Why would employer behave this way?

[seimum]

My DD has been working as a temp for the last four weeks. She has now been told not to go in on Monday, as the company does not have any more work for her. DD was partly expecting this, as the work they had for her had been dropping off (it's a business with seasonal volume variations)

HOWEVER - the company did not tell her this to her face when she was at work on Friday. She left the office believing she was still employed. The company then contacted the temp agency after she left work - so she knew nothing until she read an email from the temp agency on Friday evening!

She is really upset that the people she had worked for, who seemed so nice, have behaved in this callous way. Is this common?

Well, temping is a bit like that. She doesn't work for the company, they're not her employer, she works for the agency. The company was quite correct to inform the agency. That said, I would have expected them out of politeness to have let her know they were terminating the assignment and thanking her for her hard work, perhaps they will do that on Monday (thinking it proper that the agency tell her the assignment has concluded).

I've worked for some really, really nice people whilst temping so I hope your dd doesn't think it will always be like this, but she does need to recognise she is there on a short term basis and not become too attached.

I'm sorry her first experience has been rather disappointing but hopefully the agency will have something else for her shortly. Onward and upwards.

Thanks Tribpot
She's been told not to go in on Monday, that the assignment is over - but hopefully she may get a fuller explanation when she gets to talk to her agency..
It's not my DDs first temp role - in the others she has had, the company always told her directly when she was no longer needed (as well as telling the agency) - as you say, it seems only polite!

That was totally normal in temping when I did it nearly 30 years ago

It's normal my company does this. Not nice but par for the course. Hope she has another role soon.

Thanks everybody.
I've obviously lived a sheltered employment life so far, only working for companies that don't behave this way.