[rock_climber86]

Hiya,

I am just looking for some advice after a quick google search didn't yield any answers. I was sacked from my temp job in mid june. The reason they sacked me was basically because I did extra work and didn't let them plagiarise this (no contract). I taught myself vba programming for this analyst role and made lots of cool programs which automated a lot of the work and is now saving them 4 hours + a week. My boss didn't agree to a payrise so I said i'm going to stop with the programming/extra work because no one else doing the same role does this.

Then he demanded that i give him full access to my programs (the code). He wanted to plagiarise my code but i had password protected it. I declined saying I did this at home in my own time and that l'oreal didn't pay me to program so I feel it unfair I let them plagiarise it. So I was sacked for that!

I hated the job and wasn't bothered being dismissed but I do feel very hard done by. Being sacked for doing extra work doesn't happen very often

So given i was a temp and didn't sign a contract do I have any rights or is that is, sacked and I can't claim unfair dismissal?

blue

[laura1234]

As long as you didn't get any warnings before you were sacked and it was totally out of the blue you can probably go to a tribunal but because it was only a temp job anyway you may not get very far, big companies like to stick together and make you the guilty one!

[monk_keys]

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/englan...al_at_work.htm

Red.

[rock_climber86]

(Original post by laura1234)
As long as you didn't get any warnings before you were sacked and it was totally out of the blue you can probably go to a tribunal but because it was only a temp job anyway you may not get very far, big companies like to stick together and make you the guilty one!

god temps don't have many rights in this country do they . Mega sucks! . To poster above i read that link and it seems like more hassle than it's worth. Might just forget about it and concentrate on my masters. Sounds like appealing, and all that faff takes time.

Also I didn't get any warnings - i was the perfect employee until they decided they wanted to steal my programs without paying for them and i refused.

[monk_keys]

My advice then would be to just send a letter, making it clear that you've done background reading and you know they're in the wrong.

It doesn't take much effort and for all you know they could just back down. Companies do things wrong all the time on the off-chance that nobody will say or do anything; apply a little pressure and see what happens.

[ProStacker]

and yet you wait a month before being outraged about this?

If you wrote the code in their time, they probably own it.
If you wrote the code at home, then installed it on their computers, you probably broke their IT code of practice for installing unauthorised software. I say probably because large companies tend to have such clauses for IT use.

[rock_climber86]

(Original post by ProStacker)
and yet you wait a month before being outraged about this?

If you wrote the code in their time, they probably own it.
If you wrote the code at home, then installed it on their computers, you probably broke their IT code of practice for installing unauthorised software. I say probably because large companies tend to have such clauses for IT use.

it's a completely self standing program that runs inside excel only through the excel file containing the code. I made the code at home. I didn't sign a contract so they definitely don't own it. I was outraged but i was 'detoxing' for a month - it was a nightmare of a job and i wouldn't want to go back there even if i was reinstated! It's a place full of egotistical dicks who arselick to get in good favour with the boss. I don't arselick anyone and i guess that was the underlying reason for my dismissal.

[DalePie]

(Original post by rock_climber86)
Hiya,

I am just looking for some advice after a quick google search didn't yield any answers. I was sacked from my temp job in mid june. The reason they sacked me was basically because I did extra work and didn't let them plagiarise this (no contract). I taught myself vba programming for this analyst role and made lots of cool programs which automated a lot of the work and is now saving them 4 hours + a week. My boss didn't agree to a payrise so I said i'm going to stop with the programming/extra work because no one else doing the same role does this.

Then he demanded that i give him full access to my programs (the code). He wanted to plagiarise my code but i had password protected it. I declined saying I did this at home in my own time and that l'oreal didn't pay me to program so I feel it unfair I let them plagiarise it. So I was sacked for that!

I hated the job and wasn't bothered being dismissed but I do feel very hard done by. Being sacked for doing extra work doesn't happen very often

So given i was a temp and didn't sign a contract do I have any rights or is that is, sacked and I can't claim unfair dismissal?

blue

Welcome to the dodgy world of temp work

You won't get far trying to take them to court, they will either make something up or will change the story to "Temp contract ended or not enough work".

First Rule Of Dead End/Temp Work

If your in a dead end/temp job, don't do anything other than exactly what they tell you to do. Do everything they tell you to do to a high standard but never, ever do anything more than that. Plead stupidity or lack of training to avoid doing more than what the boss has told you to do. Keeping your head down is the key in these jobs!

As a student, you have to remember that a dead end job or temp work is not college. Going above and beyond is more likely to get the back up of your supervisor/other staff and it's a rarity when the boss notices what you have done. Always remember that a temp contract is a flaky thing, it only takes a word from any member of permanent staff to get you turfed out! Upsetting people (By outclassing them at the work) is a really easy way to go about it.

