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 😆

You are not outside ir35 if you are doing the same job and the company should not be offering an outside contract. Not saying it doesn’t happen but op should have been inside. Some contractors may be on a par with permanent staff, a lot are not. But agree yes you are paid a premium as a contractor in part because of the transient nature of the work. I’ve currently only two contractors in my team at present but I could go into work this morning and my boss could say no funding for them any more and , in the ops words they would be “fired” .

i think I’m broadly agreeing with you!

Not necessarily (which is why its the nature of the relationship thsts a key factor) So you could have an IT Project Manager on perm, but a massive urgent short term project lands. An IT PM contractor can absolutely be brought in to work on that project alongside the perm IT PM and not be caught by IR35 if they can work under their own direction and control, they can substitute, they don't get benefits, they aren't "integrated" as an employee, any errors they put right in their own time etc

BUT if the same contractor then has performance reviews, gets given a uniform, gets invited on employee team building events, has a substitute rejected because they are too integrated etc, that's what could cause issues, not the fact they are doing the same work.

We don't know if op was outside or inside based on info given tbh.

It is a total minefield!!

That I should not assume because I signed a contract to next March that i would stay until next March when there are no performance issues (if anything the unpleasant manager is underperforming and not working to his role description). Also, I'm naive and probably not cut out for contracting!

Again, very standard. Most contact have a 1/2/3 week notice period, even if you're in a 1 year or 6m contract. Really depends on the type of contract you had and whether it was inside or outside iR35 or with an umbrella company or not. Who paid your invoices? but I really wouldn't take this too personally and you really shouldnt be getting so emotionaly involved as a contractor. You're basically a commodity, a short term filler they use when they don't have budget for a permanent staff member to do the job or when it's a short term project or role. Is the next job contract or permanent?

Again, very standard. Most contact have a 1/2/3 week notice period, even if you're in a 1 year or 6m contract

Yup, got the standard week's notice after a contract that lasted 3 years; which is why the poster saying temps aren't 'committed and loyal' raised a wry smile. Of course they bloody aren't.

You're basically a commodity

And get treated like it sometimes. Mostly I've been lucky but a few companies I've worked have treated temps like something they stepped in.

Its the same with IT contractors if that's any consolation, though they are at least well compensated - though nothing like as much more as their perm counterpart than it used to be.

I contracted for 10 years and found that it helped to think of myself in that way so as not to get to emotionally involved. I remember one hiring manager telling a couple of us contractors that we came out of the same budget as the paperclips (we're opex, not people cost on the company accounts). I worked for a bank once for 3 years (on continuously renewed 3 month contracts) and one day the big boss came over from head office in another country and told my manager he was spending too much on contractors in a meeting we were all in and that he had to get rid of two. He looked round and went, er, that one, and that one, and I was given my contractual 1 week notice. I just laughed as I knew I was on borrowed time after 3 years of 3m contracts and, like you, didn't take long to find something else. This manager was a true psychopath btw and involved in all sorts of grievance processes with his permanent staff (since been sacked), noting to do with me though! Which I was grateful about. He didn't really bother targeting the contractors as he knew he couldn't intimidate and control us with promises of pay rises and promotions etc.

The other upside is that you probaby earn slightly more than the perms, can control your own tax and pension (can also be a PITA) and, most importantly, don't have to get involved in bullshit perfromance appraisals and petty office politics. Also gives you flexibility of course to move around which some people like. Many professional contractors work over the winter and them travel in the summer etc.

it's not for everyone OP, as you've probably found. Some people like to feel part of something, and be part of a team and don't want to be coldly detached at work. Some people also want finacial stability and know that they won't have any periods without money coming in and less than a month's notice. If that's you, contracting isn't for you (I went back into perm as DH also became a contractor so we needed a bit more stability).

No. Just rolling new contractors every 2 years. It's OK. I'm over it now.

I agree! Thanks for talking me down, Mumnet 😀

(and, most importantly, don't have to get involved in bullshit perfromance appraisals and petty office politics. Also gives you flexibility of course to move around which some people like. Many professional contractors work over the winter and them travel in the summer etc)

This was the massive upside that kept me temping as long as I did. I could ignore cliques, petty political bullshitting and above all appraisals; and no-one expected me to 'progress'. (I reckoned that if I stayed in work that was appraisal enough). And when I came across people or situations I didn't like I could tell the agency, give them a week's notice and move on.