Is this legal?

neocon

neocon

neocon

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24 Aug 2006
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I started a job as a temp in January. There is also another chap (Tom) there in our team temping too. He started in December.

The other day this guy (not technically my boss) who looks after me and gives me work, called me for a chat. He said that in the future they may choose between me and Tom if a full time position comes up. He told me what I needed to do if I were to be picked, work harder basically.

It seems wrong to me to play us off each other like a competition for a permanent job.
 
Not really, i'd see it as a 'get my rear into gear' a bit more if I want a permanent job :p
 
Pretty legal as far as I am aware, they are simply picking who ever is best at the job, nothing wrong with that :confused:
 
It is legal and a fair method IMO, it is only an extension of what interviews are about, you are in competition with the others and the best man wins
 
It's entirely legal, and as a temp you can't really expect to be offered a permanant job, it's a bonus not a right. The boss is giving you fair warning that he's going to have pick, and giving you the chance to prove yourself, I'd say that's a good sign, if he really didn't like you he'd say nothing...
 
If you were an employer you would want the best/most competent person for the job, I cant see anything wrong with this. I think if anything your boss has done you both a favour in telling you that a permanent position may be available at the end of your temp contract, at least this way you can prove to your boss that you are up to the job. Rise to the challenge.:cool:
 
Get your arse in gear get working and get that permanent job! The fact he has told you means, he is considering you for the job! If you get it, well done :)
 
Maybe I'm cynical, but my first thought is that there isn't a permanent job and he's told you both the same in order to get you both to work yourselves into the ground chasing a job that doesn't exist.
 
Angilion said:
Maybe I'm cynical, but my first thought is that there isn't a permanent job and he's told you both the same in order to get you both to work yourselves into the ground chasing a job that doesn't exist.
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that is exactly what i thought when i first read this earlier.

edit: what made me think that is that the boss said they MAY choose...
 
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Slack off and take things easy.

Just one of those things where doing the opposite seems the right thing to do. Like when that pilot realised that to break the sound barrier he had to counter-intuitively push his joystick forward while diving. Or whenever my neighbour bangs on the wall shouting for me to turn the music down, turning it up seems to shut him up.
 
I'm going to agree with what other people have said, who are you going to employ, the guy who works hard or the guy you have to tell to work hard in order for him to get the job? i mean unless you really get on with whoever told you this i'd be extremely sceptical. are you really slacking so much that they need to tell you to work harder to get the job?
 
Tom is doing his best to be all chummy with the other two James and Dan. I think he stands a better chance.

I think i'm more competant with excel, so much so that ive been given extra work involving vlookups and stuff.

I kinda of want to do things at my own pace and if they don't like then i'll just move on to another company. Then again I don't want them telling my agency that i'm lazy...

I could do without worrying about it.

Temping really sucks. It's so obvious that the permanent stuff slack off. They go on soo many holidays, work from home and have sick days. And I guess thats the reason the company doesn't want any more perms.
 
sniffy said:
It's fair IMO. It's even more fair he had a word with you about it.
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Not necessarily a sign of him being fair. If he says nothing then he gets the same level of effort and productive output as before.
However if he says to *both* of them privately "one of you is in line for promotion to full-time permanent position...whichever one impresses most and works hardest", then both of you work like demons.

Even further, they may choose not to hire either of you, could be a test or whatever hrmmm?

Have a word with your 'competition' to see if the same fellow has had a wee word with him :D

edit nm been said already..forgot to read some posts
 
If anything I'd say hes pulled you to one side as he likes you and doesnt want you to slip up so making sure you keep your eye on the prize.

Be a winner, dont let him down champ!
 
Perfectly fine, temps are nothings, nobodies within a large organisation. They come and go like the days of the week. As has been stated already, a permanent job at the end is just a bonus - not an expectation.

I did temping on and off for around 4 years so can relate.
 
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