Thanks to everyone. I think I had a contract to perform specific tasks. Then new tasks were added without discussing those tasks with me. This means I can either agree to those additional tasks, or not. I gave written notice to end my contract due to their inability to provide me with a work space. And due to their expectation that I perform tasks I never agreed to. Training others is unreasonable if you were specifically hired to perform certain tasks. Their staff shortages were internal matters that arose due to the unexpected retirement of two people. Most temps stay for only a few weeks or a few months. They are stop-gap people who are meant to keep the work flowing until a permanent replacement is found. It's not the temp's responsibility to train anyone, unless they've agreed to do so prior to agreeing to work there at all.

When two employees retired, they were not expected to train anyone. And they didn't train anyone. I think it's unreasonable to bring in a temp at that point, expect them to master the job, and then expect them to train a new person, especially when training others was never discussed or agreed to. This means more is expected of the temp than was expected of the two retiring employees, who had been there for 23 and 13 years respectively. I think it really boils down to this: regardless of what the employer wants, the temp's needs are all that matters, because you ultimately can "take it or leave it." I would never stay in a place that sees their own needs as "all that matters." And I do believe there are many employers out there who view people as mere objects.