Best way to respond to criticism as a contractor

[SueEllen]

Your explanation sounds pretty plausible, I would put that in an e-mail reply and perhaps even an example of a recent conversation or two so the Programme Manager can verify it. Then I would follow Sue Ellen's advice and ask for permission in future.

I didn't say ask for permission I said tell them where you are and why. That way you get rid of potential problems.

[eek]

Just a point on the informal chat or mail response. You aren't going in to win an argument or prove anything. Nothing wrong with showing a bit of humility. Apologising for it looking like it does but I was only yadda yadda won't do any harm. You are looking to put this to bed quickly and a confrontational approach won't do that. I doubt the Programme Manager really cares. Sorry but really it was like this but it won't happen again gets it put to bed without any loss of face in my mind.

Last to a consultancy did something similar to me (they queried a hospital appointment the end client was fully aware of) the result has cost them £3m so far in contracts that they have been excluded from bidding on.

Revenge is a dish best served by finding another contract asap and then just ensuring the muppet responsible isn't near you in future....

Don't dignify it with a response either take on board what was said and act on it or find something else a quiet word isn't going to work...

[SueEllen]

Last to a consultancy did something similar to me (they queried a hospital appointment the end client was fully aware of) the result has cost them £3m so far in contracts that they have been excluded from bidding on.

Revenge is a dish best served by finding another contract asap and then just ensuring the muppet responsible isn't near you in future....

Don't dignify it with a response either take on board what was said and act on it or find something else a quiet word isn't going to work...

The consultancy must be sh*t .

In this case the Programme Manager has a problem as they should be adult enough to talk to you one to one rather than email and cc in the agency.

[eek]

The consultancy must be sh*t .

In this case the Programme Manager has a problem as they should be adult enough to talk to you one to one rather than email and cc in the agency.

The consultancy is supposedly one of the better ones but I have 3 separate stories about them I can use to remove them from any shortlist and I ensure they aren't on it...

[TheFaQQer]

What would you guys do?

Reply to all saying "I already do, but thanks for the heads up that the team are too busy clock watching rather than actually doing something productive. You might want to get the next person to keep an eye on that because if they are wasting time doing that, then there is the potential for the project deadlines to slip. In the meantime, I'll keep working as professionally as I always do, whether that is in the office or outside it in a better working environment, but I'll be sure to remind them that they are paid to work not monitor anyone else's work."

[Bee]

Hi

I'm in a contract which has 4 weeks left to go. I'm a Project Manager and I report into a Programme Manager who is also a contractor with the same agency.

Today, I received an email from the Programme Manager saying "she'd had some feedback from the room that I'd been coming in late, taking long lunches and leaving early and could I please make sure I'm doing the required hours".

This has never been mentioned to me face to face, timesheets have always been signed, and part of my role involves phoning other sites and troubleshooting their issues. The office is loud so I sometimes disappear during the day or stay in the car when I get back from lunch and make some calls. It's an office where people are going to meetings a lot so no one is at their desk all day so I didn't see it as a problem and I was getting the work done. Apparently, now, it looks bad and I'm being accused of doing short days.

Worse, the email was CCd into the contact at the agency for some reason.

What's the best way of handling this? Should I not mention it but make sure I'm at my desk more? Or speak to my manager and say I was doing work but I'll stop that and stay at my desk now? Or should I have a chat and express that I'm actually quite insulted that it was more than implied I'm being lazy and unprofessional to the recruitment agency which could affect future roles. I actually am a bit offended but I don't want a confrontational meeting with no upside, what's the point in that.

What would you guys do?

Have a chat with the Program Manager and discuss/clarify the situation... and never "disappear" again.

[Lance]

It may well be that the programme manager is actually covering for you. Perhaps someone has gone to the agent, who has then asked the programme manager to bring you to heel.
Why not just ask? You say you've been working so you can have an informal chat.

[jmo21]

I'd be pretty angry about that, both the accusation, and the copying in of the agent.

I'd respond with a quick email.

"Let me assure you, I am working exactly the number of hours I am contracted too. I do not take long lunches {whatever else accused off}. I very often take work related calls outside of the office as it is quieter. Whoever gave you this information is wrong."

[northernladuk]

I'd be pretty angry about that, both the accusation, and the copying in of the agent.

I'd respond with a quick email.

"Let me assure you, I am working exactly the number of hours I am contracted too. I do not take long lunches {whatever else accused off}. I very often take work related calls outside of the office as it is quieter. Whoever gave you this information is wrong."

That is the perfect example of how not to deal with it IMO. That's more likely to start a tulip storm over something that can easily be put to bed.

Maybe I'm being a bit blasé about this as I've had plenty of little mails or comments like this over the years, even as a permie. Where there is a long commute I'll usually put the effort in for the first month and deliver and then switch to a later working time if it's available and acceptable. Coming in between 9.30 and 10 and leaving later to avoid the traffic etc. Invariably one of the 7.30 or 8am starters will make a comment about me never being around so it will get mentioned. A quick chat evidence I'm there for a couple of hours after he's gone and I'm delivering always puts it to bed to those that count. Complainer will just stew and make jibes about me wetting the bed when I come early when I need to.

Just seems another simple case of perceptions that can be dealt with very simply. No need to take offence or stir it up.

CC'ing agency is an odd one though I must admit.

On thing that does occur to me... there are always two sides to a story and often no smoke without fire.

[Jolily120913]

Didn't expect so many responses! Thank you to everyone that has left a message, really good advice. I'm in the office today and my boss isn't (tempted to ask where she is but the irony might be lost ha!). So there's no ability to have a chat today.

I was angry, to be honest. The accusing nature of the email, the copying in of the agency, the fact she didn't talk to me face to face, etc. But I see no value in making a deal of it. I was very tempted to send an email similar to jmo21s above though!

I have plenty of call logs to prove it, and the way the business works, there are naturally more queries at certain times of the day, so I've got a very easy (and true) excuse. I think the assumption that I wasn't doing my job when in fact I really was, I was going above and beyond by often taking calls in the evenings as well, and the project is actually ahead of time and budget, was the thing that annoyed me. Maybe felt like I deserved the benefit of the doubt but whatever.

I think I'm just going to basically ignore it. I'll make less calls and when the emails come in, she'll see that and I can raise the point politely in meetings that it's hard to phone unless I leave the office so I'm sticking to emails instead. I'll let her make the decision about how she'd prefer me to work at that point.