How do I convince the temping agency that I am working for to let me reduce my work hours, but not fire me altogether?
May 28, 2010 6:24 PM Subscribe
How do I convince the temping agency that I am working for to let me reduce my work hours, but not fire me altogether?
Last week I started a job working as a short term contractor through an temping agency for a government organisation at $40/hr (the rate reflects the fact that there is no sick leave, holidays, etc.)
I'm supposed to be there, working a 37.5 hour week, until the end of June.
I was the only person interviewed for this role, because of my highly relevant (and relatively rare) expertise - the temping agency sent my employer a bunch of resumes, and they chose to interview just me.
In my first week it became apparent that, because of health and fatigue issues, I am really struggling to work a 7 and half hour day and still produce the extremely-high-quality, rapid turnover written work which is expected of me. This is a workplace in which there is absolutely no down time - if you are not on your lunchbreak, and not in the toilet, you are working flat-out.
It also became apparent that my boss is under quite a lot of pressure herself, and is a micro-manager, and that the workplace is a bit toxic. (I won't go into all the details, but the eight friends to whom I honestly stated the facts all agreed that in both OHS issues and management issues, the workplace was appalling. In fact, toxic environment was a friend's call, not mine.)
I would like to switch to a 6 or 6 and a half hour day.
I think this would result in me being more productive in the time that I am there, being able to maintain a consistently high quality of work, and help me not keep getting colds and needing days off work.
I have had bad colds for almost the whole of April and May, and after one week in this high-pressure, exhausting job where half my coworkers were coughing and sneezing, I had a new severe sore throat and was coughing up phlem by 4pm on the Friday.
How can I make the case to my temp agency that they should convince my employer to let me work shorter hours?
If I keep having to work 37.5 hour weeks in this environment, I can guarantee that I will either end up getting sick a lot and needing a lot of unpaid sick days, or quit.
But I would rather put forward a strong business case rather than have to say "I can't cope with it."
To make things a bit more complicated, I have got a lot of previous jobs through this temp agency. I am moving to a new city in July, the temp agency is a nationwide firm, and I would really like to not get the temp agency offside, so that I can use them to find temping contracts in my new city.
Last week I started a job working as a short term contractor through an temping agency for a government organisation at $40/hr (the rate reflects the fact that there is no sick leave, holidays, etc.)
I'm supposed to be there, working a 37.5 hour week, until the end of June.
I was the only person interviewed for this role, because of my highly relevant (and relatively rare) expertise - the temping agency sent my employer a bunch of resumes, and they chose to interview just me.
In my first week it became apparent that, because of health and fatigue issues, I am really struggling to work a 7 and half hour day and still produce the extremely-high-quality, rapid turnover written work which is expected of me. This is a workplace in which there is absolutely no down time - if you are not on your lunchbreak, and not in the toilet, you are working flat-out.
It also became apparent that my boss is under quite a lot of pressure herself, and is a micro-manager, and that the workplace is a bit toxic. (I won't go into all the details, but the eight friends to whom I honestly stated the facts all agreed that in both OHS issues and management issues, the workplace was appalling. In fact, toxic environment was a friend's call, not mine.)
I would like to switch to a 6 or 6 and a half hour day.
I think this would result in me being more productive in the time that I am there, being able to maintain a consistently high quality of work, and help me not keep getting colds and needing days off work.
I have had bad colds for almost the whole of April and May, and after one week in this high-pressure, exhausting job where half my coworkers were coughing and sneezing, I had a new severe sore throat and was coughing up phlem by 4pm on the Friday.
How can I make the case to my temp agency that they should convince my employer to let me work shorter hours?
If I keep having to work 37.5 hour weeks in this environment, I can guarantee that I will either end up getting sick a lot and needing a lot of unpaid sick days, or quit.
But I would rather put forward a strong business case rather than have to say "I can't cope with it."
To make things a bit more complicated, I have got a lot of previous jobs through this temp agency. I am moving to a new city in July, the temp agency is a nationwide firm, and I would really like to not get the temp agency offside, so that I can use them to find temping contracts in my new city.
