Reply to: Started gig, haven't signed contract or billed, hate it, can I just walk?

[kal]

Ok guys I'll end the suspense.

So the deal was that I'd agree to a fresh engagement at my old gig but work from another office on another project - basically dig them out of a hole. Two hours from home, regular B&B slumming, rate re-negotiated to reflect, no problem.

Turned up for Day 1. "Hi, I'm here from the X project. I'm the Y specialist".

Reception: "Sorry I haven't got you down here, who's expecting you?"

7SG: *Gives name*.

Reception: Oh she left on Friday. I'll call the new Project Manager.

Reception again: He says who are you again and what do you do?

7SG: "Can you get him down here rather than doing this all through the phone?!"

Reception: Gets hump. "He says get down here and talk to him".

7SG: "Hang on I didn't say it like that..."

*2 minute argument with receptionist".

*New PM comes downstairs whilst we're having it out*

New PM: "Who are you and what the hell is this?"

I then have that conversation.

New PM: "Well then enough of that, come with me".

* Taken to office whilst Scrum stand up is going on and introduced by new PM"

Another PM: "Hi 7SG I'm the PM"

7SG: "Wait a minute, he says he's the new PM"

Another PM: *Turns to 1st PM* £$%£^$%^"$^$^$%^$%^$%^ I'm the new £$%£$^£$£^ PM!

*Massive verbal volley for 10 minute in front of 20 people between two PMs pissing on the ground at each other*

Team Leader during verbal volley privately: "What do you do 7SG?"

7SG: "I'm here to do Z".

Team Leader: "Oh FFS every 'kin week, we DONT NEED ANOTHER Z!" *joins in with argument between PMs*

After all that plays out I'm shown to my desk by a pair of self-appointed developer pacifists where there's a computer and login/set up instructions for me.

1 hour later...

Random woman: "WTF are you and why are you in my $£%3453 seat?!"

7SG: "This is your seat?"

Random woman: "Don't play that game with me young man! (I have grey hairs but she's *that* older)

7SG: "WTF is it with this place?"

*Random woman loses her temper, pick up 7SG's rucksack off desk, clears whole desk with one arm onto floor. £700 Sony laptop hits the deck inside the bag amid other things*

Two pacifists return, placate, I spend the rest of the day sat peer reviewing code with them whilst they tell me all about how it is a hostile environment and the project is "probably going to go south by the end of the quarter, we should probably tidy up our CVs or something"

I'm thinking sh!t really?

Left the office at 4:30, went to the hotel - sh!thouse - logged on to this forum, posted this thread.

As you can probably imagine I just woke up on Wednesday and drove home...

Interview Monday!

Jeesus, sounds like a hell hole. Tell them that they are a bunch of fecking idiots don't walk, run

[quackhandle]

Claim damages off the woman for your laptop.

"Yes your M'Lud, she set fire to it for no reason at all."

qh

[northernladuk]

Not cool at all that but I wouldn't have minded a couple of days there. Sounds like there was some fun to be had.

[psychocandy]

Ok guys I'll end the suspense.

So the deal was that I'd agree to a fresh engagement at my old gig but work from another office on another project - basically dig them out of a hole. Two hours from home, regular B&B slumming, rate re-negotiated to reflect, no problem.

Turned up for Day 1. "Hi, I'm here from the X project. I'm the Y specialist".

Reception: "Sorry I haven't got you down here, who's expecting you?"

7SG: *Gives name*.

Reception: Oh she left on Friday. I'll call the new Project Manager.

Reception again: He says who are you again and what do you do?

7SG: "Can you get him down here rather than doing this all through the phone?!"

Reception: Gets hump. "He says get down here and talk to him".

7SG: "Hang on I didn't say it like that..."

*2 minute argument with receptionist".

*New PM comes downstairs whilst we're having it out*

New PM: "Who are you and what the hell is this?"

I then have that conversation.

New PM: "Well then enough of that, come with me".

* Taken to office whilst Scrum stand up is going on and introduced by new PM"

Another PM: "Hi 7SG I'm the PM"

7SG: "Wait a minute, he says he's the new PM"

Another PM: *Turns to 1st PM* £$%£^$%^"$^$^$%^$%^$%^ I'm the new £$%£$^£$£^ PM!

*Massive verbal volley for 10 minute in front of 20 people between two PMs pissing on the ground at each other*

Team Leader during verbal volley privately: "What do you do 7SG?"

7SG: "I'm here to do Z".

Team Leader: "Oh FFS every 'kin week, we DONT NEED ANOTHER Z!" *joins in with argument between PMs*

After all that plays out I'm shown to my desk by a pair of self-appointed developer pacifists where there's a computer and login/set up instructions for me.

1 hour later...

Random woman: "WTF are you and why are you in my $£%3453 seat?!"

7SG: "This is your seat?"

Random woman: "Don't play that game with me young man! (I have grey hairs but she's *that* older)

7SG: "WTF is it with this place?"

*Random woman loses her temper, pick up 7SG's rucksack off desk, clears whole desk with one arm onto floor. £700 Sony laptop hits the deck inside the bag amid other things*

Two pacifists return, placate, I spend the rest of the day sat peer reviewing code with them whilst they tell me all about how it is a hostile environment and the project is "probably going to go south by the end of the quarter, we should probably tidy up our CVs or something"

I'm thinking sh!t really?