What's happened here is that you have gone way above your job title (Your boss won't care about that) and the boss now expects this all the time. Unlike college you won't get an A+ for this extra work, you will be lucky to just keep your job a little longer (Or not in your case).

If you had just stuck to your job and completed it to a decent standard you would probably have a job now. It's a harsh lesson to learn in life but you know it now.

Dead end job/Temp work = Just do your allocated job to a high standard, nothing more! These contracts are flaky and it only takes one lazy pissed off member of staff or a boss you cross wires with to end it .

(Original post by ProStacker)
and yet you wait a month before being outraged about this?

If you wrote the code in their time, they probably own it.
If you wrote the code at home, then installed it on their computers, you probably broke their IT code of practice for installing unauthorised software. I say probably because large companies tend to have such clauses for IT use.

Sadly this is completely true.

My advice would be to save the creativity for when you have completed your masters degree and are working for a really cool company doing amazing stuff! Until then, just do your work, nothing more, nothing less.

I used to get turfed out of jobs all the time until I realised this golden rule. I follow it all the time now and you know what? Not been sacked in 5 years! It works, and I can spend my energy getting my degree instead of pleasing some numpty manager!

[mikeyd85]

(Original post by ProStacker)
and yet you wait a month before being outraged about this?

If you wrote the code in their time, they probably own it.
If you wrote the code at home, then installed it on their computers, you probably broke their IT code of practice for installing unauthorised software. I say probably because large companies tend to have such clauses for IT use.

By signing no contract, the OP has not agreed to the terms of the usage of their IT systems. He is in no way obligated to use those systems in the manner as described by any business documentation.

[ProStacker]

So - other than having a whinge in public - what do you want to do about this?

[rock_climber86]

(Original post by DalePie)
Dead end job/Temp work = Just do your allocated job to a high standard, nothing more! These contracts are flaky and it only takes one lazy pissed off member of staff or a boss you cross wires with to end it ..

Sadly I realised this wayyyy too late . Oh well, at least I learnt a valuable lesson about the real world! Academic bubble doesn't really train you for the bitchyness/cruelty of the real world - lesson learned for next time In fact I did realise I shouldn't have done this extra work before I got sacked. I tried to bail out doing the extra programming work but by this stage my boss had become somewhat dependent on me/expected me to write code to solve all his little life problems and couldn't handle it when I refused l'oreal sucks guys - no one work for them ever!

[zaliack]

Well, you could take this case to a tribunal, depending on how long you worked. If you worked on average for 48+ hours a week doing the programming, then your bosses attempt to force you to work that long (without pay as well) and firing you for not doing so would amount to unfair dismissal under the Working Time Directive.

If you worked there for longer than a month, then you are lawfully entitled to be given one weeks notice.

So, it is possible, but I recommend you go to a solicitor first, which can be quite costly.

Also, is there anyone higher than your boss? If there is, you could go to them directly, explain it, and offer to sell your code to them.

[DalePie]

(Original post by rock_climber86)
Sadly I realised this wayyyy too late . Oh well, at least I learnt a valuable lesson about the real world!

Exactly, just chalk it up to experience and learn from it .

(Original post by rock_climber86)
Academic bubble doesn't really train you for the bitchyness/cruelty of the real world - lesson learned for next time In fact I did realise I shouldn't have done this extra work before I got sacked.

It's not your fault, your just a nice person who thought they were being helpful. Sadly, in my experience being helpful doesn't always get you very far! Sometimes it will however, and as you grow older and learn more you will be able to judge these situations.

(Original post by rock_climber86)
I tried to bail out doing the extra programming work but by this stage my boss had become somewhat dependent on me/expected me to write code to solve all his little life problems and couldn't handle it when I refused!

Yes, this is dangerous territory. Always remember how these BMW driving types earn a living . It's not by caring for the little guy believe me .

Perhaps I'm being a little nasty to all the managers out there. There are (I have worked for them) some examples of good managers who noticed the good jobs people do for them and are thankful. As any management lecturer will tell you though, they are few and far between!

(Original post by rock_climber86)
L'oreal sucks guys - no one work for them ever!

You have outed the company on a public forum now. It won't take too much detective work for them to realise which member of staff this post relates to.

Nothing wrong with that, free country of course. Just be sure to knock this off your CV and don't go looking for a reference. Despite what people will tell you about it being illegal to give a bad reference, employers still do it .

[rcummins1]

At the end of the day, it sounds as though you freely used your own time to help the company, but didn't sign a contract to get it formally recognised.

I wouldn't go through the hassle myself, especially as it was just a temp job that you didn't like anyway.

[jo1692]

I know you may feel it's unfair, but in practical terms, you're better off just walking away from it and forgetting about it. You're only a student now, and you have much better jobs to look forward to in the future, this will be a fading memory in a few years' time. If you try to take legal action, you will go through a lot of hassle for what was only ever a temporary job anyway.

