Should I tell my temp agency?

July 4, 2011 10:48 AM

Should I say something about the temp assignment I was given?

Should I say something? I'm new to temping and just left my second ever gig. It was supposed to be a 2 month project but I was told the project was put on hold after two weeks and they didn't need me anymore. The first deadline for the project was July 1 and I couldn't meet it as the place vastly underestimated the volume of work for one person. To meet the deadline they would have needed at least two people. I went as fast as I possibly could with the instructions and equipment I was given, but there was at least another few days worth of work left to be done at the end. I received little direction on the work and only found out in the last three days that I could have worked later to finish up. At my previous workplaces, it was OK to move a deadline around.

I also didn't fit in at the site at all although I was enthusiastic about the work. It was the kind of office where women are called girls and tittered at things the men said. I'm just not like that.

My gut told me from the second day that they probably wouldn't keep me because I am too nice. It was the strangest office I have ever been in, with swearing, poor remarks in general about lesbians and Black people (I'm white, female and straight btw). When my agent asked me how things were going after the first day, I mentioned the swearing, but that I would be OK with it. The other stuff came afterwards.

Should I tell the agency about my concerns? I felt pretty powerless at this office and I don't know how much power I have as a temp. There wasn't a private place where I could phone the agency either. Plus I really needed the money. I want to do better in the future. I'm also afraid that because the supervisor didn't like me the hard work I did will go unmentioned. What should I say to my agent and what should I do in the future when I encounter situations like this? Could I just have unrealistic expectations of temping?

This temp agency came highly recommended to me and I don't think it is one of the shady ones. I have already let the experience go, so I'm not brooding over it btw.

posted by anonymous to work & money (12 answers total)

If they don't need you anymore, they essentially fired you through no fault of your own. Of course you should tell the agency.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:52 AM on July 4, 2011

It sounds like you made a number of assumptions and didn't validate them. My suggestion would be to validate any assumptions you make, to be pro-active in your communication with the employer and the agency. So confirm things like hrs/start/finish times, overtime, flexibility or otherwise of deadlines etc. It doesn't hurt to ask these questions and it doesn't hurt to highlight expected problems in meeting a deadline, as long as they are not due to your inefficiency.

As for the general fit of the workplace - you win some and lose some. If it really doesn't work talk to the agency and get a different placement.
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:57 AM on July 4, 2011

Certainly let the agency know (though make sure to do it without sounding too much like you're complaining). That's temp work for you; you win some, you lose some. My first temp job ever, as a high school student who had never worked in an office before, started out as a three-week data entry job and ended up as a three-month IT support position. On the other hand, one year when I was older and much more experienced, I was let go from an envelope-stuffing job after less than a day for...well...not stuffing envelopes fast enough.
posted by infinitywaltz at 10:59 AM on July 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

Absolutely let the agency know. That's what they're there for. You won't sound whiny if you keep your tone neutral and informative.
posted by bleep at 11:04 AM on July 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

Be professional when reporting your experiences to the agency - you probably signed something that said you'd tell them as soon as an assignment ends, by the way - and try your luck again.

And, temp jobs vary tremendously. One time I was given an assignment doing data entry where the client told the agency they need people who could do 10,000 KPH and the agency rep sent everyone who could do at least 4,000. Shockingly, that one didn't last long. Other assignments ended out getting extended again and again because they loved me so much. The agency staff will have seen it all.
posted by SMPA at 11:07 AM on July 4, 2011

By not "telling" you are effectively damning someone else to this experience.

Tell.
posted by hal_c_on at 11:11 AM on July 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

You are being employed by the temp agency, not the company they sent you to work at; in my experience with temp agencies, they try to protect their employees and always want to know how things are going. You should ask them for help when you need it and keep them informed on what's happening.
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 11:29 AM on July 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

Give your agency an accurate accounting of what you experienced, without whining. Writing it down is probably best, since you won't be tempted to become emotional in the telling. It's best that they know and decide if this is a client they want to continue sending temps to, and if so, if they want to give the temps more guidance about what to expect.

Years ago, when I was sent out on a fill-in receptionist gig at a dingy office near UCLA, I took copious internal notes on what I saw and reported to my agency that they had sent me to a boiler room running multiple financial scams. They at least seemed shocked that I had been asked to answer the phone for two guys who each used five different false names, remember which name synched up with which criminal enterprise, and interact with the callers accordingly, and did not send me back.
posted by Scram at 11:35 AM on July 4, 2011

I wouldn't necessarily tell your temp agency about the deadline thing. It's probably a mistake to assume you can move a deadline around and to fail to talk to a supervisor as soon as you realize you're going to have trouble making deadline. On the other hand, it might be best to accurately portray your experience -- I don't know.

