I've read a lot of posts on here, looking to answer the question myself but have been unable to find a similar situation. Please don't flame me as I have tried, honest.
I've been in a contract with an "offshore consultancy" for over a year, have been through 2 renewals, yet am feeling underappreciated, underworked and undervalued. Working conditions keep changing and despite my desire for extra challenges, I'm feeling ignored. Nothing terrible, just would like a bit more to do. I started looking around about 4-5 months ago and I was recently offered an alternative contract with a public sector client, which seemed promising, so I duly tendered my resignation (professionally, with the appropriate notice and assurance that I'd hand over properly), signed the new contract and booked a hotel for my new gig. My offshore client panicked and begged me to stay but I told them the problems and why I wanted to resign.
In the meantime, the new client and agency didn't fulfil the terms of the new contract. Two days before I was due to start, having already travelled up to the client premises once to deliver copies of my passport and the like, I felt I had to pull out as I had no accurate job description, had been contacted about attending onboarding sessions before the agreed start date (with no promise of remuneration and while I was currently working my notice for my current client), and had no joining instructions, despite asking for clarification several times and receiving assurance that this would be chased by the agent. I don't see how I could meet the "technical competence" requirements of the contract without being told what they were.
The agent was livid (understandably) and has now sent me an invoice for loss of commission over the entire planned length of the contract (about 5 months), in short over £5k.
There was a 2week/2week notice period on the new contract but they are seeking full recovery of their "losses" as I had breached the contract. I replied saying they had breached the contract but even if they hadn't, I had a 2 week notice period and their commission would be about the same as my incurred expenses so it feels fair to write it off on both sides.
On the plus side, my offshore client managed to hastily arrange a new contract so I have been able to stay with them. I do feel remorseful about this whole situation.
Now, the new agency is threatening to go legal if I don't pay up. Oh, and if I don't pay up, they'll never to speak to me again. And they might add on other unexplained charges that they consider they might incur as a result of a tarnished reputation. Although if I do pay, they will forget about all that (can anyone say extortion?).
What are the chances they will follow through with their threat? (I would gladly state my case in court, tbh.) Anyone else had this vindictive, personal behaviour from agents? Should I have even replied to their threats? I can't pretend to be unperturbed - I'm losing a lot of sleep over this.
I've been in a contract with an "offshore consultancy" for over a year, have been through 2 renewals, yet am feeling underappreciated, underworked and undervalued. Working conditions keep changing and despite my desire for extra challenges, I'm feeling ignored. Nothing terrible, just would like a bit more to do. I started looking around about 4-5 months ago and I was recently offered an alternative contract with a public sector client, which seemed promising, so I duly tendered my resignation (professionally, with the appropriate notice and assurance that I'd hand over properly), signed the new contract and booked a hotel for my new gig. My offshore client panicked and begged me to stay but I told them the problems and why I wanted to resign.
In the meantime, the new client and agency didn't fulfil the terms of the new contract. Two days before I was due to start, having already travelled up to the client premises once to deliver copies of my passport and the like, I felt I had to pull out as I had no accurate job description, had been contacted about attending onboarding sessions before the agreed start date (with no promise of remuneration and while I was currently working my notice for my current client), and had no joining instructions, despite asking for clarification several times and receiving assurance that this would be chased by the agent. I don't see how I could meet the "technical competence" requirements of the contract without being told what they were.
The agent was livid (understandably) and has now sent me an invoice for loss of commission over the entire planned length of the contract (about 5 months), in short over £5k.
There was a 2week/2week notice period on the new contract but they are seeking full recovery of their "losses" as I had breached the contract. I replied saying they had breached the contract but even if they hadn't, I had a 2 week notice period and their commission would be about the same as my incurred expenses so it feels fair to write it off on both sides.
On the plus side, my offshore client managed to hastily arrange a new contract so I have been able to stay with them. I do feel remorseful about this whole situation.
Now, the new agency is threatening to go legal if I don't pay up. Oh, and if I don't pay up, they'll never to speak to me again. And they might add on other unexplained charges that they consider they might incur as a result of a tarnished reputation. Although if I do pay, they will forget about all that (can anyone say extortion?).
What are the chances they will follow through with their threat? (I would gladly state my case in court, tbh.) Anyone else had this vindictive, personal behaviour from agents? Should I have even replied to their threats? I can't pretend to be unperturbed - I'm losing a lot of sleep over this.
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