Break Your Temp Contract The Right Way
by Paul Greenberg
Even your best efforts to find the right temp position can sometimes leave you feeling like a misfit. Or unanticipated events, such as a sudden illness, injury or family emergency, may force you to leave an assignment early. Moreover, you may find yourself in a situation in which the employer has already broken the contract by discriminating against you or failing to follow through on promised pay, hours or type of work.
Many things can go wrong on a temp assignment, but it's important to figure out the right way to recover and move on with your professional reputation intact.
So take a deep breath in the wake of that “uh-oh” moment, and consider some ways to end your relationship with the employer.
The Correct Protocol
If you find yourself in a situation that requires breaking your temp contract, follow these steps:
- First, speak to your temp agency rather than the employer for whom you work. Remember, the agency cuts your check. Also, the employer is the agency's client, and you should do everything possible not to damage the relationship between the two.
- Give the agency as much notice as possible so an appropriately qualified individual can be found to replace you in the workplace.
- Try to complete as many assigned tasks as possible for the employer before you leave.
- After the agency notifies the employer of your decision, work with both entities to ensure a smooth transition between you and your replacement.
Don't Burn Your Bridges
No matter how well you handle your early leave, be aware that it may damage your future with the agency. According to Elizabeth Parks, executive director of Special Counsel, a staffing agency, even the smoothest, most well-planned exit can cause ripples.
“Would you make your first call to fill a position to someone who had cost you some of your livelihood once before, even if it was for a justifiable reason?” says Parks. “Probably not. Every time an agent sends you out for a temporary position, he is placing the employer's opinion of the agent's personal judgment at risk. If you let the agent down in this regard, the employer loses a little bit of faith in the agent's judgment.”
Next Time, Take Precaution
How can you avoid this difficult situation altogether? Be sure to ask the right questions before you take on your next assignment.
- Find out if any preset future absences (family obligations, vacations, etc.) will be allowed.
- Inform the agent of child-care issues that you cannot work around, and ask if they would pose a problem.
- Find out about the dress code if you have any wardrobe limitations.
- Inform the agent of any suspected work conflicts from your own personal job history that both the agency and the employer should know about.
- If you have physical limitations that could interfere with your job performance, ask the agent if these will hinder your ability to do the job.
- If you anticipate transportation problems, ask the agent exactly what the start and end time of the job will be each day, and be aware of the workplace's location. Transportation and child-care issues are generally not going to hold up legally if you have signed a contract agreeing to the employer's requirements.
Breaking a contract should be your last resort. But if you decide you must, you should do everything possible to maintain your professional standing with both the employer and the agency.
