Job contract question

[Lolvoguy]

After a successful interview and background check a part of the Canadian government has decided to offer me a position.
So far I haven't received a contract to sign (to outline what we've both agreed to).

After inquiring, they said that I'd get it on the first day of orientation

I find this not only inconvenient as I have to give notice at my current job (nothing worse than giving notice at
your current job just to realise that the new place decides to not take you on afterall...not that it's happened to me,
but hey, anything is possible!). I have never encountered this in any of the administrative roles I've done before.

Am I alone in this thinking?
or am I simply worrying for no reason?

thanks in advance

 

[Gasbuggy]

Agree with you, assurance is required as are firm terms. Tell them they need to consider your circumstances and provide a contract asap. This isn't an internship.

 

[csandste]

Canada may be different but from 22 to almost 66 I worked in government in the local, state and special district levels. I never had a contract and the only people I knew who did were teachers who were nailed down for a school year. I was a CEO for my last 35 years and never had one although it sometimes occurred at that level. Obviously coaches at the college level have lucrative multiple year contracts. I assume they put this in writing and it's not some kind of prank.

 

[csandste]

Most governmental organizations have employee protections that dwarf those in the private sector, that's why they're loaded with people who should be fired. But if you insist on provisions that go against the bureaucratic norm, they'll thank you and hire the next name on the list.

 

[tomcat27]

Do you at least have the offer in writing or in an email?

 

[Shannow]

If it's a govt owned department, as per my (Australian) experience is that if you are up to a middle level manager, it will be on an award (Oz Parlance "Consent Award", or "Enterprise Bargaining Agreement") and the scope to alter it, even with what you consider agreement at interview/offer will be limited.

Only the "Executive Service" levels got negotiable contracts.

So in the former case, you've not got much to fear, as there's nothing to make you different to your peers...the latter case maybe more at risk.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy

So far I haven't received a contract to sign (to outline what we've both agreed to).

After inquiring, they said that I'd get it on the first day of orientation

Am I alone in this thinking?
or am I simply worrying for no reason?

thanks in advance


You are right to be concerned. Ask for a copy of the contract.

A very good friend gets government contract jobs regularly. As expected, they regularly try to pull one over on him by introducing a middleman (hiring firm) . Little things like multi year noncompete clauses for 6 month contracts (which would leave him out of work in FL) . He even had one where they were going to pay him every 60 days, ONLY AFTER a long approval period (like 90 days) by upper management. A 5 month wait for pay is insane, and unacceptable.

You may not have any ability to alter the terms, but you currently have the ability to go elsewhere.

 

[pbm]

Originally Posted By: csandste
Most governmental organizations have employee protections that dwarf those in the private sector, that's why they're loaded with people who should be fired. But if you insist on provisions that go against the bureaucratic norm, they'll thank you and hire the next name on the list.


I agree.

You should have covertly taped your interview...it seems to be acceptable and the 'in thing' right now.....

 

[csandste]

Government, not a contractor with the government, right? If the former you are part of a very fixed rules-based system. Not so, at all, with the later. I won't even get into what's going on in DC right now, but during Watergate, even with a non-functioning top end, the gears kept on grinding and things kept getting done. Bureaucracy has some advantages. Great nineteenth century German invention.

Seldom find snail mail useful, but in this case, a job offer, should be on letterhead, duly signed and in hand before you put in your notice. Almost all governmental jobs have a probationary period, after which the protections begin. Believe me, there are a handful of incidents where I wish I'd pulled the trigger on somebody before the deadline, including an out of control HR person who I suspected had a gun in her car. Workplace shootings vs. impending retirement and I punted.

But Canadians are much more civilized.


BTW-- The Australian examples listed above are totally understandable to me with the exception of different nouns being substituted. Almost all western democratic governments operate in nearly uniform, cookie cutter fashion. Which is actually a good thing. I could slip some cutting remark about Steve Bannon in at this point, but I won't.

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted By: csandste
Most governmental organizations have employee protections that dwarf those in the private sector, that's why they're loaded with people who should be fired. But if you insist on provisions that go against the bureaucratic norm, they'll thank you and hire the next name on the list.

Words of Wisdom

 

[Mr Nice]

Hmm, I don't see why they wouldn't offer something on paper with your job title / position and salary.

 

[eljefino]

When I was in the process of getting my US gov't job I kept getting emails that read "don't give notice yet".

I finally got one that said "Report on this day" a month out. It wasn't technically a "job offer" but they dropped the "don't quit your day job" bit.

My "offer letter" came via PDF the Friday before the Monday I started.

I would jump at the chance, if I were in your shoes. Leave on good terms.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
After a successful interview and background check a part of the Canadian government has decided to offer me a position.
So far I haven't received a contract to sign (to outline what we've both agreed to).

After inquiring, they said that I'd get it on the first day of orientation

I find this not only inconvenient as I have to give notice at my current job (nothing worse than giving notice at
your current job just to realise that the new place decides to not take you on afterall...not that it's happened to me,
but hey, anything is possible!). I have never encountered this in any of the administrative roles I've done before.

Am I alone in this thinking?
or am I simply worrying for no reason?

thanks in advance


Although I got a permanent position with a new company recently I haven't officially signed my new work contract terms yet. It was loosely presented to me in their offer along with the compensation etc. I'm not sweating it because the company is huge and they have a good track record for long employment terms with their employees in the past and I know the person that hired me relatively well.

As you are working for Government I wouldn't sweat it. They are pretty good. (Lots of family working for them in Ottawa).

All this aside I would want all the terms up front before giving notice at my previous job for your own security but in my case and yours I think it's safer to have not done this.