Dodgy contract...

[keninparis]

Morning all,
New to the site – bored in new contract so been surfing – been contracting for 7+ years SQL/Crystal/Analysis etc – started a new contract on a good rate but long commute 5 weeks ago. The ‘manager’ doesn’t speak, not given any work etc etc, . Permies ignorant. Idiot I’m supposed to be helping hasn’t spoken to me.
As a contractor been in some pretty hostile environments to say the least but this is something else!!
My current strategy to smile and show an indifferent front, after all the fools are paying me for doing nothing. And if anyone tries anything on I’ll hit hard (unfortunately had to adopt some rather rough ‘stitch up’ tactics on one contract in particular when the going got tough i.e. bullying).
Any thoughts or ideas anyone?
Have a good day.

[Sockpuppet]

Spend time up skilling to something else. Set up a remote box and use it to learn what ever the new tech is.

[northernladuk]

Two options...

A) Suck it up and invoice

B) Leave and get another contract. It is one of the benefits of being a contractor.

Option A is normally the defacto answer but I have also worked in a pretty crappy environment with permies giving my desk away as a hot desk everytime I stand up just to piss me off. Sometimes as hard as you try money isn't worth it and you have to use the flexibility always touted as a benefit to contracting to go. I didn't leave my client in the lurch as the line manager also saw this and as much as he didn't like it it was easier to let me go so was about as amicable as it can be.

[russell]

Walk away, isn't worth the stress. You will find something else.

[keninparis]

Thanks for the advise northernladuk. Think I'll stick with plan A as the moment as this is my first venture into finance and can always be creative with the CV in terms of key acheivements. But I totally understand your point re: the money's sometimes just not worth it. To use some of the terminology on the forums, I never ever the involve the 'pimp' in any contract issues whatsoever, and would recommend the same approach to all other contractors.

[northernladuk]

[keninparis]

I'm rather glad I joined this forum as was getting a bit pissed off this week!

[northernladuk]

I'm rather glad I joined this forum as was getting a bit pissed off this week!

[eek]

No nicking my sig.

[quackhandle]

I have also worked in a pretty crappy environment with permies giving my desk away as a hot desk everytime I stand up just to piss me off.

That sounds tulipty. I'd have setup in the canteen.

Quite a few of the clients I have contracted at there's always been at least one bloke who is anti-contractor and tries to make the contractor look stupid in front of the boss. At one company who had never had a contractor before, people used to come in twos to come and talk to me. At same place one guy used to go home a few times a week at 2pm as process used to run for over 10 hours. I tuned the backend database and it took under an hour so they stopped him going home. He f**king hated me for that.

Contracting can be a strange way of working at times.

qh