Definitely tell the temp agency about the hostile work environment. Derogatory remarks about lesbians and black people aren't okay. As other people have said, the agency needs to know so it can protect its workers by either not sending them there or telling the workplace changes have to be made.
posted by J. Wilson at 11:48 AM on July 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

Think about this like this: the temp agency's job is to satisfy their clients' needs. When you tell your agency you weren't a good fit for this company, you will be helping them to meet client expectations instead of sending over another person like you -- skilled, but not a good cultural fit.

The client communicates what they want and the agency does its best to fulfill that. It's likely that the company didn't think to mention what a "casual" work environment they have, and the agency representative didn't pick up on it either when meeting with them, perhaps because they were on their best behavior.

If the agency isn't aware of the issue, they might send over someone even less suited to working there than you were. Then the company might be so unhappy they fire the agency -- the agency knows this, which is why they like their temps to report back. (In a perfect world, hearing what an awful working environment this company has would cause an agency to fire the company first, but well, I'm a realist.)
posted by lesli212 at 11:49 AM on July 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

I haven't temped in almost a decade, but when I did it, you were supposed to tell your temp agency about pretty much any issue that arose on the job. From an "OK, I'm here, everything's great!" check-in on your first day to "So it turns out this project is being put on hold and I'm out of work now."

The latter is especially important because, if they know of an end date, they can start finding you something else sooner rather than later. I also found that developing an ongoing relationship with the agency netted more and better jobs going forward - if you talk to them, they will remember you and think of you for other stuff down the road.

Problems or concerns about the job itself, your fitness to do it, interpersonal dynamics that are a potential issue, etc. are all things you should talk to them about. Especially anything that comes into the territory of harassment or a toxic work environment.
posted by Sara C. at 1:53 PM on July 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

I temped quite a bit for several years. It taught me a lot about how businesses run. (Most of it not very flattering to the businesses, I must say.)

It was supposed to be a 2 month project but I was told the project was put on hold after two weeks and they didn't need me anymore.

Totally par for the course. Most likely is that a) either the person requesting the temp didn't really have approval for the funding beyond two weeks or b) approval was rescinded because the office is behind on their overall quarterly goals. Additionally, maybe they said it was a 2-month gig in hopes that it would turn into training for a temp-to-perm gig for the right person, or possibly, they are just too disorganized to put together real estimates.

I went as fast as I possibly could with the instructions and equipment I was given, but there was at least another few days worth of work left to be done at the end. I received little direction on the work and only found out in the last three days that I could have worked later to finish up. At my previous workplaces, it was OK to move a deadline around.

Sorry, totally par for the course. Remember that as a temp, the office to which you are assigned has no investment in you personally, and often cursory investment in the project. You don't even work for them, you work for the temp agency. Don't assume that deadline can be moved, but if the job is too big for the allotted time, ALWAYS ask if you are permitted to work overtime to finish. If you get approval, inform the temp company right away that [whoever] approved you to work overtime. Especially if it's more than 40 hrs a week, you may need backup collecting your time-and-a-half, as the person who approved it likely did not check with the appropriate Finance person for "real" approval of the expense. (This holds true even if the office HR director or a finance person approved it. I know whereof I speak.)

It was the strangest office I have ever been in, with swearing, poor remarks in general about lesbians and Black people (I'm white, female and straight btw).

Should I tell the agency about my concerns? I felt pretty powerless at this office and I don't know how much power I have as a temp. There wasn't a private place where I could phone the agency either. Plus I really needed the money. I want to do better in the future. I'm also afraid that because the supervisor didn't like me the hard work I did will go unmentioned.

You should report the inappropriate workplace atmosphere to the temp company, and not feel bad about waiting until it was a pattern before reporting it. You personally do not have a lot of power at this office, but that's okay. See "lack of investment" above -- the temp company has the power/responsibility regarding the relationship between their company (and army of temp staff) and the offices.

You can call during non-work hours with message about "concerns " and request an appointment to talk either before you leave for work or when you get home. Go ahead and explain that you fear that your hard work may have gone unmentioned, too.
posted by desuetude at 3:00 PM on July 6, 2011