Contractors moaning about renewals / job security
Discussion
Six of one, half a dozen of the other....
Contractors (IME) are generally well aware of the temporary nature of their role. You take the plus points with the negative points.
However nobody wants to invest time and effort in finding a new role if they are happy and there is clearly more work needed on the current role.(and therefore they're likely to be retained) Equally does the hiring manager want to spend time and effort in recruiting new Contractors and bringing them up to speed when he could have retained the current ones simply by letting them know their contract was going to be extended?
It's one of those tiny situations that can end up being a ballache for all concerned when it doesn't need to be.
Contractors (IME) are generally well aware of the temporary nature of their role. You take the plus points with the negative points.
However nobody wants to invest time and effort in finding a new role if they are happy and there is clearly more work needed on the current role.(and therefore they're likely to be retained) Equally does the hiring manager want to spend time and effort in recruiting new Contractors and bringing them up to speed when he could have retained the current ones simply by letting them know their contract was going to be extended?
It's one of those tiny situations that can end up being a ballache for all concerned when it doesn't need to be.
miniman said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Those are indeed the rules of the game. I've also worked with plenty of contractors like the OPs, who whinge about the paperwork even though they been told it's on the way. I just ignore them and remind them that that's the game and to chill out, 99% of the time everything gets sorted as expected, and if it doesn't , well tough, that's the way contracting goes sometimes.
I've seen way more contractors NOT renew on end date when offered as they've gone off and found themselves other clients, to be fair mainly due to repeated extensions and mucking about.
Fairly recently I worked for a major company in the UK and got an intial 3 month contract. I was there 18 months with 15 separate contracts as they would only renew a month at a time. But the project I was working on had an 18 month gestation and was progressing well, so I saw no reason to look elsewhere, and they were paying a good rate!
anonymous said:
[redacted]
If they are specifically mentioning job security then that's odd. I've never come across another contractor speaking about security, but some do get jumpy if renewals are not sorted quickly as they want to be looking for for the next role ASAP.Lack of security is just part of contracting. In my current project one contractor was let go at a days notice, and another was given a week. Before now I've been asked to work short weeks, and a mate has been asked to suspend work for a couple of months. It's all part of the game.
A decent contractor will have a buffer of cash in their company so that they continue to get paid regularly regardless of their contract situation.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
So you’re saying that last week, at the end of the second working week of the year, you have dissatisfied contract staff working into 2019 without a formal contract extension because you have a piss poor contracts ‘manager’ not yet back from their Christmas holidays? Why didn’t they, as a contracts manager, manage the contractors a bit better? They must have known that they would be on leave, why not tie up all the 2019 contract renewals before Christmas?
Would you as a permie chuck your job in to go work for someone else without a firm written offer? No. Same concept applies.
I’ve verbally renewed my contract on a nod and a wink previously, only to go in the next week to find that someone far higher up the food chain has binned the whole project and I’m out of work with no contract to say they’ll pay me. Sorting that out isn’t fun.
So no, your contract colleagues are perfectly entitled to question this. It’s not a very professional way of treating the hired help.
Renewal a month prior to due end date - how civilised.
Can recall 2 occasions in my contracting career where I left as per contractual end date, to the surprise and annoyance of client because they never sorted out their paperwork, even though I had flagged it a fortnight prior. Had lined up new contract and not prepared to let new clients down due to ineptitude of current client.
I even work with no contract - with no notice period agreed and so it is effectively 24hours. Appreciate that I have the best part of 2 weeks monies owed and at risk if they bin me (or I walk). Well paid and so take the associated risk, No doubt this approach would cause many contractors to go into a meltdown. Thus, guess that I am on the opposite end of the spectrum of contractors needing security.
Can recall 2 occasions in my contracting career where I left as per contractual end date, to the surprise and annoyance of client because they never sorted out their paperwork, even though I had flagged it a fortnight prior. Had lined up new contract and not prepared to let new clients down due to ineptitude of current client.
I even work with no contract - with no notice period agreed and so it is effectively 24hours. Appreciate that I have the best part of 2 weeks monies owed and at risk if they bin me (or I walk). Well paid and so take the associated risk, No doubt this approach would cause many contractors to go into a meltdown. Thus, guess that I am on the opposite end of the spectrum of contractors needing security.
I've been contracting 14 years and suffered all manner of nonsense at renewal time, including renewals 8 weeks before and being told I've been extended on my leaving do. It's water of a ducks back, I keep my mouth buttoned and if I've not got a firm promise or contract 14 days before the end of mine I'm looking for a new role and will be interviewing.
Having contracted for many years the way companies treat you varies, some now offer Fixed term so you have some work for a period, but that cna also have issues as you get near the ned and no decision is forthcoming.
I ahve been tapped on the shoulder to leave at lunchtim in the past, but most firms are decent and if you are savvy you can usually tell you are not needed anymore
I ahve been tapped on the shoulder to leave at lunchtim in the past, but most firms are decent and if you are savvy you can usually tell you are not needed anymore
Well I dunno, why don’t you ask them?
25yrs a contractor, I’ve worked with literally hundreds of contractors, and never heard people moan like this. Savvy clients sort it out, savvy contractors don’t get their pants pulled down.
Your complaint makes out as though all contractors are like this. My experience is far from the case.
25yrs a contractor, I’ve worked with literally hundreds of contractors, and never heard people moan like this. Savvy clients sort it out, savvy contractors don’t get their pants pulled down.
Your complaint makes out as though all contractors are like this. My experience is far from the case.
I'm a contractor for 25 years and totally acknowledge I am temporary and can be removed at anytime - I haven't heard many other contractors complain that they no security in a contract - complaints can arise when you haven't been told if the client wishes to renew (on a critical project) and you have other opportunities that you could take but feel you cannot take them up in case the client does need to renew you (programme management area) although I would never express that to the client.
I've been contracting for over 20 years now and seen and experienced it all. I've worked for global organisations who shut down over the holidays and have let my contract run out but expect me to work and others where renewals are discussed and processed a month in advance.
I've handed my kit and pass back in when my contract has expired, waiting for the renewal to appear and downed tools as it were, not because I'm trying to be a dick, but because I'm not insured and they've known there renewals process is slow but didn't think to get the ball rolling early enough.
And I've worked for companies who don't even discuss a renewal until the last day of the current contract, but in most cases I've jumped ship by then.
I start looking 4 weeks before the contract expires, and that's usually been enough of a time frame for both parties to get their affairs in order.
However, I've been screwed over once and lost a 5 figure invoice so now I don't leave anything to chance, so if there's nothing agreed within that 4 week window and actively looking.
I've handed my kit and pass back in when my contract has expired, waiting for the renewal to appear and downed tools as it were, not because I'm trying to be a dick, but because I'm not insured and they've known there renewals process is slow but didn't think to get the ball rolling early enough.
And I've worked for companies who don't even discuss a renewal until the last day of the current contract, but in most cases I've jumped ship by then.
I start looking 4 weeks before the contract expires, and that's usually been enough of a time frame for both parties to get their affairs in order.
However, I've been screwed over once and lost a 5 figure invoice so now I don't leave anything to chance, so if there's nothing agreed within that 4 week window and actively looking.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I’ve verbally renewed my contract on a nod and a wink previously, only to go in the next week to find that someone far higher up the food chain has binned the whole project and I’m out of work with no contract to say they’ll pay me. Sorting that out isn’t fun.
That's the risk contractors take, isn't it? Edited by thetoxicnerve on Sunday 13th January 23:06
Also if there is no indication that a firm offer is coming then I will start looking for something else a couple of weeks out.
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