Reply to: Professionalism

[sasguru]

FFS, "handing in your notice"? Bunch of disguised employees.

[DodgyAgent]

I had a kiwi contractor and placed him on a 3 month contract. He finished the work in 6 weeks and left. the client was very happy . I on the other hand was out of pocket

[Dactylion]

I might be handing in my notice in the next couple of days. I don't have any problem with it and I know that they wouldn't have any quarms in serving me my notice if the roles were reversed. So long as you act by the terms of your contract then I don't see how its an issue.

The word is qualms!!!!!

[BoredBloke]

I have done this in the past and got it in the

Be careful NLUK doesn't see your post.

Well its been offered and I'll be handing my notice in as soon as I have signed the official paperwork. I won't be calling the other agencies to withdraw me from the other roles until I've started though.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I might be handing in my notice in the next couple of days. I don't have any problem with it and I know that they wouldn't have any quarms in serving me my notice if the roles were reversed. So long as you act by the terms of your contract then I don't see how its an issue.

I have done this in the past and got it in the

Be careful NLUK doesn't see your post.

[BoredBloke]

I might be handing in my notice in the next couple of days. I don't have any problem with it and I know that they wouldn't have any quarms in serving me my notice if the roles were reversed. So long as you act by the terms of your contract then I don't see how its an issue.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I am in the 4th week of my current contract and still haven't got a system log in. I can use my own email to 'read up' on stuff but after 3 weeks of reading I'm pretty much done.

I can't do anything until I have access and, strangely, I cancelled a holiday to start two weeks earlier than planned at the client's request.

I've worked out that so far, I've been paid around £80+ per A4 sheet of paper I've read. That sounds great, but it's mind-numbing and no-one seems that bothered. The wife tells me I should ask if they need any filing doing, but that's not going to happen.

I've been considering this 'professionalism' question the last week or so and, indeed, if this doesn't change, for my own sanity I'm going to have to find something else.

If the rate is good then why leave? Get a laptop and start your own project up or retrain in a new skill.

[JRCT]

No bull... gave notice on my very first contract over 20 years ago. Management changes with the client lead to me being ordered to be in the office at 09:00 and leaving no earlier than 17:00 daily. Office was next to terminal 4 and I was commuting from the midlands down the M40 every day. This was in deference to my previous hours of 08:00 to 16:00 which was bearable.

I have turned down renewals, one that took me up to the 24 months and I was living away during the week. One where client decided to renege on an agreed deal on my last day of my contract, claiming HR wouldn't allow it.

I have never just not turned up, that is extremely unprofessional.

I am in the 4th week of my current contract and still haven't got a system log in. I can use my own email to 'read up' on stuff but after 3 weeks of reading I'm pretty much done.

I can't do anything until I have access and, strangely, I cancelled a holiday to start two weeks earlier than planned at the client's request.

I've worked out that so far, I've been paid around £80+ per A4 sheet of paper I've read. That sounds great, but it's mind-numbing and no-one seems that bothered. The wife tells me I should ask if they need any filing doing, but that's not going to happen.

I've been considering this 'professionalism' question the last week or so and, indeed, if this doesn't change, for my own sanity I'm going to have to find something else.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Hasn't it always been the case anyway, though, that notice period or not there is no obligation to provide you with invoiceable work?

[northernladuk]

At the moment, it seems clients/agents have conned us all into this not giving notice rubbish. If client does then thats fine because its business. If we do it its unprofessional.

Conned us in to it? WTF is that crap about? No one has conned anyone.

[psychocandy]

Many clients now insist on a no-notice clause.

Fair play then. If thats what they require as part of they're business plan then fair enough. If contractor feels they're able to provide this and whether the rate reflects this then fair enough.

Just don't bleat when the notice period is in there and it gets invoked.

[TheFaQQer]

If clients are so worried about contractor leaving then insist on contract with no notice. But I guess they won't do that because then contractor is going to ask for a bit more in return for the lack of flexibilty.

Many clients now insist on a no-notice clause.

[psychocandy]

Some of you are full of it. Although I've got a feeling that what some of you would do if put in the situation is slightly different to what you preach on here about.

Bottom line is if there is a notice period in the contract then you have a contractual right to give notice. Same usually as the client has.

Not saying you should not turn up or not work notice period - that is unprofessional. Also, it needs to be considered carefully for business reasons. Appreciate that if you do bail then chances are client will probably never want you back in the future so doing it for £10/day is probably not a wise business decision. But thats it - its a business decision.

At the moment, it seems clients/agents have conned us all into this not giving notice rubbish. If client does then thats fine because its business. If we do it its unprofessional.

If clients are so worried about contractor leaving then insist on contract with no notice. But I guess they won't do that because then contractor is going to ask for a bit more in return for the lack of flexibilty.

[Coalman]

Finished mid contract once by mutual consent when work dried up. Bailing otherwise is unprofessional in my view. But I've only had 4 contracts in 8 years of contracting, 2 of those at same client.

[GreyWolf]

I have only bailed the once (in the first month) and that was due to it being horribly dull and not as described. It led to a month on the bench as I didn't have anything else lined up.

I have been in a couple of places where people just stopped turning up. One managed to do it twice with the same agent which shows agents really will swallow anything if the price is right.