Contract ending, unsure how I should wind things down

LegacyUser

I've worked in my current role the last 2 years on 3 fixed term contracts, at the end of this month my contract will expire and I finish. My immediate team have been aware of this for months but I have had little or no push from them to hand over projects or tasks I currently work on.

One part of me is thinking I couldn't care less as to what happens when I finish, they decided for whatever reason to not keep me on (believe it's keeping headcount down) and the more they miss my skills the better, another part of me is thinking I'd like to close out here on the best terms possible should I ever need a reference etc. I have been working most days the last few weeks for at least 1-2 hours additional each day to finish off tasks which there simply isn't enough hours in the day to complete, for which I get no overtime or time in leu. I don't want to look back when I finish and feel like an exploited fool. I'm on the jobhunt and will probably have something lined up but nothing 100% yet.

Appreciate any advise from people in similar positions previously as to what to do, perhaps just doing the contracted hours up until I finish and leave it at that is the best approach?

peasant

ManOfLeisure wrote: »

Appreciate any advise from people in similar positions previously as to what to do, perhaps just doing the contracted hours up until I finish and leave it at that is the best approach?

Absolutely.
They are sticking with the contract (in ending it) and so should you.
You don't act the fool, you do your job, you are professional but you don't give them one more second for free.

Shelflife

Talk to your boss about it, try and get them to take over the projects from you.

Remain as professional as possible but I wouldnt be working any unpaid hours, at the end of the day they are the ones letting you go and they should have a handover plan in place.

fits

Yes ensure the handover is smooth but don’t kill yourself doing it.

Bazzy

Smooth handover

Type up a document with any issues that may arise.

I was in a similar position to you OP and left it as professional as I could.

The owner (small Company) rang me after I left looking for help with something I had typed down and handed to him.

He hadn't bothered his hole rading what I gave him and got a bit snarly about me telling him.

So i asked would he like a quote for me working some hours to help him out.

He soon got off the phone!

Dublin Lad2021

Let them pay for your job search basically

Flinty997

I used to do a lot of short term fixed contracts. The funding for the project would simply end and and the company would have to take over the project. I would just ask them how they wanted it left. I would do we much as I could in my normal day no more, because they were paying for my time not a project.

If I was working as an engineer I would just simply stop. If it was software project, there would be a handover and peer review with another developer.

At first it seems very weird to walk of in the middle of a project. But after you've done it a few times you become a bit mercenary about. That is actually the correct way to deal with. It becomes normal.

Diceicle

I think emailing a senior manager updating them as to the current state of affairs with whatever you are working on and what is likely to be outstanding is a good idea.
I don't think you have to finish it, but good communication so the manager knows where they stand when you leave is a good step to getting a positive reference, I think.