Leaving gig without notice

[Pondlife]

Not sure the best way of articulating this but as rd mentioned, I don't understand why people keep looking for new gigs whilst still in contract. Maybe I'm fortunate that due to my industry (SAP Supply Chain) a quick look at the project plan on day one will tell me how long I will be required for. Just my opinion but if I was happy enough with the rate when I accepted and the role is as advertised I see no point in continuing to look until nearing the end.

Just my £0.02

[JamJarST]

Not sure the best way of articulating this but as rd mentioned, I don't understand why people keep looking for new gigs whilst still in contract. Maybe I'm fortunate that due to my industry (SAP Supply Chain) a quick look at the project plan on day one will tell me how long I will be required for. Just my opinion but if I was happy enough with the rate when I accepted and the role is as advertised I see no point in continuing to look until nearing the end.

Just my £0.02

Yeah I agree. I am on a rolling monthly contract and I have been looking around but only because my contract could end at any time. Suits me and the client both so I don't foresee a problem. Having said that I would defianetly work my 2 weeks notice.

[TraceRacing]

Not sure the best way of articulating this but as rd mentioned, I don't understand why people keep looking for new gigs whilst still in contract. Maybe I'm fortunate that due to my industry (SAP Supply Chain) a quick look at the project plan on day one will tell me how long I will be required for. Just my opinion but if I was happy enough with the rate when I accepted and the role is as advertised I see no point in continuing to look until nearing the end.

Just my £0.02

WHS +1

[minsky1]

Yeah I agree. I am on a rolling monthly contract and I have been looking around but only because my contract could end at any time. Suits me and the client both so I don't foresee a problem. Having said that I would defianetly work my 2 weeks notice.

Have you had an independent IR35 review?

[northernladuk]

My tuppence: as a hirer of contractors (and ex contractor myself) I usually specify a 2 week notice period. I can't see any circumstances bar physical assault, sudden serious illness or something equally dramatic and unlikely) that I would condone as being suffiicient for a contractor to leave without notice. 2 weeks is not a large period of time and there can be no excuse for breaching contract.
Were a contractor to behave in such an unprofessional way I would certainy try to withold payment (and get the in-house lawyer involved) and in a niche industry such behaviour would certainly have repercussions.

Totally this and what Pondlife says. Unfortuantely, as we can see from some of the posts recently, contracting is getting flooded with ex-permies out for a quick buck who make no attempt to understand their situation, the way contractors delivery work and are expected to behave. People asking if they should 'resign' from work or just expect they can leave whenever they want regardless of notice. The professionalism expected from contractors is just going to get worse and worse to the extent the clients will start to screw us over and HMRC will have justification to put more effort in to chasing these 'hidden permies' filling the market.

[JamJarST]

Have you had an independent IR35 review?

Yep I have. I get a new identical contract every month.

[cojak]

Contractors walking off site seems to happen fairly frequently but they will invariably lose money and reputation; this industry is very small and I am afraid word does get round if you breach the terms of your contract.

WLCUS

The 2 contractors I know who did walk off site recognised that they weren't going to get their last timesheet signed-off and paid but were prepared to take the hit.

Only contractors finishing as per the contract had any recourse to getting their money because they didn't break their side of the (legal) bargain.

[cojak]

I personally haven't walked from a gig.

I should have once, when agency started misbehaving. I didn't, stupidly didn't want to lat a client down. Cost me a fair whack.

Would I quit purely for more money? No.

Would I quit if the client were being dicks, taking the piss? Hell yes.

Would I quit if the agent started taking the piss? Definitely.

There's no black / white here. There's an ideal - that you honour contract, definitely. There are very valid situations where a contractor should get out of dodge pronto.

Whilst honouring the notice period, or taking the risk of not getting the last timesheet/invoice paid.

[perplexed]

Whilst honouring the notice period, or taking the risk of not getting the last timesheet/invoice paid.

Situations I'd envisage leading to me walking out, those would be the least of my worries.

Client not paying invoices? Only directly relevant if contracting drect - theoretically, it's not relevant to getting paid by an agency, though real world, there would be little chance of getting paid.