Reply to: Client co-workers

[WTFH]

I know it's a scary thing, but "Documentation" could be a good one here.
If you've put in code which works then for yourself take a dump of the code. For the client, document it in word, including screenshots of the code and give that documentation to the managers, e.g.
"The following section of code between lines 165 and 279 fixes the issue of rounding in the accounts field"
< insert screenshot >.
(Along with proof that it works)

That way, after you have gone if one of the permies is queried as to where the code went, and then instructed to put it back in again, he has to key it in by hand, can't just copy and paste from your doc.

[northernladuk]

Ignore it be professional, don't indulge in childish battles. This is good practice as it won't be the last time you'll end up as a target. Just do your work. If the work is deleted, there must be a record of it being deleted. Just ask why. They're perfectly entitled to delete it as the code belongs to the client. If you write a piece of code and it's deleted, rewrite it, and if you have to keep doing this so be it.

Let it wash over you, invoice and behave is as if everything is perfectly normal.

In two months the contract will be over, do you really care ?

This... Great thing with contracting is that it will always end sooner or later. Just have to focus on that and get to the end. After that it will just be a memory.

[pauldee]

Raise a technical issue that there is something wrong with your source control system and your work keeps accidentally being deleted. You may find the problem just resolves itself.

I've never got this jealousy from permies to contractors. If they're so good and contracting is such an easy life, why don't they have a go? Especially if they think contractors are such low quality - if they're so good it should be easy for them. (I have to admit, it was this attitude that got me into contacting in the first place)

[BlasterBates]

Ignore it be professional, don't indulge in childish battles. This is good practice as it won't be the last time you'll end up as a target. Just do your work. If the work is deleted, there must be a record of it being deleted. Just ask why. They're perfectly entitled to delete it as the code belongs to the client. If you write a piece of code and it's deleted, rewrite it, and if you have to keep doing this so be it.

Let it wash over you, invoice and behave is as if everything is perfectly normal.

In two months the contract will be over, do you really care ?

[northernladuk]

With 2.5 months to go I would force the situation now rather than wait to be removed in October or November as the cycle winds down...

Go and have a word with the top dog and point out that while he is paying for your work one of their own team is sabotaging it because they dont like contractors. It doesn't bother you because you always have offline copies of the work. But once you have gone their resident arse will still be there and its unlikely they will stop being one, rather they will start looking for the next trouble to cause.

If they are using git then there will be a log of the actions and you can point it out.

You might outlive the permy in the end

Now we've got the worst way to approach it out of the way let's see if we can help the OP.

[Smackdown]

If they're doing this I'd raise a ticket against it; phrasing it in a positive way such as "this code seems to have disappeared, here's a replacement".
Then hopefully someone will investigate and use the CM tool to show who it was.

...unless they're all in it.

I would copy in the project manager in the ticket, he's the one with a stake in this. Not the other IT guys.

Be careful about going up the IT guy hierarchy, a lot of people have no morals.

[bobspud]

With 2.5 months to go I would force the situation now rather than wait to be removed in October or November as the cycle winds down...

Go and have a word with the top dog and point out that while he is paying for your work one of their own team is sabotaging it because they dont like contractors. It doesn't bother you because you always have offline copies of the work. But once you have gone their resident arse will still be there and its unlikely they will stop being one, rather they will start looking for the next trouble to cause.

If they are using git then there will be a log of the actions and you can point it out.

You might outlive the permy in the end

[RSoles]

Deleting work etc

If they're doing this I'd raise a ticket against it; phrasing it in a positive way such as "this code seems to have disappeared, here's a replacement".
Then hopefully someone will investigate and use the CM tool to show who it was.

...unless they're all in it.

[NotAllThere]

Tread carefully. If a tulip storm starts brewing you are the only one they can remove quickly.

The OP has already expressed that moving on is a viable option.

Choices:

Speak up - could result in you being canned, could cause the situation to improve, could make it not better or worse (in which case you walk anyway).
Walk.
Fight back.

I'd go for the first. Nothing really to lose and lowest stress option.

[SueEllen]

Tread carefully. If a tulip storm starts brewing you are the only one they can remove quickly. It's a fine line between advising the client there is a problem and a contractor causing trouble.

Stick to facts that are adversely going affect the client, like the "accidentally" deleting of files. Forget moaning about them picking on you.

FTFY

[northernladuk]

Thanks Lance. I agree. Client contact needs to know what is happenig.

Tread carefully. If a tulip storm starts brewing you are the only one they can remove quickly. It's a fine line between advising the client there is a problem and a contractor causing trouble.

Stick to facts that are adversely going affect the client, like the deleting of files. Forget moaning about them picking on you.

[bullseye]

you've been adding value for 10 months. Now the new permies are undermining you?

Talk to the client directly (above the new guys). Tell them their new team isn't a team, and ask them how sure they are that these idiots will still be around in 5 years time.
Ask for strong support or you'll have to leave (and who are they going to look for when all the perms p**s off elsewhere for more cash).

One thing companies hate more than overpaying contractors is the threat of permies leaving them in the tulip.

Thanks Lance. I agree. Client contact needs to know what is happenig.

[Lance]

you've been adding value for 10 months. Now the new permies are undermining you?

Talk to the client directly (above the new guys). Tell them their new team isn't a team, and ask them how sure they are that these idiots will still be around in 5 years time.
Ask for strong support or you'll have to leave (and who are they going to look for when all the perms p**s off elsewhere for more cash).

One thing companies hate more than overpaying contractors is the threat of permies leaving them in the tulip.

[bullseye]

**** 'em.

Be snide back. Joke about low permie wages, tell them they don't have the balls to contract. "I'm reassuringly expensive" etc.

The deleting work bit is more serious though. Do you mean deleting it because they don't think it is good enough, or so it looks like you haven't done it?

I'm thinking more of just being a pain in the backside

[bullseye]

If they are deleting work you need to keep your own local copy of it to replace it or the deleted lines when they "accidentally" delete it.

Yes, thats what I did. Over the time I have learnt my lessons, I have always got a back up of whatever that goes to outer world