[rock_climber86]

(Original post by jo1692)
I know you may feel it's unfair, but in practical terms, you're better off just walking away from it and forgetting about it. You're only a student now, and you have much better jobs to look forward to in the future, this will be a fading memory in a few years' time. If you try to take legal action, you will go through a lot of hassle for what was only ever a temporary job anyway.

This is very well said . I'm of a similar feeling now. Drop it and move on. Thanks for your advice everyone

[Claudette]

Agree with the general consensus here. I was sacked from a job for no real reason, but looking back I saw it coming- I did the job till someone they wanted more came back from travelling, I was paid cash, didn't have payslips or a contract. It didn't affect me getting any other jobs so I just put it down to a bad experience. Taking legal action would be more hassle than its worth.

[kka25]

(Original post by DalePie)
Welcome to the dodgy world of temp work

You won't get far trying to take them to court, they will either make something up or will change the story to "Temp contract ended or not enough work".

First Rule Of Dead End/Temp Work

If your in a dead end/temp job, don't do anything other than exactly what they tell you to do. Do everything they tell you to do to a high standard but never, ever do anything more than that. Plead stupidity or lack of training to avoid doing more than what the boss has told you to do. Keeping your head down is the key in these jobs!

As a student, you have to remember that a dead end job or temp work is not college. Going above and beyond is more likely to get the back up of your supervisor/other staff and it's a rarity when the boss notices what you have done. Always remember that a temp contract is a flaky thing, it only takes a word from any member of permanent staff to get you turfed out! Upsetting people (By outclassing them at the work) is a really easy way to go about it.

What's happened here is that you have gone way above your job title (Your boss won't care about that) and the boss now expects this all the time. Unlike college you won't get an A+ for this extra work, you will be lucky to just keep your job a little longer (Or not in your case).

If you had just stuck to your job and completed it to a decent standard you would probably have a job now. It's a harsh lesson to learn in life but you know it now.

Dead end job/Temp work = Just do your allocated job to a high standard, nothing more! These contracts are flaky and it only takes one lazy pissed off member of staff or a boss you cross wires with to end it .



Sadly this is completely true.

My advice would be to save the creativity for when you have completed your masters degree and are working for a really cool company doing amazing stuff! Until then, just do your work, nothing more, nothing less.

I used to get turfed out of jobs all the time until I realised this golden rule. I follow it all the time now and you know what? Not been sacked in 5 years! It works, and I can spend my energy getting my degree instead of pleasing some numpty manager!

True.

(Original post by rock_climber86)
Sadly I realised this wayyyy too late . Oh well, at least I learnt a valuable lesson about the real world! Academic bubble doesn't really train you for the bitchyness/cruelty of the real world - lesson learned for next time In fact I did realise I shouldn't have done this extra work before I got sacked. I tried to bail out doing the extra programming work but by this stage my boss had become somewhat dependent on me/expected me to write code to solve all his little life problems and couldn't handle it when I refused l'oreal sucks guys - no one work for them ever!

Real world is a bitch; it's slutty too.

[Choo.choo]

(Original post by rock_climber86)
Hiya,

I am just looking for some advice after a quick google search didn't yield any answers. I was sacked from my temp job in mid june. The reason they sacked me was basically because I did extra work and didn't let them plagiarise this (no contract). I taught myself vba programming for this analyst role and made lots of cool programs which automated a lot of the work and is now saving them 4 hours + a week. My boss didn't agree to a payrise so I said i'm going to stop with the programming/extra work because no one else doing the same role does this.

Then he demanded that i give him full access to my programs (the code). He wanted to plagiarise my code but i had password protected it. I declined saying I did this at home in my own time and that l'oreal didn't pay me to program so I feel it unfair I let them plagiarise it. So I was sacked for that!

I hated the job and wasn't bothered being dismissed but I do feel very hard done by. Being sacked for doing extra work doesn't happen very often

So given i was a temp and didn't sign a contract do I have any rights or is that is, sacked and I can't claim unfair dismissal?

blue

Have you been to speak to an employment lawyer, or citizens advice, or Acas?
Have you documented everything that happened?
You need to speak to them to find out if you have indeed been dismissed unfairly.
You might not get much compensation: generally to get compensation, you need to have a lot of service with a company, a lot of service.
There is also a time limit for tribunals.
Good luck

[rock_climber86]

(Original post by Choo.choo)
Have you been to speak to an employment lawyer, or citizens advice, or Acas?
Have you documented everything that happened?
You need to speak to them to find out if you have indeed been dismissed unfairly.
You might not get much compensation: generally to get compensation, you need to have a lot of service with a company, a lot of service.
There is also a time limit for tribunals.
Good luck

tbh i decided i'm going to let this thread die and not take any action. It's just not worth the hassle . Thanks for your post though