Should I feel guilty?

[Salazaar]

I'm temping currently (fingers crossed for a real job soon) and I'm stuck at work with nothing to do all day. All the managers who normally provide (scarce) work are out at meetings and I've tried hunting up more work elsewhere as well. Should I feel guilty that I'm sat here doing bugger all but posting on Hexus or should I realise that it's entirely their responsibility if they pay for a temp and then don't set me any work?

[staffsMike]

I've been in that position, in fact half of my posts last year were made at work..

There often was little or nothing to do so I would spend my time watchin movies etc.. until work was given.

If nothing was broke I had nothing to do

I did feel a bit guilty not doing anything but what can you do.. I made a few walk through troubleshooting guides so when I left people could do basic stuff themselves and then worked on my university final year project towards the end.

People thought I was living the dream when I told them that my day usually consisted of watching movies but the guilt does get to you after a while.

[kalniel]

Depends what your code of conduct says.

[burble]

Depends what your code of conduct says.

Why? A code of conduct would (should?) give you a yes or no as to what you're doing is acceptable to the company but that's nowt to do with the OP feeling guilty or not.

[pollaxe]

People thought I was living the dream when I told them that my day usually consisted of watching movies but the guilt do get to you after a while.

I've been in a similar position at work too - trouble is, as great as it sounds it gets boring very quickly - at least, that was my experience.

[IBM]

I voted that you shouldn't feel guilty, but saying that, my sister was temping for a firm for three months. She worked so well that the company offered her a full time position starting at £22,000 pa......just over a year later and she's on £30,000 and just got a £7000 bonus....shows what a little hard work and initiative can do for you...

[Salazaar]

I don't want to stuck here with nothing to do (as much fun as Hexus is) but I've completed all the work I did have and now there's no one around to give me any more! And I can't very well go home and still claim a day's work on my time sheet!

[0iD]

I'm the only manager in today, thus skiving on Hexus. Just go with it

[kalniel]

Why? A code of conduct would (should?) give you a yes or no as to what you're doing is acceptable to the company but that's nowt to do with the OP feeling guilty or not.

Well I'm suggesting that you use what is accepable to the company as a basis for whether you should feel guilty or not. Or is that just a wacky notion?

[chicken]

If you can't find work and you've done all that was set then it's hardly your problem if you've none to do, it's a management issue.

However if you want brownie points, next time the boss is back, point out you had nothing to do and feel you could handle more.

No point doing nothing for the sake of it, it'll just make your day drag.

[Saracen]

And I can't very well go home and still claim a day's work on my time sheet!

Sure you can. You were there, available and willing to work, and have tried "hunting up" work .... to no avail. Providing you've done all you reasonable can, you have nothing to feel guilty about.

Look at it this way - as a temp, you're being paid for your TIME. It's a scarce resource to you, because you only have 24 hours of it per day. If an employer hires you, he's buying that time, and (within reason, contract and legality) it's up to him/her what he does with it. One thing is absolutely sure - if you're "spending" that time temping for this company, you aren't spending it temping for somebody else. So, by buying your time, they've precluded you from earning by working elsewhere.

Provided you've done what you said, and have done what was available and made reasonable efforts to find someone to give you more work, you've nothing whatever to feel guilty about. Bored, yes. Guilty? No.

If you had been given a specific job to do, and having done it, were keeping out of sight so as to avoid being given something else, my answer would be very different. But as it stands, you've being compensated for your time, and it's up to your employer to make sure they use it well. You've nothing whatever to feel guilty about.

[godsdog]

You should be cast into the boiling pits of sewage for eternity. Damn you "mooching scummer"

[Bazzlad]

I once got sacked from the NHS for being too good at my job - the work I was given was finished within 3 days, and I'd spend the other 2 doing what you're doing. In the end, I was called into a meeting and their argument was that I should have found work, and mine was "Would you like me to start diagnosing patients?"

Don't be guilty if it hardy ever happens - if it happens constantly consider *shudders* asking for a more challenging role, or make your work last longer!

[SiM]

Why don't you just meet/chat to the other employees... You might find some nice poontang hidden in the corner of the office...

I once got sacked from the NHS for being too good at my job - the work I was given was finished within 3 days, and I'd spend the other 2 doing what you're doing. In the end, I was called into a meeting and their argument was that I should have found work, and mine was "Would you like me to start diagnosing patients?

Awesome story...

[Bazzlad]

It gets better, the IT man there hated me so much, he came into this "tribunal" with the statement:

"Richard, by his extensive use of the internet is putting our system and the NHS databases at massive risk to viruses and is likely to cause a major outbreak"

My repsonse "You're a beeping lying beep"

That may have been the final straw. I hate that man.

[staffsMike]

It gets better, the IT man there hated me so much, he came into this "tribunal" with the statement:

"Richard, by his extensive use of the internet is putting our system and the NHS databases at massive risk to viruses and is likely to cause a major outbreak"

My repsonse "You're a beeping lying beep"

That may have been the final straw. I hate that man.

fun job, sacked for being too good.