Foreclosure of Notice Period

[pootle]

I recently started a 3 month contract, which was extended by 6 months during the first 3 months.
Almost everything I worked on was canned, and they decided to serve me a months notice after 5 months, which as everything was going belly up i didn't object to. I continued working as usual during the final month, but with 8 days to go, was suddenly informed that "my performance has suffered" and that under a particular contract cause relating to this, was to leave the premises immediately. I had been attending interviews during the notice period, with prior approval, but the agent told me afterwards that I had given, according to the client "insufficient notice of interviews" - even though these interviews were often last minute. I also sent a statement to both the client and the agent explaining my duties and responsibilities during this time.

Does anyone advise pursuing the lost 8 days through the small claims court?

[prozak]

Worth a shot.

[malvolio]

Worth a shot.

Well yes, if you want to risk teeing off the client and you never working there again. You are highly unlikely to get anything anyway, so why not accpet that freelances get terminated early for all sorts of reasons and simply walk away.

[MarillionFan]

Hardly worth it. My your own admission you've been interviewing elsewhere.

As long as the client is concerned you are supposed to be there. Think of it as a builder at your house. How pissed off would you be that he kept disapearing off on your time to go and see about other work after yours.

Chalk it up.

[thunderlizard]

Does anyone advise pursuing the lost 8 days through the small claims court?

It depends on what that clause says exactly.

Ask a proper expert, but my thinking is that your claim might not be straightforward enough for Small Claims. You've got a contractual dispute, possibly a nuanced one, rather than a straightforward debt. If you'd done the work, had it signed off, but weren't being paid, it might have been an option.

[Wanderer]

with 8 days to go, was suddenly informed that "my performance has suffered" and that under a particular contract cause relating to this, was to leave the premises immediately. Does anyone advise pursuing the lost 8 days through the small claims court?

Sorry to hear that you got canned but pursuing this through the courts? Nope.

"Thank you very much for the opportunity and although I am obviously disappointed that it didn't work out as well as it could have on this occasion, it's been a pleasure doing business with you. Keep in touch and perhaps I can be of service at sometime in the future once the economic/business outlook improves."

In a situation like this where you've had ~ 6 months worth of business out of them and as long as they pay you for work done, that's pretty much the end of it in my book. Can I tell you a secret? You getting booted out was most likely nothing to do with you taking time off for interviews. The projects got canned, the budgets were gone and they had given you notice and you were just counting down the hours till you left. The head man said "what is he doing here, get rid of him" so they used the interviews as an excuse. This wasn't a permie job, contractors are there to be hired and fired at will so don't take it personally. Deep breath, chin up and get a round of beers in.

You were making a decent rate and you've saved a pot of money to keep you going for a couple of months, haven't you? If you haven't then my advice is to start looking at permie jobs.

[pootle]

Well yes, if you want to risk teeing off the client and you never working there again.

Actually I think I'd rather not work for the client again for various other reasons, not relevant to this thread. However I was not undiplomatic on my departure or follow up statement. I agree that it seems a long shot to pursue actually, based on previous experience, and thanks for all the replies. BTW I made sure I wasn't out on a limb financially, and have enjoyed contracting for over 10 years.