UKNM: Deja vu (rant status 1)

[Lois Grayson]

I've just spent my day helping the management of a medium sized consultancy make three people redundant


The reason? A FTSE company got cold feet and pulled the plug half way through a two year strategy - for which my client had geared up (staff, offices and hardware). They might want to start again next year. They want my client to run a holding pattern, but refuse to pay a retainer or severance fee. 


My client (who is almost suicidally trusting) didn't negotiate an out clause. The company in the meantime keeps coming back with titchy projects that my client is still giving away at virtually cost price, still hoping that next year's fictitious carrot isn't a mirage. 


I can't begin to communicate the bilious gut wrenching feelings I've got. Luckily for me I'm just an associate (freelance) consultant. No skin off my nose but I've seen it all before and it stinks. Big company fucking over supplier, and then having the gall to ask for more. Redundancies. Agency management screwing up. People left without a legal leg to stand on as they've only been around a few months. Yep it's the fucking early nineties agency scene all over again.


Of course not all big companies are unethical - and the clients themselves often just have to do as they're told by the board, so there's often no blame there. But in these shakey VC crazy days trust and honour cannot be taken for granted. If only the contract had been water tight, I wouldn't be helping three people rewrite their CVs this week. 


Sorry for the rant. I hope sharing this experience helps someone somewhere avoid the same trap.


Lois


Lois Grayson

Virtuality

07957 360880

0208 549 1166 



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