Office Intimidation - Contractor Rights?

[Contractoid]

So you are being paid to work on a contract but are not happy so have been attending interviews for other contracts and the people you work with have been discussing this fact and you were told off for answering non work emails during work time by the people who are paying you to work there and you think that you have a case for intimidation and slander?

Are you freakin kidding me

I guess you haven't read the other posts about what's going on here - if you did you might understand my reasons for leaving. Never done this before, leaving during a contract term in 12 years. So are you saying you never accept personal calls, do the odd personal text or lookup the odd website for something that isn't business related? I have used my own laptop in numerous other clients and seen others do so without even a raised eyebrow.

Tell you what, ill swap contracts with you and after you have been scolded for taking too much time for toilet breaks well have a chat and swap notes again.

[Spacecadet]

I guess you haven't read the other posts about what's going on here - if you did you might understand my reasons for leaving. Never done this before, leaving during a contract term in 12 years. So are you saying you never accept personal calls, do the odd personal text or lookup the odd website for something that isn't business related? I have used my own laptop in numerous other clients and seen others do so without even a raised eyebrow.

Tell you what, ill swap contracts with you and after you have been scolded for taking too much time for toilet breaks well have a chat and swap notes again.

Every single post you've made on this forum has been about how tulip your current contract is.
Rather than posting on here and then argueing with everyone who dissagrees with you why don't you concentrate on sorting out your own predicament.

And from what I've seen there are only 3 ways out of your mess
1. Walk
2. Shut up, swallow your pride and carry on invoicing
3. Ignore them

[Support Monkey]

I guess you haven't read the other posts about what's going on here - if you did you might understand my reasons for leaving. Never done this before, leaving during a contract term in 12 years. So are you saying you never accept personal calls, do the odd personal text or lookup the odd website for something that isn't business related? I have used my own laptop in numerous other clients and seen others do so without even a raised eyebrow.

Tell you what, ill swap contracts with you and after you have been scolded for taking too much time for toilet breaks well have a chat and swap notes again.

This place is clearly a hell hole and with all this back biting your on a hiding to know where, so forget all this "Never done this before, leaving during a contract term in 12 years" and get your notice in and leave regardless of whether you have another contract to go to, lifes to short to spend doing things you don't want to do in places you don't want to do them, the only person who can make a change to this situation is you so get on an do it

[Contractoid]

Every single post you've made on this forum has been about how tulip your current contract is.
Rather than posting on here and then argueing with everyone who dissagrees with you why don't you concentrate on sorting out your own predicament.

And from what I've seen there are only 3 ways out of your mess
1. Walk
2. Shut up, swallow your pride and carry on invoicing
3. Ignore them

Fine. Take your point. Option 2 for now till I find something else and chalk this one up to experience.

[oscarose]

I’m guessing every contractor has been in a similar situation at some point to a certain degree. Contractors are hired to solve issues. Where issues exist, problems with staff are inevitability lurking. If every company was ticking along nicely, contractors wouldn’t exist.

Either suck it up or get out.

[Spacecadet]

I’m guessing every contractor has been in a similar situation at some point to a certain degree. Contractors are hired to solve issues. Where issues exist, problems with staff are inevitability lurking. If every company was ticking along nicely, contractors wouldn’t exist.

Either suck it up or get out.

Not necessarily.
Most of my contracts have been to deliver new work which the permie staff either couldn't handle on top of their existing workload or was outside of their expertise/skill level.
In either case you're adding value not just to the company but to the team and everyone should end up benefiting

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

I guess you haven't read the other posts about what's going on here - if you did you might understand my reasons for leaving. Never done this before, leaving during a contract term in 12 years. So are you saying you never accept personal calls, do the odd personal text or lookup the odd website for something that isn't business related? I have used my own laptop in numerous other clients and seen others do so without even a raised eyebrow.

Tell you what, ill swap contracts with you and after you have been scolded for taking too much time for toilet breaks well have a chat and swap notes again.

OK, I've read your other posts and, as far as I can see, your complaints are that you have to work an 8 hour day and you don't get a round of applause from the management at the end of the day. I stand by my original smiley

[oscarose]

Not necessarily.
Most of my contracts have been to deliver new work which the permie staff either couldn't handle on top of their existing workload or was outside of their expertise/skill level.
In either case you're adding value not just to the company but to the team and everyone should end up benefiting

Point taken. However, you were still contracted due to an issue with workload.

On some contracts I have been in a similar situation and the permies were disgruntled because they wanted to skill up and felt marginalised. However, on other similar contracts, the ‘brighter’ permies, engaged with the contractor and skilled up. A win-win situation.

[lukemg]

WTAS - I presume this is a joke.
NEVER EVER discuss personal details that you don't want everyone in the office to know about with ANYONE who you work with.
Most places will be chilled about the odd call, email check BUT it's their trainset so you FIT IN WITH WHAT YOU SEE ON SITE.
Take time off if you want for interviews, make some excuse if you prefer - relative going to hospital will shut most people up. Surf on your own time, in the car at lunch if you need to and phone people in the same way.
After 12 years in the game you should be a lot more clued up than this.
As regards the culture and bullying, leave if you can't stand it, play the game and get paid if you can, only permies think they can change things like this.

[Kelstar]

Tough Love

Sorry you're having a hard time, rightly or wrongly its never nice.

However, and here is the tough love, you need to change your mind set pretty quick. The people you work with are neither your pals nor your colleagues. They're your client. I once overheard this saying "If the client asks you to empty the bins, do it with a f-ing smile on your face". Harsh Big 4 mentality but it’s a good point.

I choose to contract as I enjoy the freedom of running my own business, and the choices I have ie to walk if I can't be bothered/can't handle it etc.. With that comes repercussions - legal, contractual and reputational. You're paid the rates you are for a number of reasons, and one of which is risk. You are always going to encounter "difficult" clients, you need to learn how to deal with that. I either:

Smile politely and say nothing
Do not engage in office politics etc… you can say what you want about me….SO LONG AS YOU PAY MY INVOICE
Go to the loo and have a cry if it gets too much

This might be a good lesson in learning to keep your guard up. As far as checking personal emails, regardless if it is right or wrong your client doesn't like it, so don't do it! That’s not direction or control, that is good relationship management. Yes, you are not an employee but that doesn't necessarily give you MORE freedom, in some cases it will give you less. Keeping clients happy is a difficult task and some of them can be a right pain in the bottom, but you’re in a B2B relationship now. You have no HR rights to protect you, so stop thinking you do.

Your job is to deliver and keep the person paying your invoices happy. If that extends to their team as well, then find a way. Or walk.

Good luck!