Are the client/agent taking the micky?

[jjdarg]

And it may not be that the MD was stringing you along; there could very well have been some opportunity there. Sometimes there are internal HR directives (such as finding work for permies) that trump the power of the MD, unless he is willing to spend political capital on retaining you over redeploying permie resources. Most contractors aren't worth the political capital expenditure.

[psychocandy]

Hmm. The old "free extra work" argument. Personally, a bit is OK but anything more than a bit and I expect it to work both ways. NEVER do it on the promise of an extension EVER.

And NEVER upset the mrs over it. For me, whereas I will work extra if clients needs it/is fair about it but in the grand scheme of things work comes about 15th below wife, kids, friends, cat etc.

Remember clients dont care about you. If the permies are freed up then this manager is now getting a pat on the back for getting so much work out of you and now saving a few pennnies.

I worked with a mate once. It was perm but the same still applies. They asked him once to cancel his holiday to do some work. They paid anything he'd lost but his mrs still went nuts about it. He was convinced the MD was his best mate ever.

3 months later we both got made redundant on the same day. Wasn't even a proper redunacy - it was a "trumped up charge stitch up" to get us to sign a compromise agreement because they couldnt be arsed to do redundancy properly. Never seen a guy so deflated and disillusioned.

[jmo21]

If you are doing long hours then you can't manage your work load.

I'm referring to last minute urgent changes, fixes, etc, that need a late night here and there, not mismanagement of work load.

Anything else is a **** up, and not necessarily on behalf off the worker drone. Bad managers are very fond of pushing their teams into long hours.

Often there is no real reason other than they have promised some date to their bosses. It doesn't even have a real need to hit that date other than the manager would lose face.

Thankfully I haven't experienced it much in my career.

[Illustrious]

I've never done anything ridiculous that my wife would be super upset about it. All I've done is helped out a little extra to make sure their deadline is met; I like to help out for a client. I'd have done the same without the promise of the extension because they were letting me work remotely anyway.

However, I've just been asked to do extra work tonight for their deadline tomorrow and asked if my hours above and beyond would be paid. Told flat no. They've had more than enough free time out of me. I'm clocking off at 4

[SlipTheJab]

I've never done anything ridiculous that my wife would be super upset about it. All I've done is helped out a little extra to make sure their deadline is met; I like to help out for a client. I'd have done the same without the promise of the extension because they were letting me work remotely anyway.

However, I've just been asked to do extra work tonight for their deadline tomorrow and asked if my hours above and beyond would be paid. Told flat no. They've had more than enough free time out of me. I'm clocking off at 4

So you've been binned and then asked to help out with some free work, hope you told him he was taking the p!ss!

[Illustrious]

So you've been binned and then asked to help out with some free work, hope you told him he was taking the p!ss!

Pretty much. They had the project manager ask me. The fact is, I like him, he's a nice guy and to be fair they told him I was out the door after me. He's not happy I'm going since he feels that getting someone else up to speed in January is only going to delay the end product. I just pointed out to him that the company clearly felt I was disposable, they're taking the risk replacing me with a permie, (who I can almost guarantee will be a very junior dev), then I'm not going to work beyond the contracted 8 hours effort. Simple really.

I don't think they're very happy at my response. They've just emailed me too asking me to work my final two days in Manchester. That's going to be a nightmare. Just looking at the hotels nearby and last minute at Christmas is going to cost a fortune....

[pr1]

I don't think they're very happy at my response. They've just emailed me too asking me to work my final two days in Manchester. That's going to be a nightmare. Just looking at the hotels nearby and last minute at Christmas is going to cost a fortune....

how much of a fortune?

They were even kind enough to let me work remotely 4 days a week which saved a lot of dough in travelling expenses.

still, I know what I'd say if they wanted me to work somewhere else for my last two days after them invoking the notice...

[fidot]

Is Manchester a location mentioned in the contract or is that the "normal" office?

[northernladuk]

Pretty much. They had the project manager ask me. The fact is, I like him, he's a nice guy and to be fair they told him I was out the door after me. He's not happy I'm going since he feels that getting someone else up to speed in January is only going to delay the end product. I just pointed out to him that the company clearly felt I was disposable, they're taking the risk replacing me with a permie, (who I can almost guarantee will be a very junior dev), then I'm not going to work beyond the contracted 8 hours effort. Simple really.

I don't think they're very happy at my response. They've just emailed me too asking me to work my final two days in Manchester. That's going to be a nightmare. Just looking at the hotels nearby and last minute at Christmas is going to cost a fortune....

Well it appears this is a classic case of over delivering to the point they are just taking the piss. PC has nailed it with this one. Hopefully a tough lesson learned.

Please dear God don't tell me you've been staying away at your cost. Shouldn't matter to you how much the hotels cost if they are paying surely? Last chance to get some hotel and credit card points?

Personally if it's part of the job I'd point out its a pretty inconvenient but if they insist I'd grumble a bit and do it. I know it bites they've given notice but I'd like to think I've been professional to the end. But then I travel and stay away a lot so not really skin off my nose. I can't knock others for saying sod that though. Just my personal view on it.

You could of course just go off sick

[Illustrious]

Is Manchester a location mentioned in the contract or is that the "normal" office?

It's the normal office - however I've been remote working a while and if they ask me to come in one day I have no problem with that; i get up early and fly up the motorway and come home the same nice. But they're wanting me both Thursday and Friday. Checking the hotels it would seem the prices are bumped with Christmas being so close. I'm looking at a fair old chunk of a days rate to stop one night in a Premier Inn. More if I wanted to stay at the Holiday Inn.

No doubt in my mind this is them being awkward for me saying No to working extra tonight.

Well it appears this is a classic case of over delivering to the point they are just taking the piss. PC has nailed it with this one. Hopefully a tough lesson learned.

Please dear God don't tell me you've been staying away at your cost. Shouldn't matter to you how much the hotels cost if they are paying surely? Last chance to get some hotel and credit card points?

Personally if it's part of the job I'd point out its a pretty inconvenient but if they insist I'd grumble a bit and do it. I know it bites they've given notice but I'd like to think I've been professional to the end. But then I travel and stay away a lot so not really skin off my nose. I can't knock others for saying sod that though. Just my personal view on it.

You could of course just go off sick

It's a lesson learned indeed. I've just spoken to the agent. He called me out the blue, i think because someone at the client co has expressed disdain at my unwillingness to work for free. I told him that tomorrow was very inconvenient given that I have an interview - (which I might, I'm waiting for a call back. They seem keen to start me first week Jan), he told me that the contract stipulates office working and they were kind enough to let me work remotely. I simply pointed out, with all due respect, that they finished me on their terms, that the client was happy to let me work remotely while it was reaping them free work and if we're going on what the contract says then it was meant to last until February.