Back at the desk

[Halo Jones]

Back at work:
oh well holidays are over, I hope you all had a nice time (even if they weren’t invoiced days) & that Santa (or Satan depending on your preference) got you what you deserved & the New Year’s hang over has been recovered from.

Here’s to a good 2012 for us all.

[Mich the Tester]

morning! Happy new year all!

Just getting used to the cold windy weather after spending the last week and a half in the African sunshine.

[MarillionFan]

Back in the office an hour and hating it.

You're all bastards.

[Ignis Fatuus]

No, I didn't have a good break.

I announced at the beginning of December my unavailability during Christmas-New Year week, and put it on the office calendar as unavailable. Unfortunately I added that I would be available in case of need, contactable by SMS in the first instance.

The client "manager" said on 23rd that there were "defects" (i.e. data incompleteness logged in the recording system, not actually in any of my stuff)and that as long as there were any outstanding, there was indeed a need. On 23rd afternoon he announced a "task force" (him and me, basically) to fix up everything for 2 Jan.

So he was texting, emailing, and calling repeatedly during the week. I did some remote working but emphasised that this was emergency fixing, not that I was at work during the week. He kept forgetting that. At one point, when I lay in bed half the morning with my phone and PC off, when I finally switched the phone on and got his texts, one of them said that this was "not acceptable". I was on holiday FFS!

Then the agency said that as the client had requested billing for December to be put in before Christmas, they wouldn't be able to change the Dec billing, so wouldn't be able to pay me for the extra work until the end-of-January invoice. I persuaded them otherwise.

Now everybody is unhappy with everybody else.

Even my partner is unhappy. She wants me to walk*. My contract has no notice period, so I can't. Not until they give me an excuse, which I confess my new attitude may just bring about.

* from the contract, I mean

[GeorgeB]

Back in the freezing office... no heating

19 Days left in my permy role... please for the love of some god like figure, let me get a contract before I become unemployed

[d000hg]

Back at my home-desk for day 1 of a new contract... though I've been doing sporadic plan B work over the holidays.

Rotten sore throat, typical!

[MarillionFan]

My contact is up for renew at the end of Jan.

I'm working on two projects that will conclude in Jan and one which will either be given the go-ahead or go a third party by the mid of the month., It's a politicial hot potato and I'm the lead if it goes ahead(time to renew my insurance). If it goes ahead it's 12-18 months at least.

I hope the 3rd party get it.

[Mich the Tester]

No, I didn't have a good break.

I announced at the beginning of December my unavailability during Christmas-New Year week, and put it on the office calendar as unavailable. Unfortunately I added that I would be available in case of need, contactable by SMS in the first instance.

The client "manager" said on 23rd that there were "defects" (i.e. data incompleteness logged in the recording system, not actually in any of my stuff)and that as long as there were any outstanding, there was indeed a need. On 23rd afternoon he announced a "task force" (him and me, basically) to fix up everything for 2 Jan.

So he was texting, emailing, and calling repeatedly during the week. I did some remote working but emphasised that this was emergency fixing, not that I was at work during the week. He kept forgetting that. At one point, when I lay in bed half the morning with my phone and PC off, when I finally switched the phone on and got his texts, one of them said that this was "not acceptable". I was on holiday FFS!

Then the agency said that as the client had requested billing for December to be put in before Christmas, they wouldn't be able to change the Dec billing, so wouldn't be able to pay me for the extra work until the end-of-January invoice. I persuaded them otherwise.

Now everybody is unhappy with everybody else.

Even my partner is unhappy. She wants me to walk*. My contract has no notice period, so I can't. Not until they give me an excuse, which I confess my new attitude may just bring about.

* from the contract, I mean

Hard luck. Advice for next time; give them your mobile number then go somewhere on holiday that's very remote and not covered by mobile networks. Unfortunately such places are becoming very rare, but there are some very pleasant spots in southern Africa with lots of sunshine and no mobile coverage. Unfortunately it's not going to stay that way for long.

[Ignis Fatuus]

Hard luck. Advice for next time; give them your mobile number then go somewhere on holiday that's very remote and not covered by mobile networks. Unfortunately such places are becoming very rare, but there are some very pleasant spots in southern Africa with lots of sunshine and no mobile coverage. Unfortunately it's not going to stay that way for long.

Well, I did spend alot of time with it switched off, but that just led him to tell me that not replying to his communications was unacceptable. Which as far as I am concerned is unacceptable: if I am not working and not available, I may reply, but I don't have to. But he just doesn't get it.

My predecessor had 1 month notice in his contract. Within about 3 weeks of starting, he activated it. Now I see why, and why mine has no notice clause. My mistake, I should be smarter after all these years.

During the end-of-year "non-working" period, I was getting a notice to attend a live-meeting conference every day. After spending an hour saying not a word (and not being expected to), I started flatly refusing them - for the first time in my working life. I also lectured the boss on his behaviour, for the first time. I may be about to have other new experiences, such as walking without a contractual right to.

BTW as you may guess, the stupidities of the Christmas week are not all there is to it, it is like this all the time. Bunch of headless chickens.

[NickFitz]

Back to the fray Daytime telly hasn't improved with the New Year. At least I'm being paid to watch it