Should I lob in a grenade on the way out?

[MackenCheese]

Hello wise people. I have been unceremoniously sacked from my job. Not performance related, just the company using IR35 to get rid of people after 2 years. I did not know this was a thing when I joined. My colleague/ manager is very lazy, does not contribute to the team effort, and spends his whole time hobnobbing with senior management and external clients whilst Ithe rest of us do all the grafting (we are equally well qualified btw). I really want to let senior management know what he's like, mainly because he lied to my face when my role was ending and got someone else to do it, he does not do his day job and is taking the company for an expensive ride. He does have form for getting people sacked or pulled up for 'bullying' for complaining about him, but I'm leaving the business anyway. Who thinks I should have a meeting with senior managers, send a goodbye letter to the team hinting about the injustice, and to watch their backs (i know I'm feeling angry/bitter) or should I just walk away? Please don't say just walk away 😆

Natural to feel that way when you feel aggrieved, but it won’t reflect well on you OP. Walk out with your head held high, onwards and upwards. Wishing you all the very best, don’t give them another thought.

No because you have a grievance so won’t be believed.

They won't care. I told my last boss that her "top worker" was lazy and stealing and all they needed to do was check cctv.
Didn't care.

Yes this.

And if it’s a pattern as you say, the s management aren’t bothered.

Sorry this happened to you but you can’t win every battle

Some people's jobs are "hobnobbing", aka client meetings, drumming up support for funding, raising the profile of the department, attending conferences, lobbying for support etc

These people do tend to have a support team under them dealing with the paperwork and output of these conversations. It doesn't mean they are lazy, their job is just mostly not desk based.

OP, walk away with you head held high, don't jeopardise your next contract, contracting is a small world

Also, if you manager is talking with seniors, you sending them an email saying he is lazy is hardly a grenade. He is visible and they're obviously happy enough with his output

I can see why it’s tempting, but I’d keep my dignity.

When we have the “if I won big on the lottery” conversations at work, and everyone has their dream exit conversations I always say they’ll only know I’ve won when they realise they’ve not seen me for a while-I’d just disappear without a backwards glance, and I think yours is one of these situations

Say what you need to say to Senior Management but don’t put anything in writing!

If you’re a freelancer, I would not risk saying anything. You don’t know where he might pop up again within your industry and there may be those you complain to who don’t believe you and again, you don’t know where they may pop up in the future. It’s shit, but the only sensible approach for your career and future employability even in other companies.

Are you a contractor? If so then you should kinda know that the job security is weaker than being an employee but you get paid more to compensate.

From the sounds of it, you’re a contractor, not an employee.

You come in, do your day’s work, and don’t get involved in politics.

Sending a “you’re all big meanies and I’m leaving because my contract has finished and I’m cross” is only going to make you look silly and unprofessional, and word will spread quickly that you’re difficult.

You’ll need to learn this pretty quickly if you intend on contracting long term.

I'm focussing on the legalities. How are you currently being paid? What type of contract were you on?

If they're using IR35 as an excuse then it's likely they're trying to avoid being caught by the off-payroll legislation and HMRC may be very interested to hear of their tactics...

Was also going to say if they are doing this because they have actually been treating you as an employee there are far better ways of causing them a bit of a problem 😉

Remember op it's the reality of the arrangement rather than what's written that will determine whether you are actually an employee. There are assessments you can do online. Be aware though that potentially you could end up owing HMRC too.

They are talking rubbish BTW there's no such thing as a 2 year rule for ir35.

If you're a contractor then your job is to do your job. It's a small old opportunity pool and bad mouthing anyone isn't going to help you get a new role.

Make them a cup of tea before leaving and dunk their teabag in the loo first ... or ask for an exit interview and air your views

Also if you are a contractor Senior management is going to have very little interest in listening to your complaints.

@MackenCheese

As @Littlegoth says. The employment status of someone depends on a matter of "law" and "fact". HMRC regulates it I think but does very little enforcement due to lack of resources. It might be worth having a chat to them or even writing a letter with your concerns.

In days gone by firms would simply say "X is self employed" when it was clear that of course they were not. The best I heard was of a "self employed manager of a double glazing factory"

Let them find out for themselves and suffer all the harm to their business before that.

This in spades.

And, little as you might like the thought, the more senior levels of management will know already exactly what he's like. And will value what he is doing with external clients.

If you had issues with him, you should have raised them when you worked there.

Doing it afterwards is just going to make you look bitter because you’ve been fired and they won’t believe any of it.

I’m sorry you’ve lost your job.
The best revenge is to do better.

Perhaps give it a few weeks and once you’re settled in a new job think about whether you want to pursue it or not.

If you still feel you want to tell all, then doing so a few weeks/months later will take the emotion out of it and they’ll be less likely to think you’re lying because you’re bitter.

I'd go with protecting yourself and saying nothing.

However, if you'd really like to say something, you could politely enquire to senior management about an exit interview? That way it is hinting there is something to say but if they're not receptive to hearing it, they will say "no, we don't do those". I definitely wouldn't put anything in writing. If you can mention something to colleagues in person then I'd do that but try not to look like you're just badmouthing/sour grapes. Keep everything very factual and unemotional and try and stay really professional about it all.

No, a contractor. So IR35 is relevant. They brought in my replacement under my nose as an "assistant"

Um... you're a contractor. You get paid the rate you do precisely because you're disposable and they don't owe you anything. You either have to roll with that, or go back in-house.

Your story does strongly suggest that they were not happy with your performance, but wanted to backfill your workload before they ended your contract.