maintain the grounds around their extensive office complex. Each week you come to their business and mow the lawn, trim the hedges and water the flowers. You get paid a lump sum for each day you work. So let’s say you agree to come every Tuesday and get paid $300 for that one days work. You submit an invoice every month, and get paid promptly. This system works well for both parties.
Now then. One day in, say, November, boss-man of Acme co. calls you into his office. Says since its November there no need to come every week, only every other week. And instead of working all day, he only needs you part of the day. This news sucks because you need the work. But whatever, its what the client wants. But then boss-man says, “look, I know this means your business takes a hit, so what I’ll do is I’ll pay you you regular fee of $300/week while I have you working less. In return you agree to make up the hours in the springtime when I’ll need more than a day per week from you. Sound ok?” You think think this idea sounds super and agree to it. Now this is all winky-smiley under the table stuff. Your contract remains the same and you continue to bill Acme co. for 8hrs q week.
Fast forward seven months. Spring is in full swing and Acme has lots of landscape work to be done, but boss-man has apparently had a personality transplant and is treating you like shit. Says he doesn’t need you to come but maybe once a month. He’s been paying highschool dropouts to come mow the grass. Finally one day he says “go to hell” and askes that you not return.
Now, you’ve been doing work for this company for a long time, and nothing in your performance has changed, he just woke up one day and decided to be an asshole for the rest of his life. Whatever, you sever your business ties and walk away.
But what about those pre-paid hours of labor you owe him?
He contacts you, and requests those hours to be performed, he says he’s going to do his damndest to smear your name around town if you don’t. Report you to the BBB. That kind of crap. Now, you have no desire to have any more dealings with this prick, but have an obligation to fulfill your word, which you ARE willing to do. But then he goes on a rant and tells you how much of a shitty worker you are, that he never liked you as a person or as a businessman, and so on.
Now, this guy has a reputation in town for being a wacko. If he stood up and declared you a cheat, chances are strongly in your favor that your business wouldn’t suffer, cuz he does that to people on a fairly routine basis. But you would know that in this instance, at least as far as you being a cheat, he is partially correct.
So, Dopers, what do you do, and why? Do you tell him shove it, knowing that he’ll make a stink but that there probably won’t be any repercussions to your business (though it would be a minor headache to deal with), or do you agree to work the hours that you’ve been paid for ( let’s say you owe him 10 full days of labor), and risk a constant barrage of personal abuse, which you cannot stand because that’s how dad used to treat you (or whatever. You simply cannot stand being abused like you’re a grunt in basic training).
There is also a risk that if you do decide to perform the hours owed, the boss-man will sill go and start his smear campaign, simply because he’s a jerk. And since it’s known that you no longer have him as a client (found other jobs to do on Tuesday), you performing the hours apparently without pay will give credibility to his story, which could very well put you out of business.
For the sake of argument, let’s say you cannot simply pay back the money.
Also, its plainly obvious that you should not have made this deal in the first place, but that’s sorta neither here nor there as far as the question is concerned.
Your thoughts are appreciated.