I work on the administrative end of a temp agency. In my organization - which is not a speciality high-wage one like the one you're dealing with, fwiw - any length-of-time increases or decreases are determined not by the agency but by who you've been farmed out to. They may be the ones you have to convince to drop your hours. If they're utterly sure this job needs exactly this much time, you may be SOL.
I do not want to be negative, but please do not think you're irreplaceable just because you were the only one interviewed. There are reasons that you were the only candidate interviewed that haven nothing to do with your qualifications. They know they can replace you. Be careful. Qutting a job in a temp agency, at least mine, without a good and documentable reason (pressure and being micro-managed doesn't count, details of a 'toxic environment' might) get you stuck on the do-not-trust list.
posted by griphus at 7:01 PM on May 28, 2010
I do not want to be negative, but please do not think you're irreplaceable just because you were the only one interviewed. There are reasons that you were the only candidate interviewed that haven nothing to do with your qualifications. They know they can replace you. Be careful. Qutting a job in a temp agency, at least mine, without a good and documentable reason (pressure and being micro-managed doesn't count, details of a 'toxic environment' might) get you stuck on the do-not-trust list.
posted by griphus at 7:01 PM on May 28, 2010
Seconding Mexican Yenta: Temp agencies don't make money if you aren't working, so there's a lot in it for them to keep the deal working for everyone.
You've worked for them before, so obviously there is a vote of confidence for you being a valuable asset to them. Now it's time to trust their business acumen and HR-fu, and talk to them about how to make this job a better fit for you. If they're any kind of good at what they do, they will be able to have a comfortable, honest conversation with you about what may or may not be your options in this particular situation, with this particular employer, and given what you, in particular, feel your needs are. THEN (and this is the good part), they (not you!) get to go have exquisitely tactful conversations with your employer to feel out what accomodations might reasonably be made.
Call the person in the agency you have the best rapport with (usually your assigned contract manager, but not always) and have a talk. It's easier than it sounds, they'll do the really nerve-wracking part (talking to the client), and then they'll get back to you and find out where you want to go from there. Keep your mind open about workable solutions. Good luck!
posted by Ys at 7:08 PM on May 28, 2010
You've worked for them before, so obviously there is a vote of confidence for you being a valuable asset to them. Now it's time to trust their business acumen and HR-fu, and talk to them about how to make this job a better fit for you. If they're any kind of good at what they do, they will be able to have a comfortable, honest conversation with you about what may or may not be your options in this particular situation, with this particular employer, and given what you, in particular, feel your needs are. THEN (and this is the good part), they (not you!) get to go have exquisitely tactful conversations with your employer to feel out what accomodations might reasonably be made.
Call the person in the agency you have the best rapport with (usually your assigned contract manager, but not always) and have a talk. It's easier than it sounds, they'll do the really nerve-wracking part (talking to the client), and then they'll get back to you and find out where you want to go from there. Keep your mind open about workable solutions. Good luck!
posted by Ys at 7:08 PM on May 28, 2010
It's a month. Yes, it sounds like it sucks, but it's only 4 more weeks (and $40 an hour). If you are getting too exhausted, you should try working at a slightly slower pace. Just because everyone around you is freaking out doesn't mean you need to.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 9:34 PM on May 28, 2010
posted by The Light Fantastic at 9:34 PM on May 28, 2010
I am currently in a government position, hired through a temp agency, in Australia. I was the only one interviewed for the position, but I think this was just because they didn't have the time to sit through a lot of interviews. They just wanted someone there, doing the work.
I am now up to my second extension ('can you stay until x?') in three months. On the most recent one, I just asked my employer directly whether I could have a 9 day fortnight and they agreed. If your relationship with the boss is ok, you could ask them- after all, with you on an hourly rate, they only have to pay for what they use. And, if it is like my office, half the place is plastered with posters about work-life balance and flexible hour arrangements for the public service.
But if they got you because there is a lot of work on, they may feel they need you there. In which case, is it possible for you to address your health and fatigue issues in another way for the next four weeks? Making sure you get a good night's sleep, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, cut yourself some slack on other responsibilities, do some things that help you to relax (baths, walks, whatever).
