Re: Cutting a contract short

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

We don't know that that is the case.  We only know that the OP is working
through an agency and that the current assignment ends just before Xmas.
Nothing was said as to whether the OP is carrying a contract or is a W2
temp employee of an agency.  If it is the latter, the contracted arrangement
is between the client and agency, not the OP.

One suggestion I would make to the OP is to weigh the options and
decide if terminating early is really the preferred course (if you don't
have another, higher paying assignment waiting in the wings it probably
isn't), and if you would be willing to continue this assignment if it is
extended past its current end date or prefer to move on to another
assignment after the current end date.

Then talk to the agency.  Currently, there is probably no obligation,
either contractural or ethical, beyond the current end date, and if
they cannot get you a definite decision on an extension by a
reasonable date (say the first of November), or if you would prefer
to move on to another assignment, they need to start shopping you
around to other clients for another assignment to begin immediately
after this one ends.  Tell the agency you intend to be working at that
time whether the contract is extended or not, either for that client or
for another.  If the agency has handled your assignment well, you can
mention that you would *prefer* to get your next assignment through
them, which they should understand means that after this one ends
they have no commitment from you, either.

If you don't get an answer or action from the agency, then there is
no reason not to begin circulating your resume to other agencies or
employers with an availability date that is the day after your current
assignment ends.  Three months passes faster than you think when
you don't know where you'll be at the end of them.

Gene Kim-Eng



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrea C. Carrero" <andrea -at- wordtex -dot- com>