Data analyst contacted by 'toxic' boss six months after quitting; now she wants a favor, and he turns it into a paid opportunity

Things can feel unsettling when a former boss reaches out months after you’ve quit and even more so when that boss was the reason you left a toxic workplace in the first place. That’s exactly what happened to a Reddit user who shared their story on r/OfficePolitics. Six months after leaving a nightmare job, the user was contacted out of the blue by their former manager, who asked if they could join a Zoom call to help onboard the newly hired replacement.

The twist? The user had been the company’s first and only data analyst, responsible for building all reporting systems from scratch and they were now being asked to essentially train their successor for free.

Also Read: ‘Promote me or I walk’: Exploited employee says he’ll resign after entire team quits and he’s asked to take on their work for the same pay

The post struck a nerve. While the original poster admitted feeling conflicted and worried about industry reputation and friendships still at the company, most Redditors were blunt in their response: ‘don’t work for free.’

Many commenters advised the user to agree only under strict conditions: charge a consulting fee, get everything in writing, limit the time commitment, and demand payment upfront. Suggested rates ranged from a few hundred euros per hour to four-figure sums for a single call. Several users, including one former HR director, emphasized that this was a business transaction, not a favor, especially given the company’s past treatment of the employee.

Some even suggested a price tag; one posted, ‘I would charge $1000 for 60min online call. ... They would Of course have a part beforehand.”

Others framed the request as a sign of poor management and high turnover, noting that companies often underestimate the cost of losing institutional knowledge. A few shared similar experiences where former employers came back asking for help after failing to retain or replace staff. The consensus was clear: helping is optional, professionalism matters, but expertise has value. If the company wants access to it, they should be prepared to pay for it.