neutron, it sounds like things went well given the circumstances. I raise my glass to you for showing a high level of professionalism. Good luck moving and all that. Thanks for letting us know what happened.
No you do not want to resign from the job if given that as an option. If you resign from a job you may be ineligable to collect Unemployment in your state.
For me, that’s better than having to tell prospective employers I was fired. However, this preference stems from the fact that I have enough savings and/or credit to hold me over until I can find another job.
I don’t think he was fired! He can say he was laid off. Fired entitles a wrong doing from the employee, right??
On a little side note : it is allowed to temp somebody for such a long time?? Whaoo… I am surprised…
In France, you can renew a temporary contract, as we call it, twice and that’s it, after, you have to let the person go or hire him/her full time and all. It can back fire (you being let go), but it is clearly intended to paliate to the exact situation neutron star was in (a 5 year temp).
Well Neutron, you did great. You handle it the way, I think, it should have been handled. You’ll find better, no problem!!
So it’s illegal in Alberta, Canada (according to featherlou) and it’s illegal in France, but it’s peachy keen in the good 'ol U.S. of A. Yeah, it figures. There are also laws in Canada and France requiring paid vacation for full time workers. Not here. We didn’t get to be the richest country in the world by giving people silly extravagencies like healthcare and time to actually relax.
I read an article in Reader’s Digest (so take it for what you will) that claimed Americans work more hours per week on average than any other country, edging out even the work-obsessed Japanese.
But you don’t have to tell a prospective employer that you were fired. You can say the Job ended and that would be the truth. In this situation the employer decided to discontinue the services of the temp agency.
Hey Neutron, bear with me for a little “silver lining” pep talk. This is an open door to a better place, man. Hang tough. You’ve demonstrated that you’re a class act. Employable? No question. Integrity? Absolutely. What does tomorrow look like? Looks like a gift to me. Rock on, Neutron!
With my temp jobs that lasted a significant length of time, I always noted the company I worked at on my résumé, not the temp agency, and noted that it was an assignment that ended. You can always tell them more about the circumstances in an interview (and you will be asked). Just saying the temp assignment ended is fair ball, I’ve found - I have rarely been questioned any further than that.
As for the letter of recommendation, I would send it in with the résumé if you’re hand-delivering or mailing, but not for faxing, always keeping in mind what the company you’re applying at has requested (ie, one page résumé only, etc.)
Don’t worry about taking jobs with your agency until you leave; you can always tell them your time limits, and you can always leave an assignment in the middle if you need to. The agencies don’t like it, but as you’ve seen, they take great advantage of their stable, and I don’t try very hard to be too nice to them.
I know it doesn’t seem like it right this moment but they’re doing you a huge favor. You’re too old and too smart for this crap anymore. Get out of town and get a job worthy of your abilities where you won’t have to have part of your pay go to the temp agency. You’ll make more, be more in control and be happier.
Neuron Star,
featherlou’s answers would be my suggestions also. Additionally, since you still have your other part-time IT job to put on your resume (which is the field in which you’d like to continue), your resume won’t show any obvious gaps even if you do not take any other temporary assignments. Did you then quit from the agency? Well, perhaps the agency won’t have any assignments that do not interfere with your other job? Or, perhaps you might decide it unfair to accept another assignment since you will be moving in three months? Point is, the reason for no longer being employed by the temp. agency won’t necessarily appear on your resume and will be instead something you can more fully explain during an interview in a more favorable way. If it is an application, “Assignment Ended” should be fine.
“References Available Upon Request” is unnecessary and now seen as implied when one submits a resume. And the quickest suggestion I could make for resumes would be:
It is a page to show off your job accomplishments and not a page to restate your job description.
In other words, think, “What did I accomplish?” instead of “What did I do?”
What the hell?? Americans aren’t entitled to paid vacation time?
Better than that. When I worked in a grocery store, the clerks were scheduled to work 7 1/2 hour shifts with one 15 minute break. That was because if they scheduled 8 hour shifts, they would have been compelled by law to allow the clerk to take a lunch break of 1/2 hour. Many was the time that I didn’t get my measly 15 minute break, either, because it was ‘too busy.’
I did get paid vacation time, of a sort. After working there for 2 years, you accumulated vacation time at a rate of one day every 3 months. There were no paid sick days. Vacation time had to be scheduled 2 months in advance. I paid $88 a month for insurance (required by law), but the crap insurance plan had no prescription coverage, and a $2500 out-of-pocket before it even kicked in.
neutron star - The appropriate thing to do is to simply accept the termination and move on. Don’t discuss it with them or anything. They may have some forms for you to sign. Don’t worry about looking like a “pushover” to your next employer (besides, do you think employers want someone who they can push around or someone who is confrontational?).
That’s the appropriate thing to do…I suggest driving a truck through the main office. Maybe if more employees freaked out and went psycho companies wouldn’t be so quick to lay them off.
Yeah that’s how my stupid employer fired me (back when I was in college). The pussies called the temp agency instead of telling me to my face. And just because I gummed up an injection molding machine with molten plastic and carved “THIS JOB SUCKS LIKE YOUR MOM!” on my chair. What the hell?
They are but temps and minimum wage workers usually have a lot less flexibility than full time white collar workers.
I’m almost certain you’re wrong on this. Most employers in the US give vacation pay, but they’re under no obligation to do so.
I just passed the three-year mark at my current job, entitling me to 3 weeks’ paid vacation each year instead of two. I’m pretty happy about it, until I look at places like Germany with their 6 weeks (?) or so of paid time off.
Bastards.
Daniel
I probably am. I didn’t mean to suggest that employers were forced to give vaca time (I don’t really know). I’ve just never worked in a place that doesn’t make some provision for it. Even my part time jobs have let me take days off if i gave them enough notice.
neutron star
Find a job to replace the one you think are getting fired from. If they take you right away, quit the job you have now and ask for recommendation. If they were going to fire you, they would be glad you quit. If they are surprised, negotiate a better salary or a promotion and tell the new job youre staying with your old job.
If they end up firing you first, ask the reasons why they thought they needed to let you go. Ask for a recommendation if you cant talk your way out of it. Ask for a some benefits if they had to let you go for reasons other than your competency at work. Its worth a shot.
Above all else. Act profeessionally and dont ever let them know how disturbed you are about the secrecy. Make them feel that firing you is going to be a mistake, your recommendation will glow for it. Its just a job and theres no sense being disgruntled about it. Youre only 24, you can find a better job if you needed to.
No, employers are not required to give you paid vacation. They’re not even required to give you unpaid leave if they don’t want to. “Taking time off” does NOT equal getting “vacation time”.