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>> If it's a CONTRACT job, then you have to fulfill the contract.
>Most contracts I see say "We can walk away from this contract
>any time we want, but you have to stay until the bitter end, or
>until we fire you, whichever comes first."
Not so in the UK: the contracts I've seen have said "Either side can
terminate the contract on one week's notice".
But of course, it's much easier for a contractor to get a bad reputation as
someone who walks away in the middle of a contract than it is for an
employer to get a bad reputation as a company that will fire contractors
mid-contract. Employers have all the power in this situation, because even
if you belong to a union (which I recommend) there's not a lot your union
can do to help except provide legal advice and assistance if you think your
employer has terminated the contract illegally. Given the ease with which
employers can terminate a contract *legally* (one week's pay in lieu of
notice, here's your hat, what's your hurry) the legal advice is likely to be
the useful but not very helpful "Swallow it and move on. Don't burn your
bridges if you want a reference." (Of course, in a situation where the
employer has harassed or bullied the contractor into terminating the
contract, the union can be useful: but that's the kind of thing you hope
*doesn't* happen...)
What it comes down to, regardless of your or your employer's legal rights,
is that it's only good sense to get a reputation as a reliable contractor
who fulfils their obligations responsibly and effectively. To quote Plato
(the real one): "Be what you would wish to seem."
Jane Carnall
The writers all stand around a cauldron chanting and occasionally tossing in
a small rodent. Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine
alone. Apologies for the long additional sig: it is added automatically and
outwith my control.
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