How to proceed with a conflictive team

[missinggreenfields]

Well, as you right highlighted before, there are more facts - I just didn't want to write a very very long text.

Funnily enough I'm more senior than he is, older and I'm supposed to be his manager (mentioned by the CEO himself in our presence) although because of the size of the business it really doesn't feel that way, even less when it comes down to design decisions - he just won't attend to reasons aimed at making my life easier as a team member. He doesn't respect my authority, bottom line - wether if that's my fault or a good part of it I guess it's a different topic, but it just feels too late to be addressed within the client. I was asked once if I wanted to fire him, I wanted to give him a chance to be more empathetic and emotionally intelligent but didn't realised that IMO I lost 'my' chance... can't go back now and say 'yeah, fire him'.

If you are responsible for contractor recruitment in the team, then terminate his contract. If not, then man up or move on.

What termination clauses are there in his contract?

[TheDev]

You really need to start thinking like a contractor. Manage him, fire him? You just sound like a permie to me.

BTW when a client asks you if they should get rid of a contractor that is doing exactly the same as you there is only one right answer

Yeah, there is a very particular dynamic here, their intention is to make me permanent at some point (which I clearly don't want, specially now) but since it's my first contract I really don't have much to compare with from experience, no matter how much I've read in CUK etc

[northernladuk]

Yeah, there is a very particular dynamic here, their intention is to make me permanent at some point (which I clearly don't want, specially now) but since it's my first contract I really don't have much to compare with from experience, no matter how much I've read in CUK etc

I take it you've not heard of IR35 then?

[TheDev]

I take it you've not heard of IR35 then?

Yeah, I did my research on that before I signed.

There's nothing on paper about this whole 'who is the manager' as well as becoming a permit (which I was never going to do regardless, I only said I'd consider it as I needed the gig).
My contract gets extended -aka new contract- every month. It is also "IR35 friendly" as far as I know (right of substitution, control etc,...) so I hope i'm okay for that, but thanks for bringing it up

[SueEllen]

Well, as you right highlighted before, there are more facts - I just didn't want to write a very very long text.

Funnily enough I'm more senior than he is, older and I'm supposed to be his manager (mentioned by the CEO himself in our presence) although because of the size of the business it really doesn't feel that way, even less when it comes down to design decisions - he just won't attend to reasons aimed at making my life easier as a team member. He doesn't respect my authority, bottom line - wether if that's my fault or a good part of it I guess it's a different topic, but it just feels too late to be addressed within the client. I was asked once if I wanted to fire him, I wanted to give him a chance to be more empathetic and emotionally intelligent but didn't realised that IMO I lost 'my' chance... can't go back now and say 'yeah, fire him'.

It's not about respecting your authority he doesn't respect you full stop.

You are both there to do a job to the best of your abilities. If he's stopping you from doing the work and you are in "charge" of dividing it up, then you need to divide it better so he's not coming out with sh*t.

[LondonManc]

If you're meant to be the senior one there, act like it.

Feel fully entitled to ask him to document his design decisions - they will be there after he has gone.

[northernladuk]

Yeah, I did my research on that before I signed.

There's nothing on paper about this whole 'who is the manager' as well as becoming a permit (which I was never going to do regardless, I only said I'd consider it as I needed the gig).
My contract gets extended -aka new contract- every month. It is also "IR35 friendly" as far as I know (right of substitution, control etc,...) so I hope i'm okay for that, but thanks for bringing it up

It sounds like the client is already treating you as an employee and if you are acting like one and doing the same job as you would as an employee I'd say you are in an uncomfortable place.

There is nothing on paper but working practices trump the contract. New contract every month won't save you. In fact if that contract doesn't have very clear deliverable they will dismiss it as a paperwork exercise so could work against you. 'As far as you know' How far is that exactly? What you've read on here or has a specialisiat reviewed it for you.

Sounds like a typical case of not really knowing when, in the clients eyes, you are effectively perm. Looks like you are in pretty bad situation from what I can see.

[Hobosapien]

The solution is to go permie, if the client is still offering it, then you can complain to HR and get the contractor terminated, and not have to worry about IR35. Everyone's a winner.

[LondonManc]

Do we need a placeholder thread for a contractor coming on here and complaining about a contractor who turned perm and fired him?

[Hobosapien]

Do we need a placeholder thread for a contractor coming on here and complaining about a contractor who turned perm and fired him?

Don't forget the sweepstake where we can guess who that forum member may be.