So. It's been over a year since I left my old job under voluntary circumstances. I have been contracting in the same position for the same company since then.
Last Friday, my colleagues were all given "30 day notice of threat" letters and were told that they faced redundancy. A team of 14 - down by 4 people. Not including myself and the other contractor who, it seems, are automatically ear-marked for the chop.
So, out of a team of 14 - it is actually 6 that are going.
As with my previous employer, it seems that these cuts are at the expense of the customer, the contract we have with the customer and the promises made when the company took us over 7 months ago.
As a contractor, you have to be ready - and expect - to turn up one day and be told that your job is going, has gone, never existed or has been given to the less technical department numpty who happens to be a permanent member of staff. So I guess I will have to play it cool and accept my fate, get on the "find-me-a-job" websites and get my CV up to scratch.
Shame though. I quite liked it here.
It seems that political, bureaucratic nonsense and no-brainer senior management decisions have started to follow me around.
On the plus side, it has meant that I have bit the bullet and have bought two new domains today and have started setting up two new blogs that have been rattling around my brain for a few weeks. Time for action! Get some extra cash rolling in.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
You know the japanese use the same word for crisis as they do for opportunity…
Yes! Crisitunity
Let me know if i can help you out with anything web that your doing
Good luck
Thanks mate.
I might do… you never know!
Arse! I’m sorry to hear that geezar. I remember my contracting days, and as you say, it comes with the territory. Doesn’t stop it biting the big one though does it?
Hope you find something soon mate.
RW
A man of your skills will not have to be performing tricks and favours down the canal towpath for too long, before your penchant of drinking coffee and procrastination will be recognised once again with obscene financial recompense.
Otherwise I can offer you £10ph on first line as a phone prostitute.
Sorry to hear you are facing the bullet again schenski, think we can all understand how you must be feeling old chap, I only have 2 weeks left on my contract and it doesn’t look as though it will be renewed.Think its time we all got permanent work eh as its the only safeguard, well for a while anyhow.
Sorry to hear you are facing the bullet again schenski, think we can all understand how you must be feeling old chap, I only have 2 weeks left on my contract and it doesn’t look as though it will be renewed.Think its time we all got permanent work eh as its the only safeguard, well for a while anyhow.
Sorry to hear the news, especially when you quite like it there.
I’m looking for a new job at the mo…the job I’m doing at the moment is not challenging enough and I’m getting restless! Good luck.
The contractor I worked with was given 5 days notice about 3 weeks ago. The same company has subsequently emailed him to ask why he’s not completed any timesheets for the past couple of weeks….. but then you know who it is and what to expect from them! Left hand and Right hand? – or what?
It actually turned out that only 2 of my team were accepted for voluntary redundancy as alot of other members of the organisation who were NOT affected as part of the re-scope/changes/restructure/cull offered to go.
Other people were told that they WERE being made compulsary redundant – then told they were not, but could apply for voluntary redundancy – and then told they could not go because they were too important.
All in all – a bit of a shambles.
But I have managed to secure a 2 month extension here – and an offer from ComputaCentre too to do 2nd line desktop/lotus notes support. It was for more money – closer to home – but also exactly what I did for about 6 years! Same software/same problems/same old stuff.
Never go back!