Left the office at 4:30, went to the hotel - sh!thouse - logged on to this forum, posted this thread.

As you can probably imagine I just woke up on Wednesday and drove home...

Interview Monday!

Fair play mind not cool is it?

[psychocandy]

Anyone intrigued as to what can happen in one work day that can put OP off the entire contract?

I've had bad first days but always give it a second day....

Followed into the toilet by client manager and bummed?

[jmo21]

*Random woman loses her temper, pick up 7SG's rucksack off desk, clears whole desk with one arm onto floor. £700 Sony laptop hits the deck inside the bag amid other things*

Wtf?!? Who does that. Was she a high up "important" manager type (not that that excuses the behaviour of course)

What did you say to that, did she apologise?

[Jubber]

Ta

[7specialgems]

Ok guys I'll end the suspense.

So the deal was that I'd agree to a fresh engagement at my old gig but work from another office on another project - basically dig them out of a hole. Two hours from home, regular B&B slumming, rate re-negotiated to reflect, no problem.

Turned up for Day 1. "Hi, I'm here from the X project. I'm the Y specialist".

Reception: "Sorry I haven't got you down here, who's expecting you?"

7SG: *Gives name*.

Reception: Oh she left on Friday. I'll call the new Project Manager.

Reception again: He says who are you again and what do you do?

7SG: "Can you get him down here rather than doing this all through the phone?!"

Reception: Gets hump. "He says get down here and talk to him".

7SG: "Hang on I didn't say it like that..."

*2 minute argument with receptionist".

*New PM comes downstairs whilst we're having it out*

New PM: "Who are you and what the hell is this?"

I then have that conversation.

New PM: "Well then enough of that, come with me".

* Taken to office whilst Scrum stand up is going on and introduced by new PM"

Another PM: "Hi 7SG I'm the PM"

7SG: "Wait a minute, he says he's the new PM"

Another PM: *Turns to 1st PM* £$%£^$%^"$^$^$%^$%^$%^ I'm the new £$%£$^£$£^ PM!

*Massive verbal volley for 10 minute in front of 20 people between two PMs pissing on the ground at each other*

Team Leader during verbal volley privately: "What do you do 7SG?"

7SG: "I'm here to do Z".

Team Leader: "Oh FFS every 'kin week, we DONT NEED ANOTHER Z!" *joins in with argument between PMs*

After all that plays out I'm shown to my desk by a pair of self-appointed developer pacifists where there's a computer and login/set up instructions for me.

1 hour later...

Random woman: "WTF are you and why are you in my $£%3453 seat?!"

7SG: "This is your seat?"

Random woman: "Don't play that game with me young man! (I have grey hairs but she's *that* older)

7SG: "WTF is it with this place?"

*Random woman loses her temper, pick up 7SG's rucksack off desk, clears whole desk with one arm onto floor. £700 Sony laptop hits the deck inside the bag amid other things*

Two pacifists return, placate, I spend the rest of the day sat peer reviewing code with them whilst they tell me all about how it is a hostile environment and the project is "probably going to go south by the end of the quarter, we should probably tidy up our CVs or something"

I'm thinking sh!t really?

Left the office at 4:30, went to the hotel - sh!thouse - logged on to this forum, posted this thread.

As you can probably imagine I just woke up on Wednesday and drove home...

Interview Monday!

[MyUserName]

I have turned up at a new permie job to be shown in a place where I did not have a desk or a PC and they thought I was supposed to be working in the London office as opposed to the Oxford one (something I had made clear was not going to happen at the interview and when I refused to sign the contract afterwards unless it specified that). I then found out that I was expected to do my work on various Linux boxes even though I had specified I had never used Linux at the interview. After that I found out that the office was being shut and everyone was being moved to London, something they told me at the interview would not happen after someone let something about it slip in conversation.

I still lasted a couple of month there - what happened to you on your first day?!?!?

[Jubber]

1 day in, it's *that* bad.

Scanner blew up on me last night so I am yet to return the signed contract (fate?), but I can't last 6 days at this place let alone 6 months.

Would you serve notice or would you just walk?

Looking at day's money as a bonus if I got it to be honest.

Now then .... what happened? Stop keeping me in suspenders.

[Blueshark]

1 day in, it's *that* bad.

Scanner blew up on me last night so I am yet to return the signed contract (fate?), but I can't last 6 days at this place let alone 6 months.

Would you serve notice or would you just walk?

Looking at day's money as a bonus if I got it to be honest.

Walk. Simple as that.

[BrilloPad]

Keep invoicing - look for new gig.

HTH

[zeitghost]

Left one permie tuliphole after a morning.

Life's too short for some of these places.

Left another one after the first day.

[quackhandle]

One day? Someone do a dump in your coffee mug?

Shortest gig for me was a permy job of two weeks, they'd got the wrong guy and I knew it wasn't the place for me. Mutual descision, and got paid for the two weeks.

Had another gig for 4 weeks when I realised the migration project wasn't going to start for another 2 months, so gave 1 wk notice.

qh

[barrydidit]

On my second gig a number of people said to me on day 2 "Oh, i see we didn't scare you off like the others". Now that did get me worrying - what the hell was I missing?