Reply to: Best way to respond to criticism as a contractor

[perplexed]

One of the things I soon ad to grasp after starting as a contractor is I let nothing phase me. I get no benefits of being annoyed or taking offence and I have no HR to go to and complain. So no matter what's been said I'll either provide an explanation or in a non formal manner say sorry and amend whatever it is. Anything that keeps the day rate flowing and provided it cause no great deal of harm.

So, just say sorry, chances are it'll be swept under the carpet and stay at your desk more.

Back in the day, during one contract had a snide permie continually making jibes abour contractors in my presence at the kitchen area. Each day, every day for the six months on the contract.

Ignored him until the final day, when he referred to "contractors abusing others at will, without consequences". I pointed out contractors weren't subject to the company diciplinary policy whereas bullying permies were...

I walked back to desk, finished the handover I was doing, said goodbye to everyone and quietly told that guy every single comment he made had been noted and a complaint was being filed. I did enjoy the look on his face.

[adubya]

One of the things I soon ad to grasp after starting as a contractor is I let nothing phase me. I get no benefits of being annoyed or taking offence and I have no HR to go to and complain. So no matter what's been said I'll either provide an explanation or in a non formal manner say sorry and amend whatever it is. Anything that keeps the day rate flowing and provided it cause no great deal of harm.

So, just say sorry, chances are it'll be swept under the carpet and stay at your desk more.

Amen!

[PerfectStorm]

One of the things I soon ad to grasp after starting as a contractor is I let nothing phase me. I get no benefits of being annoyed or taking offence and I have no HR to go to and complain. So no matter what's been said I'll either provide an explanation or in a non formal manner say sorry and amend whatever it is. Anything that keeps the day rate flowing and provided it cause no great deal of harm.

So, just say sorry, chances are it'll be swept under the carpet and stay at your desk more.

Exactly this. The art of letting go.

[JIDEARE]

One of the things I soon ad to grasp after starting as a contractor is I let nothing phase me. I get no benefits of being annoyed or taking offence and I have no HR to go to and complain. So no matter what's been said I'll either provide an explanation or in a non formal manner say sorry and amend whatever it is. Anything that keeps the day rate flowing and provided it cause no great deal of harm.

So, just say sorry, chances are it'll be swept under the carpet and stay at your desk more.

[redman]

had similar once, after 3 days in a role.

I just pointed out that there was no hours in my contract and I was in the office before and after the other PMs. He also critcised my dress code. It was a casual office where people wore shorts and flip-flops. I wore smart jeans and polo shirts - he was wearing grey combat trousers. He took offence and we did part ways a few weeks later.

[SeanT]

If you are using a car as an office I would recommend the Vauxhall Insignia.

If you are using a car as transportation I'd recommend something else!

[PhiltheGreek]

Don't know.

I know cars can be depending on the job you do.

Waving at commoners is best done from a car, I found.

If you are using a car as an office I would recommend an armoured Bentley.

FTFY

[BlasterBates]

Don't know.

I know cars can be depending on the job you do.

If you are using a car as an office I would recommend the Vauxhall Insignia.

[PerfectStorm]

Had the same feedback myself, I just said with a cheery face that I'm here to do the job I said I'd do and that I'm not into presenteeism.

Shut the convo down pretty sharpish and got renewed several times more.

Remember you're the business, not the employee.

[SueEllen]

The old man has been working in the car park at Wigan Wallgate while they're refurbishing the gents.

TMI

[northernladyuk]

Don't know.

I know cars can be depending on the job you do.

The old man has been working in the car park at Wigan Wallgate while they're refurbishing the gents.

[SueEllen]

Yes but was the car park a designated work place ?

Don't know.

I know cars can be depending on the job you do.

[billybiro]

You made yet another presumption. This time that he has a desk phone.

I haven't for the clients I've worked for in the last 4 years, who have been are a mixture of large blue chip, government and SME organisations. All of them used/use internet applications like Skype or Lync, and if they didn't work I was/am expected to use my mobile. Employees depending on their level are expected to use these internet applications for work purposes only, or if they are high enough given a phone though that is often a work mobile.

As an aside, there's a funny story about a client's offices I did a gig at not too long ago. This office (client had many in different cities) had around 30 desks, and almost all desk were considered "hot desks". Whilst many desks had the same (mostly permie) people working at them day in day out, it wasn't uncommon for one of the permies to take a 2 day holiday and find either another permie (maybe on secondment from a different office) or a contractor sat at "their" desk upon their return. Moreover, the office had only 25 phones. For 30 desks. It was the source of much amusement when people's phones where continually moved around the office and some people (generally the more fixed position permies) would get angry intra-office emails from other staff members as they couldn't reach said person due to their phone being now used by a contractor on a different hot desk. It was even more amusing that, being IP phones, the non-techy people would move a phone and plug it into the network socket rather than the dedicated phone socket causing a network loopback and taking the entire local network down until the offending equipment was discovered.

Oh, how we laughed. Really enjoyed that gig!

[BlasterBates]

You made yet another presumption. This time that he has a desk phone.

I haven't for the clients I've worked for in the last 4 years, who have been are a mixture of large blue chip, government and SME organisations. All of them used/use internet applications like Skype or Lync, and if they didn't work I was/am expected to use my mobile. Employees depending on their level are expected to use these internet applications for work purposes only, or if they are high enough given a phone though that is often a work mobile.

Yes but was the car park a designated work place ?

[SueEllen]

Exactly there was a contractual understanding, so you didn't need to ask permission (verbally amend the contract) but the OP should. The car park is not suitable as a work place, and I think they would not consent to people working there. If the work place where he is expected to work isn't suitable he needs to make new contractual arrangements. The company have designated a desk for the contractor to work at and they expect him to be there when he is working; there will also be a phone there which he is expected to use, he can't just go around the office willy nilly wandering into rooms using other peoples phones.

You made yet another presumption. This time that he has a desk phone.

I haven't for the clients I've worked for in the last 4 years, who have been are a mixture of large blue chip, government and SME organisations. All of them used/use internet applications like Skype or Lync, and if they didn't work I was/am expected to use my mobile. Employees depending on their level are expected to use these internet applications for work purposes only, or if they are high enough given a phone though that is often a work mobile.