Temporary contract query

Soldierearth54

I suspect some ppl may state I agreed to temp conditions so need to suck it up but I'm looking for any advice regardless...

My 18 month temp contract with local government employer is coming to an end. Only info I've had has been an email from my managers boss stating my contract won't be extended. This was after I got union to email them due to not getting a straight answer from my manager.

Union don't seem keen to push the issue on my behalf so I'm keen to know if anyone has any advice.

I was hired to do a specific job in a generic team but due to managers style I ended up doing the same job as my colleagues. Money for wages came from a reserves budget.

Due to the nature of work (working with ppl) it is difficult to measure success although the ppl I work with are positive about my input as are colleagues. There is also a need for my job as when I leave the ppl I work with will no longer receive a service although this is purely as a result of me leaving as opposed to any assessment of their needs.

Owain_Moneysaver

If you were employed on a fixed term contract the employer doesn't have to give you any notice, as the end date of the contract was agreed at the beginning.

Make sure you take all your holiday entitlement before the end of your contract.

Local governments are short of money so significant cutbacks can be extended. However, they might find some money for you from April if they have already agreed a budget for the coming year. If the council hasn't agreed a budget then they'll probably be very unwilling to make any commitment to continuing your employment.

My experience of local government suggests that your manager might not know if he has a job after April, let alone anyone else.

Soldierearth54

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

If you were employed on a fixed term contract the employer doesn't have to give you any notice, as the end date of the contract was agreed at the beginning.

Make sure you take all your holiday entitlement before the end of your contract.

Local governments are short of money so significant cutbacks can be extended. However, they might find some money for you from April if they have already agreed a budget for the coming year. If the council hasn't agreed a budget then they'll probably be very unwilling to make any commitment to continuing your employment.

My experience of local government suggests that your manager might not know if he has a job after April, let alone anyone else.

Yep the end date was agreed. My contract is temp not FTC. Not sure of difference and whether it matters.

The budget has been agreed up until 2018. I'm leaving in Feb do won't be around until new April for new budget.

You are likely correct RE manager. My team is under review including his post. Although this review has been ongoing for nearly a year for no end date.

motorguy

Soldierearth54 wrote: »

I suspect some ppl may state I agreed to temp conditions so need to suck it up but I'm looking for any advice regardless...

My 18 month temp contract with local government employer is coming to an end. Only info I've had has been an email from my managers boss stating my contract won't be extended. This was after I got union to email them due to not getting a straight answer from my manager.

Union don't seem keen to push the issue on my behalf so I'm keen to know if anyone has any advice.

I was hired to do a specific job in a generic team but due to managers style I ended up doing the same job as my colleagues. Money for wages came from a reserves budget.

Due to the nature of work (working with ppl) it is difficult to measure success although the ppl I work with are positive about my input as are colleagues. There is also a need for my job as when I leave the ppl I work with will no longer receive a service although this is purely as a result of me leaving as opposed to any assessment of their needs.

I'm not sure what your question is or what you see as "wrong" here?

You'd an 18 month contract thats coming to an end and its not renewing?

getmore4less

Untill you get a renewal assume you won't.

IF you want to make the renewal happen then you need to get the stakeholders involved.

Who suffers if you leave?

Other workers having to pick up what you do.
People needing your service no longer getting it.
Another agency has to pick up work because what you do is not getting done.
etc.

where does the real funding come from do they know they will have no worker soon.

your managers are probably not going to bat for you, you have to get the pressure to come from elsewhere.

Making people aware you will be leaving is part of structured handover.

Jordo

Your contract is coming to an end so you look for another contract. Don't worry about your previous employers or colleagues, they won't be worrying about you.


Temping has many benefits and one of them is selflessly moving around - enjoy it!

sangie595

getmore4less wrote: »

Untill you get a renewal assume you won't.

IF you want to make the renewal happen then you need to get the stakeholders involved.

Who suffers if you leave?

Other workers having to pick up what you do.
People needing your service no longer getting it.
Another agency has to pick up work because what you do is not getting done.
etc.

where does the real funding come from do they know they will have no worker soon.

your managers are probably not going to bat for you, you have to get the pressure to come from elsewhere.

Making people aware you will be leaving is part of structured handover.

The OP has already explained. The salary is drawn from reserves, which is a limited Council budget, not mainstream funding or another funder. There was a clear intention that the post would exist for a temporary period only (which would be required from a reserves funded post - mainstream activity cannot be funded out of reserves in this way). So the situation was very clear.


There are a lot of people who are no longer able to access council services and support that used to exist or which have been curtailed. The reason for this is public sector cuts. Therefore, it has nothing to do with what a council wants to provide for its citizens, and everything to do with what they can afford to provide within government spending limits.

Soldierearth54

getmore4less wrote: »

Untill you get a renewal assume you won't.

IF you want to make the renewal happen then you need to get the stakeholders involved.

Who suffers if you leave?

Other workers having to pick up what you do.
People needing your service no longer getting it.
Another agency has to pick up work because what you do is not getting done.
etc.

where does the real funding come from do they know they will have no worker soon.

your managers are probably not going to bat for you, you have to get the pressure to come from elsewhere.

Making people aware you will be leaving is part of structured handover.

The biggest sufferers of my post no longer existing are the vulnerable children that will either lose a service or have a reduction.

My colleagues will likely pick up some work but it has always been difficult to quantify how many cases each worker should have therefore I'm not sure that argument can go anywhere.

There would be no other agency picking up the work. The council I work for would just dilute it into their system.

Real funding comes from budget reserves although I doubt this is used transparently as a colleague who started at same time as me just recently had their contract extended by 6 months to do the same job.

Management don't seem to care about structured handover. I've had to instigate these conversations and have been left to deal with it as I see fit in terms of how and when I tell the children and families.

Soldierearth54

Jordo wrote: »

Your contract is coming to an end so you look for another contract. Don't worry about your previous employers or colleagues, they won't be worrying about you.


Temping has many benefits and one of them is selflessly moving around - enjoy it!

Part of me is happy about the prospect of new job with some colleagues even envious. I'm just dissapointed with the handling of the situation for me and service users. But that's just a personal thing

getmore4less

Soldierearth54 wrote: »

left to deal with it as I see fit in terms of how and when I tell the children and families.

The sooner they know the sooner they can kick off and get something done if they want to preserve the service.

Geordiewanderer

I've a similar thing coming up in my present job......local authority temp contract. It's a seasonal post but myself and another colleague have had the contract extended every time.....the new contract will start the 1st April for summer seasonal work but when we received the current contract its end date is mid March. It's well known that they do this to ensure they break employees service as if it was continued again we would have two years service and then be entitled to more employment rights such as redundancy, unfair dismissal etc. This is obviously unlawful (I've looked up various legislation and tribunal cases), and against their official policy but discussing it with the manager she is saying she doesn't know if the budget will be there to employ us. But they always take on extra seasonal staff in addition to us in summer anyway!


I've no doubt I will be employed again in April doing the same job but obviously my service will be broken, and I will also drop salary to the basic level as it increases slightly every year.....