Reply to: Handed in my notice, asked to cut it short.

[C1982]

WHS

Tell them you would be more than happy to talk and do the odd day + extra support out of hours if it doesn't work out. I would also make sure the client knew one of the key reasons you left was the late payment from the agency and the fact that you haven't been paid to date. They will definitely understand that.

Thank you - I'll be sure to mention that.

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I've learnt loads this week! Cheers :-D

[AnthonyQuinn]

Hi,
Can they, effectively, give me my notice after I've given mine? Is this how it usually works?
Cheers!

Notice is one way. The party who has been served the notice may accept or reject it. They can easily tell you to leave the next day as they dont want your notice. Similarly if they gave you notice you could leave next day. Only the GIVER of notice has to honour it.

[SueEllen]

Dropping a contract for £10 p/d is pretty silly, but referring to someone as a "turncoat" is pathetic. Not least of all because it implies some kind of loyalty or alliance to begin with - business is business.

He more likely dropped the contract because he couldn't stand the people he was working with. People make up neutral reasons instead of turning around and saying you guys are horrible to work with.

[vwdan]

Many years ago a contractor working with me in the whisky industry at allied Dom, jumped ship at critical part of project for £10 a day more, I'm still in touch with both him and boss at the time, the boss refers to him as the 'turncoat' and has been asked for an informal reference many times from others within the industry about him. but we won't be replying to them in writing !!

Dropping a contract for £10 p/d is pretty silly, but referring to someone as a "turncoat" is pathetic. Not least of all because it implies some kind of loyalty or alliance to begin with - business is business.

I had a contractor disappear on me during a critical roll-out (Literally just stopped turning up to the site he was working on, customer had to call me). I can't even remember his name and nor do I particularly care - he did what he had to do. I was annoyed at the time, of course, but it was years ago. I've also had two contractors fired for sheer laziness (Disappearing for a ten minute job and being gone hours) and I don't really hold any ill feeling towards them, either. Life's too short, man.

But "turncout"? Pathetic.

[C1982]

I wasn't saying that what you'd done was bad - just that by 'reputation', I most definitely didn't mean with agents.

They'd have hired Ted Bundy if they thought he could make them some money.

Oh, I see. Thanks. I'll be careful in future.

LOL!

[MaryPoppins]

I have a good reputation (so far). Is it really so bad to leave a short term contract for a longer term one? How do I play this in the future?

I wasn't saying that what you'd done was bad - just that by 'reputation', I most definitely didn't mean with agents.

They'd have hired Ted Bundy if they thought he could make them some money.

[C1982]

"The client brought a permanent employee into the team to do the work that I was doing. Once I had completed my handover to the replacement, I left on good terms, wished her luck and had a short break before moving onto my next contract. I still keep in touch with the manager there, and they know that if they have any issues, they can always drop me a line and I'll see if I can help them out."

Thank you! Much appreciated

[TheFaQQer]

I have a good reputation (so far). Is it really so bad to leave a short term contract for a longer term one? How do I play this in the future?

"The client brought a permanent employee into the team to do the work that I was doing. Once I had completed my handover to the replacement, I left on good terms, wished her luck and had a short break before moving onto my next contract. I still keep in touch with the manager there, and they know that if they have any issues, they can always drop me a line and I'll see if I can help them out."

[C1982]

It's not the agent I'd be concerned about. It's what a small world the contracting world is.

I have a good reputation (so far). Is it really so bad to leave a short term contract for a longer term one? How do I play this in the future?

[MaryPoppins]

Thank you to you and TheFaQQer for explaining :-)

I hope my reputation will be ok but, in all honesty, it's not an agent I hope to use again. They've still not paid me because they keep "forgetting" to put me on their payment system, so I won't be rushing to use them again for work!

Thank you :-)

It's not the agent I'd be concerned about. It's what a small world the contracting world is.

[C1982]

'Tulip' is a rude word rhyming with 'it' that's changed by admin before it's posted. [swear filter, like FAQ put it]

By the sounds of it your reputation won't be impacted - your current client sounded fine when you explained you were leaving, and even found a replacement and won't suffer as a result of you leaving.

Good luck.

Thank you to you and TheFaQQer for explaining :-)

I hope my reputation will be ok but, in all honesty, it's not an agent I hope to use again. They've still not paid me because they keep "forgetting" to put me on their payment system, so I won't be rushing to use them again for work!

Thank you :-)

[MaryPoppins]

It's not going on my CV. Its not a role I was particularly eager to take but did because it's money and it's almost Christmas.
I'm not sure what a "tulip reference" is (I'm still new here/to contracting) but I assume it's a black mark against my name. If that's the case, I'll take it on the chin and move on. I'm not going to turn down a 9 month contract for the sake of a week (which would have been all that was left if I'd worked my full notice), rightly or wrongly.

'Tulip' is a rude word rhyming with 'it' that's changed by admin before it's posted. [swear filter, like FAQ put it]

By the sounds of it your reputation won't be impacted - your current client sounded fine when you explained you were leaving, and even found a replacement and won't suffer as a result of you leaving.

Good luck.

[TheFaQQer]

It's not going on my CV. Its not a role I was particularly eager to take but did because it's money and it's almost Christmas.
I'm not sure what a "tulip reference" is (I'm still new here/to contracting) but I assume it's a black mark against my name. If that's the case, I'll take it on the chin and move on. I'm not going to turn down a 9 month contract for the sake of a week (which would have been all that was left if I'd worked my full notice), rightly or wrongly.

"tulip" is the word the swear filter on CUK puts in when you type tulip.

Edit - tulip, that didn't work

Edit - s**t, not tulip

[C1982]

I wouldn't even put that on my profile.

It's not going on my CV. Its not a role I was particularly eager to take but did because it's money and it's almost Christmas.
I'm not sure what a "tulip reference" is (I'm still new here/to contracting) but I assume it's a black mark against my name. If that's the case, I'll take it on the chin and move on. I'm not going to turn down a 9 month contract for the sake of a week (which would have been all that was left if I'd worked my full notice), rightly or wrongly.

[oliverson]

You do realise you will get a tulip reference if you could not even see out a 6 week contract

Factor that into calculation before you jump ship next time

I wouldn't even put that on my profile.