Parasol or contractorUmbrella ??

[Pondlife]

Both are fairly reputable AFAIK although I'm Ltd and so don't use a brolly.

Contractor Umbrella is run by SJD IIRC and Lisa@CU posts here upon occasion. Her advice always seems to be right on the button.

Parasol are the brolly of choice for the PCG's service which should say enough.

Both are whiter than white with expenses I should think, so it should just come down to the recommendations here and their fees.

Why not go Ltd?

[Sockpuppet]

I am using an umbrella company and was going through them for 6 month contract, I then took two months off and now have a new contract. I have just found out I'm pregnant 2 days into the contract but expect to be working for the next 26 weeks (the amount of time you need to be working continously to even be eligable for maternity pay). So does this mean I should be able to get 90% from my Umbrella company?

Has anyone else got any experience of this? I'm not sure how I can survive on my own otherwise.

You are Sayara Beg and I claim my 5 BBC debt diaries. Better sell those BTLs now .... oh and the resturant

[irresponsible]

I don't know how the umbrella's have their terms and conditions set out but I can't see them paying you maternity pay. In order to pay you money they need to have money coming in, and if you aren't working because you are giving birth/coping with a new baby there won't be any money coming in.

You will still be eligible for SMP but it isn't that much, about £112 a week. If you don't have any of your contracting money saved up for a rainy day you really need to start saving now.

It's going to be a rainy year - as i understood it this money comes from the government rather than from the Umbrella company itself?

[ASB]

I don't know how the umbrella's have their terms and conditions set out but I can't see them paying you maternity pay. In order to pay you money they need to have money coming in, and if you aren't working because you are giving birth/coping with a new baby there won't be any money coming in.

You will still be eligible for SMP but it isn't that much, about £112 a week. If you don't have any of your contracting money saved up for a rainy day you really need to start saving now.

I've highlighted this before and it met with silence. The fact is that terms and conditions cannot take away SMP rights.

However, as you say, there is no funding for it. The size of the umbrella is likely that it won't get anything back from the government and will just have to bear the payment on the chin.

Obviously the will impact the umbrella and all other users of it. Ultimately it can only lead to the umbrella effectively withholding enough to cover SMP from fees earned and then distributing that as a bonus of some description.

[malvolio]

Ultimately it can only lead to the umbrella effectively withholding enough to cover SMP from fees earned and then distributing that as a bonus of some description.

Now that could be fun. Do women sue on the grounds of gender discrimination because they have to pay up front for it and men don't, or men becase the umbrella is offering a scheme on the basis of gender only, or men (and perhaps women over a certain age) because they are having to pay into a scheme that can never benefit them?

[Ardesco]

I've highlighted this before and it met with silence. The fact is that terms and conditions cannot take away SMP rights.

However, as you say, there is no funding for it. The size of the umbrella is likely that it won't get anything back from the government and will just have to bear the payment on the chin.

Obviously the will impact the umbrella and all other users of it. Ultimately it can only lead to the umbrella effectively withholding enough to cover SMP from fees earned and then distributing that as a bonus of some description.

If you are a permanent employee I would agree, however you are not a permanent employee with an umbrella. If you were they would not be able to stop paying you when your contract stopped paying you money, they would have to give you some form of notice. Secondly how would they be able to charge you for being their employee?

I'm not with an umbrella so I don't know what the T&C are but I suspect they have written up some sort of a contract where you pay them for a service and are not actually classified as a real employee. I guess the only way we will get a real answer is if somebody like Lisa from Contractor Umbrella comes and clarifies it for us.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Morning Guys

With regard to SMP it is the same for umbrella companies as with any other employer - it is payable and it is a cost of business to the umbrella company.

HTH

[ASB]

Morning Guys

With regard to SMP it is the same for umbrella companies as with any other employer - it is payable and it is a cost of business to the umbrella company.

HTH

That is what I knew the answer would be. But I don't see how that fits into the business model particularly well.

Ultimately if you have a lady on your books at a grand a week then you are exposed to a potential 5.4k in SMP (I believe it is 6 weeks @ 90%). If your charges for your umbrella services are 20 quid a week that is a lot of other people who are going to be effectively funding that.

[Ardesco]

Morning Guys

With regard to SMP it is the same for umbrella companies as with any other employer - it is payable and it is a cost of business to the umbrella company.

HTH

Looks like I was wrong then, I can see this as something that could potentially be abused on a massive scale though...

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

That is what I knew the answer would be. But I don't see how that fits into the business model particularly well.

Ultimately if you have a lady on your books at a grand a week then you are exposed to a potential 5.4k in SMP (I believe it is 6 weeks @ 90%). If your charges for your umbrella services are 20 quid a week that is a lot of other people who are going to be effectively funding that.

All true but 92% is recoverable from the Inland Revenue so the cost to the business is not as high as you think.