If there are genuine OHS issues (and not to suggest that toxicity isn't, but it is more difficult to quantify), your agency is actually responsible, since they are actually your employer. I had to do an online OHS learning thing, and that was clearly laid out in the materials.
posted by AnnaRat at 11:07 PM on May 28, 2010
I am now up to my second extension ('can you stay until x?') in three months. On the most recent one, I just asked my employer directly whether I could have a 9 day fortnight and they agreed. If your relationship with the boss is ok, you could ask them- after all, with you on an hourly rate, they only have to pay for what they use. And, if it is like my office, half the place is plastered with posters about work-life balance and flexible hour arrangements for the public service.
But if they got you because there is a lot of work on, they may feel they need you there. In which case, is it possible for you to address your health and fatigue issues in another way for the next four weeks? Making sure you get a good night's sleep, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, cut yourself some slack on other responsibilities, do some things that help you to relax (baths, walks, whatever).
If there are genuine OHS issues (and not to suggest that toxicity isn't, but it is more difficult to quantify), your agency is actually responsible, since they are actually your employer. I had to do an online OHS learning thing, and that was clearly laid out in the materials.
posted by AnnaRat at 11:07 PM on May 28, 2010
Stick it out. No matter how justified you feel, you'll come off whiny and will damage your reputation. You agreed to the terms, satisfy them. Save demands for future assignments. It will also be easier to argue for them if you can present quantitative data demonstrating you can produce just as or more effectively at your reduced hours. It will be difficult to find anyone who won't take the same output at the cost of less labor hours at the same hourly rate.
posted by ferdinand.bardamu at 12:00 AM on May 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ferdinand.bardamu at 12:00 AM on May 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: One thing I should have mentioned in my question - I am moving house on 3 July.
That's a definite, fixed, date - no room for changing it at all.
And I am moving *interstate*.
So, no, 'cutting myself some slack on other responsibilities' is not an option.
Outside of work, I need to pack, and organise my move. Also, the real estate agent that I am renting from will be doing home opens once a week...
posted by Year of meteors at 3:15 AM on May 29, 2010
That's a definite, fixed, date - no room for changing it at all.
And I am moving *interstate*.
So, no, 'cutting myself some slack on other responsibilities' is not an option.
Outside of work, I need to pack, and organise my move. Also, the real estate agent that I am renting from will be doing home opens once a week...
posted by Year of meteors at 3:15 AM on May 29, 2010
Response by poster: Follow up: I spoke to the temp agency. They tried to pressure me into not asking to reduce my hours, but I stood firm.
I got a medical certificate from my GP explaining that, due to lower back pain and post-viral fatigue, I should only work 6 hours a day at most at the moment.
The temp agency told me that they had spoken to my boss, but there was no scope to reduce my hours to 6 hours a day (even with a medical certificate) - it was either 7.5 hours a day plus heaps of overtime towards the end of the month, or nothing.
So, I told them I couldn't do 7.5 hours a day, due to my medical reasons, and I left at 5pm that day.
They asked me if I could stay til the end of the week, but I was too exhausted and in too much pain.
It's frustrating, because the work was interesting, and the money was very good (and would have been very helpful), but ultimately one has to put one's health first.
posted by Year of meteors at 5:33 PM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
I got a medical certificate from my GP explaining that, due to lower back pain and post-viral fatigue, I should only work 6 hours a day at most at the moment.
The temp agency told me that they had spoken to my boss, but there was no scope to reduce my hours to 6 hours a day (even with a medical certificate) - it was either 7.5 hours a day plus heaps of overtime towards the end of the month, or nothing.
So, I told them I couldn't do 7.5 hours a day, due to my medical reasons, and I left at 5pm that day.
They asked me if I could stay til the end of the week, but I was too exhausted and in too much pain.
It's frustrating, because the work was interesting, and the money was very good (and would have been very helpful), but ultimately one has to put one's health first.
posted by Year of meteors at 5:33 PM on June 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'm in almost the exact same situation, except it's an indefinite contract. It took me a while to figure it out, but I finally realized that the temp agency would bend over backwards to keep me happy, because as with you, I make them a lot of money and they'd have a very difficult time replacing me.
Just explain it to the temp agency as best as you can, as you did above, and let them figure out how to present it to the government organization. That's what they get paid for.
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:39 PM on May 28, 2010