Lost $200 on a retainer clause I didn't read carefully

I signed a contract with a client that said I had to be available 20 hours a week, but it didn't say they had to actually give me that much work. Ended up holding two months open for them and they only sent me 5 hours total. Has anyone else been burned by a vague availability clause like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

martinez.paul13h ago

Tbh I think you could've actually used that against them if you had a lawyer look at it. Most states have implied good faith rules for contracts like that, so them holding you to 20 hours of availability while only giving you 5 hours of work is sketchy.

paulnguyen12h agoMost Upvoted

My buddy Jake had this happen with a retail gig back in 2021. They wanted him available 30 hours a week but only scheduled him for 8. He eventually talked to a free legal clinic at the community college and they sent a letter citing that good faith rule. Got a small settlement like 3 months later without even going to court.

iris_barnes8710h ago

My buddy Jake's story sounds like a dream compared to what I went through. I got stuck in one of those scheduling black holes where they wanted me on call for 20 hours but only gave me 4 hours of actual work once every two weeks. I'm pretty sure my cat could have done a better job negotiating my contract, and he sleeps 18 hours a day. At least Jake knew enough to hit up a legal clinic, I just sat there grumbling and eating gas station sandwiches like an idiot.