Reply to: Not renewing contract - do I need to give required notice ?

[jmo21]

Its a very big world out there, and lets face it if the same PM was at another gig you wouldnt want to work there anyway in this scenario.

Its not worth wasting the one life you have dealing with these people, much less trying to be "professional", burn the bridges and enjoy it. Its very satisfying.

Yeah maybe.

I work in very small market, you always meet people who know people you know.

[escapeUK]

No matter how bad the place is, it may be bad business for YOU. (sorry, your Ltd).

Its a very big world out there, and lets face it if the same PM was at another gig you wouldnt want to work there anyway in this scenario.

Its not worth wasting the one life you have dealing with these people, much less trying to be "professional", burn the bridges and enjoy it. Its very satisfying.

[jmo21]

I dont think it would always be unprofessional. Say for instance you hate your current gig, the managers are pathetic and no one is committed to the project. Is it more professional to say a month before, "Hey guys I dont plan to renew because you business is a shower of tulip?" or is it better to just quietly leave them to it with no upset feelings.

You also have to think of yourself, for those who have to work constantly, maybe he might not have got another contract and have reluctantly been forced to continue.

No matter how bad the place is, it may be bad business for YOU. (sorry, your Ltd).

You never know when you'll meet some wanky PM again at some other client co.

If I want to stay, I get the agent to start chasing with 4 weeks to go.

If I don't, I ask the client directly about doing a handover with 3 or 4 weeks to go depending how much I think there may be to hand over.

[escapeUK]

I agree about it being unprofessional to let the contract expire and then walk. As with Scrag Meister I start discussions regarding an extension about 4-5 weeks out, keep it businesslike.

I dont think it would always be unprofessional. Say for instance you hate your current gig, the managers are pathetic and no one is committed to the project. Is it more professional to say a month before, "Hey guys I dont plan to renew because you business is a shower of tulip?" or is it better to just quietly leave them to it with no upset feelings.

You also have to think of yourself, for those who have to work constantly, maybe he might not have got another contract and have reluctantly been forced to continue.

[Wanderer]

Were they direct?? Surprised if an agent was involved and this happened. I wouldn't do that myself, very unprofessional.

No, the bloke was working though an agency. I don't think he was particularly happy with his rate, his agency ended up getting binned when another contractor left and the client found out that the agency were raping the contractors with their excessive margins.

I agree about it being unprofessional to let the contract expire and then walk. As with Scrag Meister I start discussions regarding an extension about 4-5 weeks out, keep it businesslike.

If they are a bit slow on the paper work then I also like to politely make it clear that if I don't have it signed with < 2 weeks to run then I'll be out in the market looking at what's available and I may just find something I like. The implication being that this would put all parties in an awkward position so it would be great to get this thing sorted so we can get on with business.

[Scrag Meister]

I worked with a contractor who didn't turn up one Monday, client was very puzzled. Turned out the contract ran out and he was now working somewhere else.

Made me grin. Would be perversely satisfying if you really didn't like the place, manager, PM, other staff etc..

Would be unprofessional though, if the work environment was ok.

Personally I start talking renewals and start looking etc about a month out.

[jmo21]

I worked with a contractor who didn't turn up one Monday, client was very puzzled. Turned out the contract ran out and he was now working somewhere else.

I'd always let the client know 4 to 6 weeks out and see if I could spin an extension. I guess this bloke didn't care for it much and just quietly moved on...

Were they direct?? Surprised if an agent was involved and this happened.

I wouldn't do that myself, very unprofessional.

[b0redom]

Hang on, they were in the process of renewal, and you knew about it. I think it would be reasonable to assume you'd verbally agreed. A verbal agreement is as binding as a written one.

Just want to point that out. I think the PM has a point. Probably can't do much but I don't see it as cut and dried as it would have been had you not been agreeing to a renewal.

What? That sound like rubbish to me.

As far as I'm concerned until I have a signed contract in place I'll always keep looking anyway they have no obligation to offer you more work just because you are currently coming to the end of an assignment, and just because you're working for someone and they say that they intend to offer you a renewal, you are under no obligation what so ever to take it.

[TheFaQQer]

I worked with a contractor who didn't turn up one Monday, client was very puzzled. Turned out the contract ran out and he was now working somewhere else.

I'd always let the client know 4 to 6 weeks out and see if I could spin an extension. I guess this bloke didn't care for it much and just quietly moved on...

I've never let it get too close without letting people know.

Last year, I told the PM I was having a Christmas break and would finish on a given date, with the contract to run out the following Friday, so that would be the end of it. No mention of renewals or anything.

Got to the last day before my holiday, I sent out my "see ya!" email, and then had panicked phone calls from the PM and the agent saying I still had another week. Had to remind the PM that I'd said I was finishing a week early for Christmas, and he just said "Ah, yes - I've fooked up again!"

They sorted out an extension over Christmas, though

[Wanderer]

You don't need to give notice - the contract terminates on a given date, and that's the end of it.

I worked with a contractor who didn't turn up one Monday, client was very puzzled. Turned out the contract ran out and he was now working somewhere else.

I'd always let the client know 4 to 6 weeks out and see if I could spin an extension. I guess this bloke didn't care for it much and just quietly moved on...

[MarillionFan]

Many thanks.

I thought that was the case myself. I have given them one weeks notice as a sign of mutual respect - I think my line manager has just got the hump because he assumed I would renew - although I actually had no notice of renewal and have actually been informed that the renewal was actually still unsigned.

Fortunately I've got a new contract for more money and a better position which I'm due to start a week after this one terminates.

I just wanted to make sure that when HR come back to him they'll tell him what I suspected - the Fixed Term End date consituted all of the necessary notice required. I didn't have any legal obligation to give them any notice after this date, simply not renew and I'm done.

Thanks for putting my mind at rest !

1st one completed.
2nd one in the bag (the difficult one)

Good stuff and good luck. You're on your way.

[BlasterBates]

Hang on, they were in the process of renewal, and you knew about it. I think it would be reasonable to assume you'd verbally agreed. A verbal agreement is as binding as a written one.

Just want to point that out. I think the PM has a point. Probably can't do much but I don't see it as cut and dried as it would have been had you not been agreeing to a renewal.

[psychocandy]

End date = end of contract. End of story. NLUK is right. Only thing you have I'd say is common courtesy to say you aint extending which you did di..

Sounds like client forgot to renew and wants you to and is peed off you found something else. Bollox to them.

[craig1]

As a business practice, I set a calendar appointment for term minus notice minus one week to remind me to send a simple email to the agent and client.

If it's a contract I like and wouldn't mind being renewed, I simply tell them that my contract ends on (date) and that if I don't hear from them by term date minus notice that I'll assume that they have served me with notice from that point with me finishing the contract on time. It usually gets their attention and a decision made one way or the other, if they have no intention of renewing me then I can at least get hunting for the next role.

If it's a contract that I'm leaving or have no intention of renewing then I'll send them official notice on term minus notice that I will be leaving on the end date as agreed in the assignment notice and contract.

I don't have to do either but it's polite and saves any last minute arguments.

[northernladuk]

Might just be worth being careful with the term 'fixed term contract'. There seems to be a raft of these permie type ones for new employees but with none of the benefits, often for 2 years. From what I see these tend to be called 'Fixed term contracts' more than our type of contract. Just being pedantic.