Reply to: Should a contractor have a conscience?

[d000hg]

Well it seemed a dumb question, like "should a contractor eat breakfast?" I was expecting to be told, "he's not a person, he's a business"

[MarillionFan]

A contractor is a person and generally people should have a conscience. Yet nothing in your situation seems even slightly dodgy.
The only thing you might do is tell the other guy, if you know him enough to be sure he won't screw things up... you don't know for sure you'd be replacing him, they might be using him elsewhere or he might even have a new contract and is dropping them. I'd say being a decent guy pays off in the long run, if you know him well enough that it would be considered friendly rather than weird, give him a call.

Deep.

[d000hg]

A contractor is a person and generally people should have a conscience. Yet nothing in your situation seems even slightly dodgy.
The only thing you might do is tell the other guy, if you know him enough to be sure he won't screw things up... you don't know for sure you'd be replacing him, they might be using him elsewhere or he might even have a new contract and is dropping them. I'd say being a decent guy pays off in the long run, if you know him well enough that it would be considered friendly rather than weird, give him a call.

[nomadd]

Back to the bench for me. Going to start looking from Monday. How is the market at the moment?

Booming.

Or Dead.

Depending upon to whom you speak.

Whatever, approach the market with a clear conscience.

[MayContainNuts]

Back to the bench for me. Going to start looking from Monday. How is the market at the moment?

[bizways net]

Have just had a phone call from the manager on my contract that I completed last May, asking if I would like to come back to continue the same role.

Not ideal as the role was boring, but hey as is quoted often on here, as long as you are invoicing, right?

However it means that they are going to terminate the contract of the guy who took over from me. Feeling slightly guilty about this as he is a sound guy and I have been out for drinks with him a few times over the last 9 months.

Kill or be killed.

[The Agents View]

Take it, do it, add a premium etc, but make peace with the guy shortly after you've received the contract. Regardless of quality, he's at the same level as you roughly, so there's a good possibility he could come back to bite you in the ar5e if you don't. If it was me, I'd ring him up after the first day and say to him "I'd rather you heard this from me, than through the grapevine - XYZ client has drafted me in to finish the project off. I hope you understand" Shortly followed by "I'm out of work, and was asked to do a contract - it's obviously a simple equation for me."

Hope that helps
TAV

[TheFaQQer]

The guy who took over from you may hate you anyway.

FTFY

[SueEllen]

However it means that they are going to terminate the contract of the guy who took over from me. Feeling slightly guilty about this as he is a sound guy and I have been out for drinks with him a few times over the last 9 months.

The guy who took over from you may hate the role anyway. Some people stick in roles longer than they should.

If you are happy doing it as the management isn't bad just take it.

[northernladuk]

Where's your Issue?

There is a business/incumbent that cannot perform, you've been recalled to perform and do what the current incumbent cannot do.........where does conscience come into play?

WHS+1 Sums it all up in one sentence for me.

[SeekingIT]

Where does Conscience come in?

Have just had a phone call from the manager on my contract that I completed last May, asking if I would like to come back to continue the same role.

Not ideal as the role was boring, but hey as is quoted often on here, as long as you are invoicing, right?

However it means that they are going to terminate the contract of the guy who took over from me. Feeling slightly guilty about this as he is a sound guy and I have been out for drinks with him a few times over the last 9 months.

Where's your Issue?

There is a business/incumbent that cannot perform, you've been recalled to perform and do what the current incumbent cannot do.........where does conscience come into play?

[rsingh]

Returning to a client will looks good on your cv. Go for it.

[cojak]

A contractor should be professional. If and when that comes with a conscience, so much the better.

[TheFaQQer]

Of course you should have a conscience. But there's nothing immoral, unethical or back-stabbing about taking this contract. I'd only not take it if I thought the client was shafting the other guy, and so there's a high chance they'd shaft me!

WHS.

This guy is going, the client knows you, likes you, and thinks you're the man for the job and they made a mistake in letting you go.

There's nothing unethical about taking the role - if you want it, then as someone else said then there may be a chance for an increase as well, since they know what they are getting and know how getting someone else in proved to be a false economy.

[TestMangler]

I was asked years ago (mid nineties) to come in to a client for two days to look at some OS/2 server stuff (shows how long ago it was). When I got there, the PM asked me to hang about in the server room with another contractor in on the same two day gig as me and observe the OS/2 guy and the Netware guy they already had in. After two days, PM asked us what we thought of them. We both said the Netware guy was OK but the OS/2 guy was struggling a bit. PM calls the OS/2 guy over right in front of us and says 'You, get yer coat and get to f**k' then says, 'Right, Mangler, you're on a three monther if you want it'.

I felt a bit sorry for the OS/2 guy until the first invoice went in. As someone else says, if you don't take his gig, someone else will. If you want it, 'ave it.