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A skilled contractor is thown to side, how to respond. 3

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squash

MIS
May 21, 2001
99
US
I have a dilemma I would love to see some discussions on.

I have been working as a contractor for 10 years for a large company; I will just pick three random letters for the name,,,, ibbm. I have had what could best be described as the ultimate job ever. It was work at home, paid well, ample opportunity to learn and grow, and best of all direct contact with the customer to understand their needs and fill them. Very satisfying.

Now on Jan 2nd of this year I logged back on as usual and found my VPN access was shutoff and my direct team lead failed to answer my calls.
I called my contract company to have them inquire and they learned my contract had been terminated, however they would give me the choice to relocate to Iowa and work in a new GDF. I was told I would have the same job as before, just be located in a facility. After some careful thoughts and a view of the current job market where I lived, I figured, heck why not have an adventure. So I up and moved to Iowa. When I arrived I learned the sad truth, I did not have the same job, and the expectation was I, as a skilled and knowledgeable contractor, would train full time employees how to do my job. These FTE's were making considerably less money than me, which is about right for their skills and experience. In some cases I am training folks that have almost zero UNIX skills, 90% of my job. What I have learned is there is also a small band of folks that are really taking advantage of this situation and exploiting massive overtime. Even though the rule is comp time to keep the costs low, the whole idea of a GDF. I see many such discrepancies going on around me at the expense of the customers.

As of now I have decided not to work here anymore. I will finish out this month and move back where I came from. No job lined up yet, but I would rather flip burgers than be treated less than human.

The dilemma, are you still with me, is how to best exit from this place.

I do not wish to make a scene and also know that anything I may say will most likely fall on deaf ears. There are a lot of folks building kingdom's and do not wish this to be disturbed. The manager seems oblivious to it all and leaves the day to day running to the team leads, who are the ones building kingdoms.

My best thinking is something along the lines of:
1. Type up a project hand off sheet same as I have done many times when I take time off for vacation and such. Email this to my team lead 10 minutes after he leaves the office on my last day.
2. Send an email to my contracting firm, 10 min past closing time, on my last day informing them of my decision to terminate this contract. This contract by the way does not spell out any timelines or how to's when either party terminates.
3. Pack up and move.

There is a side of me that really wants to lay out all the issues I have here, however that would only make the Manager look bad if others saw it. And I don't really have any other contacts to send it to other than him, so he will most likely read and destroy. I have not told of all the injustices I have endured since I came here to Iowa, but believe me there are many. I know of 3 others in my shoes that are leaving as well. Maybe this is just a rant and rave session more than an ethical dilemma, but I do not have any trusted ears here in Iowa so I thought I would just throw this out in the tek-tips world and see what it sparked.

Thankx for listening.




As always we thank you for your support
Doug
 
Put your feelings to the side and be professional about it.

Give them two weeks' notice. It can't hurt.

While they didn't play nice with you, if the contract doesn't specify any kind of nicety about termination, then it's all fair and you probably shouldn't attempt to sue them.

Tao Te Ching Discussions : Chapter 9 (includes links to previous chapters)
What is the nature of conflict?
 
I'm with Trevoke.

Just be forewarned that when you offer two weeks notice, you might be shown the door immediately. Be prepared for that, and maintain your composure.
 
My best thinking is something along the lines of:
1. Type up a project hand off sheet same as I have done many times when I take time off for vacation and such. Email this to my team lead 10 minutes after he leaves the office on my last day.
2. Send an email to my contracting firm, 10 min past closing time, on my last day informing them of my decision to terminate this contract. This contract by the way does not spell out any timelines or how to's when either party terminates.
3. Pack up and move.

Seriously? That's your "best thinking"? Short of stripping naked and running through the office screaming obscenities that is probably the least professional way I can think of that you could handle this.

You've worked for this contracting company for 10 years, right? So you basically have no other job references for the past 10 years besides them? And you want to put them in a very difficult position with their customer and essentially leave them hanging with no notice?

Here's what I would do.

1. Call my contact at the consulting company and tell them that you are ready to leave your current contract. Tell them that you're willing to work out two weeks (and maybe a little longer if they need you to and are willing to sweeten the deal).

2. If they ask, you can tell them honestly that you don't like the environment that you're in, or you can lie and say that you hate living in Iowa and want to go back home. Either one is a legitimate excuse.

3. Tell them that you're willing to prepare any transition documents that they'll need, much like you would if you went on vacation or what-not.

4. Make sure that by the end of the conversation you and your contract company are both clear on what date will be your last day. If you get too much push-back then just be blunt, saying "March 31 will be my last day, I'm not willing to work any longer" (or whatever date you wanted to use).

5. Let your employer handle the conversation with the customer, it's their problem. If someone from the customer asks why you're leaving be diplomatic about it. Don't tell them it's because they suck and you hate them. Let them believe that it has more to do with the geography than the workplace, if that's easier.

6. Be prepared for the day that you have this conversation to be your last day. They may not want you to work for the notice period.

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kmcferrin,

Well I guess you could say I have had better days to think and certainly this is not my shining hour.
Hindsight being what it is I should never have gotten into this situation.

I do however like your thinking, seem a lot more level headed for future plans.

Time to own up and bow out gracefully.

Thankx


As always we thank you for your support
Doug
 


Well now I have had a couple of days away from this place to cool down and think this threw a bit better.

With some input from others it does make sense for me to act in the way I always have with this company, with integrity and honesty.

As of today I have sent my Contracting company my offical resignation giving them 2 weeks notice. I did ask them how best to proceed on this end. Should I forward same resignation to the manager here or leave that to them. They are discussing and will get back to me shortly.

I have also completed my turnover document in the event that I am shortly walked to the door. This I fully expect and have no reservations about it.

Oh well this was a fun ride. Best job ever for almost 10 years that now will end with a very unsatisfying thud.

I shall leave this thread open for a few days just for fun.
thank you all for your input.

As always we thank you for your support
Doug
 
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