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Original poster

Have I been completely unprofessional?

145 replies

c1JSU · 10/08/2020 10:01

I secured a temp to perm role. A few days in I realised it wasn’t for me, so I resumed my job hunt while continuing my temp to perm position. I received a job offer for another role on Friday just gone. I mulled it over the weekend and last night decided that yes, I am going to accept and in fact I think I will be very good at it. I emailed the recruitment agency that I am temping for at 10:30pm last night, which admittedly is rather late. I thanked them for the position I had been temping in but as I would shortly be starting a new role I won’t waste anymore of their time as I know they need to start recruiting again. I start my new job a week today so this week will be a week off for me, so therefore this morning I did not have an alarm set. I woke at 9:30am to 9 missed calls from the agency and a text message telling me off for ghosting then! I appreciate I gave them short notice that I wouldn’t be in today, but I was only temping and didn’t have to give a specified notice period. I thought if anything leaving quickly after I knew I wouldn’t be staying would be a good thing-it means the company wouldn’t continue to waste their time training me for me to then up and leave. Have I handled this all wrong?!

OP posts:
Boireannachlaidir · 10/08/2020 10:20

@c1JSU

I secured a temp to perm role. A few days in I realised it wasn’t for me, so I resumed my job hunt while continuing my temp to perm position. I received a job offer for another role on Friday just gone. I mulled it over the weekend and last night decided that yes, I am going to accept and in fact I think I will be very good at it. I emailed the recruitment agency that I am temping for at 10:30pm last night, which admittedly is rather late. I thanked them for the position I had been temping in but as I would shortly be starting a new role I won’t waste anymore of their time as I know they need to start recruiting again. I start my new job a week today so this week will be a week off for me, so therefore this morning I did not have an alarm set. I woke at 9:30am to 9 missed calls from the agency and a text message telling me off for ghosting then! I appreciate I gave them short notice that I wouldn’t be in today, but I was only temping and didn’t have to give a specified notice period. I thought if anything leaving quickly after I knew I wouldn’t be staying would be a good thing-it means the company wouldn’t continue to waste their time training me for me to then up and leave. Have I handled this all wrong?!
Wow! How would you like it if the agency/company emailed you at 22:30 the night before saying they didn't need you? And you didn't read it before you turned up all nice and ready to start work? You'd be massively inconvenienced and rightly annoyed.

This is so unprofessional and that you even have to ask on here makes me feel sorry for the place that offered you a role tbh Confused

NC4Now · 10/08/2020 10:20

Pretty unanimous, this one. Yes, you were unprofessional. They expected you in today and you didn’t turn up or give them time to arrange a replacement.

Lazypuppy · 10/08/2020 10:21

You emailed at 10:30 last night and didn't turn up this morning?!that is so bad, how did you think that was ok?

You should have definitely worked at least today, and asked when they wanted you to finish.

Love51 · 10/08/2020 10:21

That's the flip side of temp work. I've known one place ask a temp to stay late one evening to get a job finished then told her not to bother coming back the next day. You haven't left that door open for yourself, but you've got a week off.
You don't have to give notice as a temp, you can literally walk out mid shift. They can also ask you to leave at any point. They might find they want to start employing people properly!

JoeCalFuckingZaghe · 10/08/2020 10:22

Has your new role made any conditions of the role (ie on receipt of references)? If your agency or employer is a reference this could cause issues. Especially if it’s the same industry. You really needed to give more notice than none.

Love51 · 10/08/2020 10:23

And now you've made your choice of sticking to the terms of your contract, enjoy it. Not getting paid and not enjoying it would be the worst of both worlds!

Queenoftheashes · 10/08/2020 10:23

I can’t quite believe you actually thought that was a good way of handling it.
Surely everyone knows cancelling anything by email after bed time the night before is bull shit.

Patch23042 · 10/08/2020 10:24

You probably acted legally but you were not professional. I’d have expected a few days’ notice as a courtesy. You could have had Thursday and Friday off and there would have been no bad feeling.

The chances are, some junior person is now busting their ass covering your work as well as theirs. It is not really fair.

