10/12 week Temp to perm job still not perm.

[craigski7]

Hello 7 months ago i landed what seemed a dream job.

I was told at the before accepting the job that it was a temp/perm contract 10/12 weeks and that a permanent offer would be made after this period if my employer was satisfied with my work. I work as a contractor for my employer. I took the job on a lower pay as i though that the temp to perm offer was a good enough reason to do so.

I got my head down and worked hard for 10/12 weeks and was eager for my employer to give me feedback and chat about taking me on full time. After weeks of trying to pin my manager down for a chat we eventually sat down and discussed my progress and how i was getting on. We chatted about my role becoming much more than the original job spec, i had taken on a lot more responsibility and my workload had increased considerably since my start date. He mentioned that there were certain aspects of my job that needed improving on and that he wasn't prepared to take me on full time until i had improved on these aspects. I took this advice on-board and agreed that we would sit down in another few months time and discuss my situation then. This being around 4 months into my new role already.

I took the advice well and got my head down and made the necessary improvements that i thought would be required for me to be taken on full time.

We pencilled in a date to have a 1-1 meeting and again discuss my role and how i was getting on and of course see if i had made the improvements we discussed.

During the course of this meeting we discussed the improvements i needed to make and he agreed that i had improved on those aspects significantly, he then went on to mention that there was another aspect of my job that was lacking somewhat. I mentioned to him that since taking on the job my the scope of works i now undertake had grown immensely and i was doing more than one person’s job. He said that they wouldn't take me on until i had improved on this aspect, this being a completely different reason than the last. The client had mentioned to him that i need improving with this aspect on my work and that they were not happy. He had previously failed to mention in the months between my 1-1 discussions anything about these failings and never brought it up to me to tell me that i should have been improving all the while i was unaware that i had been failing on this aspect of my role.

After sitting down with my manager i accepted that i would improve on these and that we would sit down again in another 3 months time and discuss my progress again. I brought up the subject of my hourly rate as I'm a contractor and said that i was well below the threshold of the market rate for someone in my job description and that i would like to have my hourly rate increased until i would be taken on full time. I thought this was a fair request given the amount of responsibility i had taken on in the past 5/6 months but again i was told that there was no scope to improve my hourly rate and he didn't really give me a good enough case to improve my rate and that it would be discussed again in my next 1-1.

Since having my 1-1 i have thought long and hard about my job and have started to debate about looking elsewhere as i think i deserve to be treated a bit better and of course be paid better.

I get job alerts sent to me all the time as I' am signed up to various job agencies. I had a really interesting vacancy arrive in my inbox one morning and i read the job description and was stunned to see that it was my job description down to a tee and the description detailed the same type of company and the same type of role i carry out on a daily basis. Nothing has been mentioned to me about replacing me and i have tried to contact the agency advertising the job, the same agency that currently employ me but the guy will not respond to my emails or phone calls.

I'm left in a quandary as to what i should do as i feel I'm being poorly treated here and that actively searching for a replacement whilst I'm still employed is wrong especially when it's being done behind my back. I feel like i put a lot of effort into my work and my manager hasn't given me a good enough reason why they would want to get rid of me.

I want to confront my manager about this but I'm worried about losing my job especially given today's current climate.

Any advice on what i can do would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

[cojak]

I'm sorry but this is the downside of temporary working.

Edit: I've removed my advice because I looked at it and temporary agency workers right are a nightmare to understand.

All I can say is that clients will lie to get you to do the work that they want you to do and if that means promising you permanent employment to get you to work hard and not look else where so be it (I'll bet they didn't put that in an email to you, did they?).

I'll do more digging and will at least come up with sites you need to read.

[captainham]

It's obvious you're being taken for a ride, unfortunately.

So either stick with it and let them continue to take the mick, or look elsewhere. That's about it it I would say.

[cojak]

When you talk about your employer do you mean the Agency? And your Manager is from the Agency? You did speak about 'the client' so your Agency Manager was talking to you after speaking to the cilent?

What does your contract say about performance?

(I'm afraid that I think they are stringing you along as well)

[cojak]

Have a look here Agency Workers Regulations AWR / Directive for IT Contractors AWD 2011 and here your rights: agency workers - from workSMART.org.uk

[northernladuk]

What Cojak points out between the lines is this is a contracting forum not a temp one so we not best placed to advise but a quick scan of that would read one of two things..

1) You are generally not up to scratch and need to just constantly improve. Being a bit harsh here but there is always two sides to a story and the one being told by the OP tends to gloss over certain bits..

2) The most likely one... They are taking you for a ride, don't want to take you on or keep you in that position for as long as possible before making a decision. I have friends who were on these temp to perm type contracts which are frankly a disgrace but they got renewed every 6 months with promises of work right up until 2 years which I believe is all the time the companies have before making a deicsion. As it happens they all got work, but still, a disgraceful carry on.

Based on what you say above I would look for another job and leave.

p.s. Don't get hung up on finding a job that 'looks' like yours. There is a good chance it isn't and you work yourself up over nothing and to be fair even if it was there is sod all you can do except take them to an industrial tribunal if they get rid of you and get someone else in unfairly.

[SueEllen]

The only suggestion I can make is discretely find another job and accept it, then explain to your current manager when you inform them you are leaving that unfortunately you don't think you are suitable to a role in their company as they do not want to take you on permanently.

With permanent roles there is a scope to train people into the type of employee the company wants, the fact that they don't want to do that and also don't want to get rid of you means they are stringing you along.

[Zippy]

I'm sorry, but I agree with the previous posters.

They were "not satisfied with your work", but they kept you on anyway? They are having a laugh, and it's at your expense.

Onwards and upwards OP

Edit: please do come back and 'name and shame' when you've got something better and secured a good reference

[d000hg]

What Cojak points out between the lines is this is a contracting forum not a temp one so we not best placed to advise but a quick scan of that would read one of two things..

1) You are generally not up to scratch and need to just constantly improve. Being a bit harsh here but there is always two sides to a story and the one being told by the OP tends to gloss over certain bits..

I'm with Zippy on this - if he's not up to scratch as a temporary worker they could just replace him. They're treating him like a permie - developing him (which is good) but not committing.

They can dismiss you easily after employing you properly so it seems weird they wouldn't, but I agree with the others you are probably being strung along. You can realistically only force the issue by taking the risk of losing the work, so you'll have to decide if you're in a position to take that risk right now.

What is the job out of interest?

[BlasterBates]

Are you sure you´re being replaced? Perhaps they´re just looking for an additional "resource". It might well be it suits them to keep replacing a temp worker with another temp worker.

I wouldn´t bother with having a discussion with your boss. A discussion won´t change whatever opinion he has, it can only make you feel worse. I always pointedly avoid any discussion with the boss on "how good I am" or "why aren´t we getting on". Either he pays me enough, I get on with him and I´m happy or I look for another job.

The important thing is not take it personally, some managers are difficult and no-one gets on with them.