The grass is not always greener

**Lance** · 13 October 2022, 16:20

what are you? A contractor or a permie?

Quit... Life's too short for ******* to ruin your day.
There's LOADS of work out there.

**GregRickshaw** · 13 October 2022, 16:22

Originally posted by TheDude View Post

I jumped ship for a 40% rate rise and the opportunity to work with some cutting edge tech.

I can just about handle commuting to London twice a week but it turns out I have been lumbered with a micro managing scrum master based in the US with a fondness for scheduling meetings around 5pm UK time which always overrun. I am used to giving a 1 minute max talk during standups but the scum master has a tendency to discuss the most tedious technical details at length.

If nothing changes I can't see me wanting to renew after six months (which by happy coincidence coincides with the IR35 changes next March).

As a new joiner I don't want to rock the boat but this affecting my productivity and that of the entire team.

Has anyone else faced similar issues?

The beauty of being a contractor is, you don't have to put up with that if you don't want to. Just walk out.

**d000hg** · 13 October 2022, 17:17

Is there a defined work-day, or could you just say "I'm not available at 5pm?" or "I have a train to catch?"
It seems like an opportunity to improve their poor Agile/Scrum implementation (you are the expert contractor) but I'm not pretending I would want or know how to tell the scrum master they're doing it wrong and if it wasn't 5pm I might not care if they want to ramble on while I do some work

Is a stand-up at EOD typical, I have always had them first thing?

In your early days there is a chance to be a fresh set of eyes and pick up on engrained bad practices, if you want to be that guy.

Originally posted by GregRickshaw View Post

The beauty of being a contractor is, you don't have to put up with that if you don't want to. Just walk out.

A permie can do that too if they are a new starter.

**ladymuck** · 13 October 2022, 17:27

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

Is a stand-up at EOD typical, I have always had them first thing?

I guess it's EOD UK time but lunchtime in the US? (depending which side of the country they're based)

**ladymuck** · 13 October 2022, 17:30

Our morning stand ups seem to have gotten shorter with the increase in people on the team! Definitely a minute max per person.

Technical discussions are not the right place for a stand up and that alone tells me your so called scrum master is nothing of the sort.

**northernladuk** · 13 October 2022, 17:30

You got greedy, it didn't work, tough tulip.

**Guy Incognito** · 14 October 2022, 07:31

Really doesn't sound that bad compared to some gigs but if the money isn't sufficient for the ball-ache then yes walk...

**eek** · 14 October 2022, 08:21

Originally posted by ladymuck View Post

Our morning stand ups seem to have gotten shorter with the increase in people on the team! Definitely a minute max per person.

Technical discussions are not the right place for a stand up and that alone tells me your so called scrum master is nothing of the sort.

Scrums are - what did you do yesterday, what are you doing today and where do you have problems with a brief overview so that appropriate people volunteer to help.

Anything beyond that is for outside the scrum meeting…

**d000hg** · 14 October 2022, 11:32

Originally posted by Guy Incognito View Post

Really doesn't sound that bad compared to some gigs but if the money isn't sufficient for the ball-ache then yes walk...

Suppose it depends - if it means you are basically doing an extra half hour every day that's not really OK. If it's 5 minutes then grin and bear.

The grass is not always greener