Reply to: oh dear, the war has started...

[thunderlizard]

Well I have to go against the grain and say well done them. If you want to make money, as a staffer or a contractor or as the guy who fills the vending machine, that's the way to go about it. If somebody stands in your way, either get them on your side or eliminate them. The management consultancies are great at this.

When you meet the infidel, invite him to convert. If he refuses, destroy him utterly. That's what I say.

[Joe Black]

Update

Well, the battle seems to have been won. Certainly going by how much more cheerful she is these days...though the campaign goes on.

Her and hubby seem to have managed via various emails to have won support from one of the other departments and now they will be stumping up, via some sort of cross-charging, and paying her invoices.

No doubt it's going to be lots of fun with her new manager in charge of her, and signing off her timesheets, sort of not being in charge of her because she's now being sponsored by someone else.

Permie (contractor?) politics, don't you just love it.

[zathras]

One of the new managers here has decided to let a contractor go, budgetary reasons supposedly, and given them a months notice.

Unfortunately they're not too happy about it, what with being here 3-4 years and all, and it's rapidly descending into the vicious sort of permie politics where her and her partner (also a contractor here the same length of time) seem to be doing their best to use every trick in the book to cast doubt on his position and perhaps get him fired instead.

So, the question is, is this the way contractors should behave to preserve their position, or would you just accept the agreed notice and count the benefit of you and your partner having banked 500-600 every day for the last few years and move on?

OK so she is going to do a Muscat before the BBC Debt Bint. If it was me I'd enjoy a nice holiday on the profits of 3-4 years of solid work.

[Swamp Thing]

The contractor has had a good run. Let it go, preserve what remains of the relationship so that the reference required for the next contract will a) be available, b) be hopefully positive. Don't create grounds for denial of reference. Use the time well to seek the next contract. Look upon the next contract as an opportunity to try new things/update skills. I would if I'd been stuck in a 4-yr 'contract'.

[Joe Black]

Problem I believe is the chain of command, where while he's been made her boss, technically he's still on a sort of secondment so needs agreement from others to take direct action.

Hence her and her partners attempts to use people they know to try and reverse the situation.

[BoredBloke]

If she has been claiming hours she didn't do and he can prove it, then why not just fire her.

[Xenophon]

They should go permie if they want to act like permies.

[ratewhore]

I can't believe some people think they're going to contract forever at £xxx a day.

My ex wife seems to think so...

[Joe Black]

Kick her in the nuts from me. Surely she's got some.

But she's bigger than me!

[rootsnall]

If I was a permie manage I would never let contractors become entrenched, they do start behaving above their station. 1 year max I reckon. The one that is really annoying is when the long term contractors start throwing their weight around with other contractors !

[ChimpMaster]

I think most though would consider themselves to have done quite well to have had 2 x 500 a day for 3-4 years coming in.

I guess people get used to the income and the lifestyle, when in reality perhaps they should view those few high earning years as a chance to build up funds for the future. I can't believe some people think they're going to contract forever at £xxx a day. Surely the plan would be to squirrel away enough (or invest it) to never have to be so worried about work again.

I can see why the couple is vexed, but I completely agree in that they should be ecstatic about having had a continuous high income (x 2) for so many years.

Kick her in the nuts from me. Surely she's got some.

[Joe Black]

He doesnt need to. He's a permie and thus a lot harder to get rid of. HR will weigh up the work required to get rid of him against doing sod all for a couple of weeks and letting it all blow over and make the easy choice.

If the contractors push too hard the manager can claim gross misconduct or similar and terminate on the spot.

Preserving his position sounds like permie talk. He's had a good run and as a contractor it goes with the £500pd rate. Suck it up and start looking for a new gig. At least he has a month notice to do it in.

It's a she by the way.

As for gross misconduct, well if what he (the manager) says is true, that she's been billing for 8 hours while doing only 10 til 4 (I always thought she worked in another building), and now not co-operating with him I'd guess that might be decent grounds.

Problem is I don't think he's high enough up the food chain to take direct action, hence why she and her partner are probably trying to go round or over him.

I think most though would consider themselves to have done quite well to have had 2 x 500 a day for 3-4 years coming in.

[ratewhore]

Sorry, isn't this what contracting is all about? Taking a higher rate to offset the risk of being moved on (amongst other things)?

[DaveB]

He doesnt need to. He's a permie and thus a lot harder to get rid of. HR will weigh up the work required to get rid of him against doing sod all for a couple of weeks and letting it all blow over and make the easy choice.

If the contractors push too hard the manager can claim gross misconduct or similar and terminate on the spot.

Preserving his position sounds like permie talk. He's had a good run and as a contractor it goes with the £500pd rate. Suck it up and start looking for a new gig. At least he has a month notice to do it in.

[Mailman]

Pfffffffft, if the manager was worth his weight in salt he would let the f8ckers go right now

Mailman