Contractors - is this normal / what would you do?
Discussion
Here's an experience from my workplace in bizarroland today.
A major software project was released for testing last Friday, it was supposed to be available at the start of business, but there were a few issues that were fixed and by lunchtime the rollout was underway. At the end of the day the rollout was still being done by the permanent staff, but there were no reported problems or requests for help, so everyone on the team except one permanent went home.
Today the project team was called into a meeting where everyone was given a dressing down for leaving this permanent on their own. They were told that it wasn't very team spirited, and asked why they left on time, with the reasons given being that they weren't aware there was anything more to do or that there were any problems as none had been reported.
The bit that leads me to this thread, is that out of the 5 people being given a dressing down, 4 were contractors on 3 month contracts at most. I was the permanent that left on time for the same reasons as them, plus I had plans that evening anyway.
Do contractors normally run into this kind of thing? I can't help thinking tomorrow I'm going to stroll in and find that the contractors have decided to quit all of a sudden.
A major software project was released for testing last Friday, it was supposed to be available at the start of business, but there were a few issues that were fixed and by lunchtime the rollout was underway. At the end of the day the rollout was still being done by the permanent staff, but there were no reported problems or requests for help, so everyone on the team except one permanent went home.
Today the project team was called into a meeting where everyone was given a dressing down for leaving this permanent on their own. They were told that it wasn't very team spirited, and asked why they left on time, with the reasons given being that they weren't aware there was anything more to do or that there were any problems as none had been reported.
The bit that leads me to this thread, is that out of the 5 people being given a dressing down, 4 were contractors on 3 month contracts at most. I was the permanent that left on time for the same reasons as them, plus I had plans that evening anyway.
Do contractors normally run into this kind of thing? I can't help thinking tomorrow I'm going to stroll in and find that the contractors have decided to quit all of a sudden.
I doubt they will quit, water off a ducks back I'd imagine.
After all there is no long term harm done to them, in a few weeks they will be out of there. However tha company is embarrassing itself. If you have short term hired guns, why would you expect above and beyond from them?
most contractors I work with put a very decent shift in, so I am slightly surprised.
The key part of your story is That the rollout was still going on when you all left.... I think you can see why that might be an issue.
Gargamel said:
The key part of your story is That the rollout was still going on when you all left.... I think you can see why that might be an issue.
If I ignored the context of the situation, I can see why they'd be upset about a permanent finishing on time in such circumstances, and they delivered a more extensive talking to after the contractors had been dismissed. If you include the wider context, which I won't go into here, they are f
king lucky I made the effort I did, which was above and beyond what was asked of me.Anyway, I thought it was bizarre for the contractors to be given grief like that. Strange world!
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