SleepingStandingUp · 10/08/2020 10:25

@JoeCalFuckingZaghe

Has your new role made any conditions of the role (ie on receipt of references)? If your agency or employer is a reference this could cause issues. Especially if it’s the same industry. You really needed to give more notice than none.
I wondered this. Have you signed on the dotted line for the new job?
Love51 · 10/08/2020 10:26

Why did she need to give notice? If they wanted notice they should have employed someone with a contract with notice on both sides.
I used to give notice to temp jobs as I was temping on purpose (round uni) and wanted to be (and usually was) invited back. She has a permanent job. They can't give her a bad reference, she stuck to her contract.

TerracottaTortoise · 10/08/2020 10:26

I'd be amazed if OP came back to this thread given the responses

TerracottaTortoise · 10/08/2020 10:27

@Love51 no but they can decline to give a reference which doesn't look good at all.

LaLaLandIsNoFun · 10/08/2020 10:28

Incredibly - and when it comes to working for companies I have zero loyalty.

Sickofbackache · 10/08/2020 10:30

You gave no notice and didn’t turn up to a job that you had already accepted. Not very professional at all.

Mummydaydreams · 10/08/2020 10:31

If they wanted a week's notice they should put that in the contract. I agree that notice would have been ideal but if they are bothered it should be in their terms, they're the ones who wrote the agreement you signed and you've stuck to it. They don't own you and wouldn't have thought twice about telling you on the day that the contract was ended if it suited them. Enjoy your time off OP.

VaggieMight · 10/08/2020 10:36

Of course it's unprofessional but if you don't need a reference from the agency, and don't intend to work with them again then don't lose any sleep over it. Enjoy your week off and good luck in your new role.

moveandmove · 10/08/2020 10:37

Wow, why did you think that was OK? You've left someone an employee down with no notice. That's not right at all.

Quartz2208 · 10/08/2020 10:40

Yes I think a weeks notice with the idea that if they got someone in quickly would have been the best way forward.

In effect this morning they came in and realised they had to find a replacement for you once the day had started!

NoSquirrels · 10/08/2020 10:41

Yes, of course you've been unprofessional. And a bit short-sighted, TBH. What if you need to temp again, or later you end up working with someone from that company etc.

Regardless of what the letter of your temp contract says, you have behaved unprofessionally and I am surprised you need to ask. Have you not been working long?

Happynow001 · 10/08/2020 10:46

@c1JSU

I'm unsure what was in your contract with your agency. You may have acted within the limits of the contract but, I don't think, in a professional way I'm afraid.

For my own personal integrity I would have followed up with a call early this morning to talk to your agency, especially given the client would just have been dumped today. You could have offered to cover your desk for today.

Also you never know, especially in this poor economic climate, whether you are going to cross paths again either with the agency or someone from the client firm. Hope you've not shot your self in the foot for the future. 🌹

BlusteryShowers · 10/08/2020 10:47

Yes, you were unprofessional. Did you really expect someone to read and act upon your late night Sunday email?

strawberrypip · 10/08/2020 10:48

I dont see that you owe the company anything. why should you put yourself out when you weren't on a proper contract? they cant have it both ways. I certainly wouldnt of put myself out and worked an entire week and would have done the same as you - a week off to prepare for new job I actually want and think I will be good at.

10.30 PM is late to say you're not going in the following day but hey, atleast you said something. I know a lot who wouldnt of bothered

unfortunateevents · 10/08/2020 10:54

Very unprofessional. I hope the new job works out because you won't be getting any more jobs through that agency again. Presumably you have also left before receiving a contract from the new job? Punchy move.

BrutusMcDogface · 10/08/2020 10:55

Yes, this is both unprofessional and immoral.

frazzledasarock · 10/08/2020 10:55

Actually reading the posts, I've realised you were probably on a zero hour contract.

Potentially the agency could have done the same to you. So I suppose you're not actually doing anything wrong.

I would have given one working days notice, if they've been good employers otherwise.

There's a saying; Be careful who you step on while on the way up.

Good luck in your new job, and enjoy the sunshine this week off.