Reply to: contract prolonging tacticts

[SeanT]

Nah, their supervisor is a much more efficient method.

Toilet monitoring: UK employer logs time taken on toilet breaks

Marks and Spencer used to do this, among other dodgy practices.

[northernladuk]

Dunno. Never worked on a service desk - even in permie days.

Gotta aim high fella, otherwise you'll never realize your full potential and achieve your hopes and dreams...

[psychocandy]

Does the Service Desk ticketing software track you like Call Centre systems?

Dunno. Never worked on a service desk - even in permie days.

[diseasex]

Short term gig history never affected me before, if that's the rationale for getting up in the morning to attend some sort of Orwellian dystopia in the office then it's a case of engagement completed ahead of time and foxtrot oscar.

You never know you might be asked to complete another assignment at a higher rate with the same client later. That is assuming they actually don't want you anymore. They might like your style.

Better than being asked to leave for watching 6 hours of catch-up tv at work imo

That might work ... in good times.

[Bluenose]

Short term gig history never affected me before, if that's the rationale for getting up in the morning to attend some sort of Orwellian dystopia in the office then it's a case of engagement completed ahead of time and foxtrot oscar.

You never know you might be asked to complete another assignment at a higher rate with the same client later. That is assuming they actually don't want you anymore. They might like your style.

Better than being asked to leave for watching 6 hours of catch-up tv at work imo

[LondonManc]

Camera? What they use a camera spying on everyone?

In terms of internet, be surprised they're not using some sort of security/proxy software anyway so they could get a report easily enough.

In my experience, no-one bothers too much to check this and its only used when clients employees are suspected of something dodgy.

BTW - I had one client who used to check how long you took in the bog. Really!

I think someone misunderstood the event log.

[northernladuk]

Does the Service Desk ticketing software track you like Call Centre systems?

Nah, their supervisor is a much more efficient method.

Toilet monitoring: UK employer logs time taken on toilet breaks

[MrMarkyMark]

Does the Service Desk ticketing software track you like Call Centre systems?

Its similar apart from there is ankle tag involved.

[northernladyuk]

Camera? What they use a camera spying on everyone?

In terms of internet, be surprised they're not using some sort of security/proxy software anyway so they could get a report easily enough.

In my experience, no-one bothers too much to check this and its only used when clients employees are suspected of something dodgy.

BTW - I had one client who used to check how long you took in the bog. Really!

Does the Service Desk ticketing software track you like Call Centre systems?

[lukemg]

Place sounds grim but appreciate need to keep the tills ringing.
A tactic I have employed a few times now is to sit down with the boss and tell them you don't have enough work or that you have finished what has been requested. State you are happy to get stuck into anything else, even if it's not directly related to the job you were hired for e.g. requirements gathering, advising in other areas, helping perms.
This has:
- Never resulted in a contract finishing early and usually meant renewals.
- Never resulted in more than a couple of extra bits of work, which are easily dispatched.

Boss thinks you are brilliant, all permies say they are busy and can never do anything additional.
Once you have had that chat, your conscience is clear to come and go at flexible times, browse etc. If you get pulled up, mention the chat, say you are still under utilised.
It is a right pain to get a new contract authorised by management, MUCH easier to keep an existing hire. Even if you are doing half of a job, who is going to do that half if you get canned ? Clue - it won't be the 'too busy' permies. It's not the managers own cash, they won't be bothered.

Appreciate this is a risky one but it has worked a treat for me.

[rocktronAMP]

Mr NLUK, read again the title, it should tell you what I'm after
Option leave the gig is not really a valid option because
A) I need cash
B) I need lenghtly contracts in my CV.
C) They have other 6months proj coming after this. And I want to pocket their both budgets.

Now how do I NOT get sacked for browsing, I'd be interested if anyone had stories about wasting time at clients or simply it doesn't commonly happen and clients are OK with it as long as deliverables are ..delivered?

With your own cashmoney £££££$$$$, why not bring in own your 4G enabled iPad / Surface 4 / tablet / hybrid computer into work? Browse on that.

[radish2008]

Which Dilbert Principle ?

Being promoted out of harms way.

[diseasex]

The Dilbert Principle in action ?

which?

[radish2008]

When I was an employee there was a manager with no direct reports.

He use to log when people came in and left. I guess he couldn't understand why he was promoted but not given anyone to work under him...

The Dilbert Principle in action ?

[SueEllen]

Camera? What they use a camera spying on everyone?

In terms of internet, be surprised they're not using some sort of security/proxy software anyway so they could get a report easily enough.

In my experience, no-one bothers too much to check this and its only used when clients employees are suspected of something dodgy.

BTW - I had one client who used to check how long you took in the bog. Really!

When I was an employee there was a manager with no direct reports.

He use to log when people came in and left. I guess he couldn't understand why he was promoted but not given anyone to work under him...