Employee who was abruptly laid off is asked by the company that fired them to request assistance with removing their admin access: ‘Can I respond requesting payment for my time to do this?’

María Cetra • Writer

Aug 23, 2026 5:15 PM EDT

If you fire an employee out of nowhere, then don't expect them to do you a favor. They don't owe the company ANYTHING!

If you got fired out of nowhere, and a couple of days later you were asked to help out the company by doing something only you know how. How would you react? I would ask if that task would be completed by me as an assistant or consultant and how much the pay would be. I don't think that even when a company mistreated and didn't care for you. I do believe that work connections can get you really far and that a cordial relationship with everyone who has employed you or been a coworker is not only useful but also preferred. Is important to be nice and take some advantage of the fact that you connect with people in your field.

They fired him, is too late to ask for something like this, don't you think?

Company that laid me off wants my help removing my access Like the title says, I was abruptly laid off early July after the company was acquired by a private equity firm. I received a message today from the private equity firm they need my assistance removing my admin access from softwares used by the company. Do I have to even respond? Or can I respond requesting payment for my time to do this?

The office they used to work in before they got laid off out of nowhere

An office room full of employees having a meeting. Scene shown is a visual representation. — *An office room full of employees having a meeting.*
*_{Scene shown is a visual representation.}*

When a company fires you out of nowhere is normal to want to break ties forever, but it is not the most intelligent thing. Sometimes it is better to seem cordial and understanding even though on the inside you are filled with rage. I’m not saying that you should get used to the company that mistreats you. On the contrary, I’m saying to take advantage of the fact that they need YOU. Respond to the inquiry assuming that they are going to pay you, suggest a rate, and name yourself a consultant. Take the extra mile and play on to that nonsense.

PeorgieT75 When I was laid off, the severance agreement stated I would provide a reasonable amount of assistance if asked. I had one Teams call with my old boss (who wasn't involved in the layoff decision), and the person who was to take over much of my work, but that was it.

terkajerbs Don't even answer or respond. If you ever want to, you're available as a contractor for $295 per hour with a min of eight hours. Get paid up front as well. (This is a standard professional labor rate my job pays most third party contract labor.)

Gardening Techie If you were not given a meaningful severance package, asking for a consulting contract at a reasonable hourly rate (about 3-4 times your prior base) and minimum number of hours (say, 4 hours) would be reasonable.

PresentDisk4542 Look at it from a professional point of view: You are not associated with a firm and they want your support in one of their tasks where you are an expert. So you are lending your services to them. Simple, just charge them for your time and expertise.

Tech ValleyRecruiting Provided everything you did was legit, then yes, charge them a fairly high contractor rate (2-3x your hourly rate with a minimum commitment, or just calculate a flat fee). Get it in writing first and have it paid upfront. A company who just laid people off might be prone to stiffing you.

The employees having a meeting to try to recruit the former employee to help with the admin access. Stock photography for depiction only. — *The employees having a meeting to try to recruit the former employee to help with the admin access.*
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After all, there are two possible endings to this story. Either you get the consultant job and get paid for that task while you look for a new job. Or they say no, and they stop bothering you about dumb things that aren’t your responsibility anymore. Be intelligent. Think before you act. Take advantage of the position that THEY put you in. That is how the job market works.

Special-Steel There's no telling who is stuck. May be old colleagues you respect. At this point, relationships and reputation are important professional assets. So, let them know you're happy to help. Details: 1. Is there anything about your severance which remains unclear or incomplete? If so, you should ask for help with that. 2. Set some time windows to help which suit your requirements. Give them 2 or three to choose from. But don't feel obligated to do something

inconvenient. 3. Set a consulting rate. Typically that's going to be somewhere between 1.5 to 3x your salary as an employee. But also think about anything else you want, like a referral. If you are on unemployment, understand whether a 3 hour gig is going to cost you more than it pays (will you lose a week of unemployment benefits.) Set a minimum price with all this in mind. Don't fall for "this is only 20 minutes of work". You are solo now, so your drive time and everything else is on their dim

RoamingThomist Reply stating that you are willing to help as an independent contractor and therefore will charge a daily rate (look up what the normal daily rate is in your area for the assistance they require)

Jonkarraa Never, ever work on anyone else's systems without some sort of written contract. That is your legal written authority to carry out works. Get a written statement of works. Give them a meaningful quote of how long and how much you'll charge if they agree invoice to be paid in advance.

rra-netrix You are a consultant now. You have institutional knowledge they don't have. You charge them at a massive rate. Hourly. With a minimum billable hours per callout. My 'f 4/hr minimum with a signed contract. these guys' rate is $500/hr with a

ProfessionalYam3119 There's something not right about this. I doubt that there is any reason why the vendor cannot show them how to do this. Maybe they haven't been paying their vendor?

north52south I would avoid responding and stating the obvious don't log in. If anything went wrong they can hold you personally liable since you're no longer an employee and technically illegally accessing their systems. What if they tried and broke something? You touch the system and get sued. And don't send an apology or reason. Non-response is your deniability and you have a clean break, now move on.

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