Dodging the conversation on a temporary contract

A temporary contract sounds very attractive to some: an employee who hops from challenge to challenge and wants to gain experience and an employer who is "stuck with nothing. Yet it also creates a certain anxiety: an employee can just lose his or her job and an employer is investing in an employee for a relatively short term. But why then are temporary contracts offered and what does an employer say with them towards the employee?

What is a temporary contract?

A temporary contract is also called a fixed-term contract. As it says, it is a contract between employer and employee for a fixed period of time, such as a few months or a year. Therefore, after this fixed period, the contract expires and the working relationship ends automatically. And only when the contract lasts for six months or longer, the employer has a notice period in which he has to let you know in time whether or not the contract will be continued after its expiration. An employer or employee cannot simply terminate the contract before that end date (after the probationary period) unless otherwise agreed.

Often there is also a probationary period. After this, if both sides like it, the employee will get the contract continued. If it continues to go well, chances are that the employee will continue to work within the organization. It is also possible that, from the employee's or employer's point of view, after a certain period of time, for whatever reason, it is no longer so well liked.

Starting (not) the conversation

When an employee has a temporary contract where early termination is not possible, it is often literally sitting it out until the contract expires. This is at the expense of an employee's sustainable employability, and an employer is paying salary to an employee who may not bring anything more to the organization. Still, it is unfortunate that nothing is done here from either side. It may be that confrontation is avoided. For example, the employer can be challenged on the leadership style and the employee on the behavior shown.

Engaging in this conversation requires personal leadership from both parties. It involves taking charge of one's own career. When an employee does not perform well, it affects the employer's results. And vice versa, the employee does not take steps in his or her career when personal goals are not achieved, you cannot develop yourself further or you simply do not enjoy it. Absenteeism then also lurks, you give more energy than you receive. The employee may call in sick more often or, due to circumstances, even take a long-term sick leave.

But when employee and employer take back control and don't wait for things to change, things can actually change. This starts with raising the current situation to another person. Perhaps the other person does not know it is happening or that it is being thought of in this way. Therefore, the next step is to initiate a change that puts the remaining time of the contract to good use and perhaps the cooperation improves so much that an extension or even a permanent contract is within reach.

Commit to change with personal leadership

Don't shy away from the conversation with an employee or the supervisor when you want to change or address something and take back control. Would you like to see more personal leadership within your organization? Then feel free to contact paraDIGMA groep for more information.