I got one too!

[Rebecca Loos]

This is hilarious - an agency just called me and offered me an interview for a contract - so far so good. But then the agent said "would you have any problems changing umbrella companies? We work with our preferred list who will have to pay you a salary and no dividends"!!!!!

Needless to say I told him that I was working as a contractor preceisely because I want to pay myself in whatever way I want - I'd be a permie otherwise!! So I guess that's me off the market for that particular contract then...

Worrying trend though.......

[BlasterBates]

Sound like the IR are holding the agencies responsible for their suppliers (or ahem employees), hmm I think this is a different tack from going after individual contractors.

I hate to say this, but....

nice one, Gordon

[insight14]

Becca, was it Hays IT? They tried the same on me a while back. Can only use one of 6 "preferred suppliers". Sod that.

[Rebecca Loos]

no it was Computer People - with 4 preferred umbrella companies. I didn't note the names of those companies, maybe I should have.

[malvolio]

Nuff said...

Computer People are nothing to do with contractors, they run their own twisted view of the world in which we become their employess in all respects (apart from little things like holiday pay and sick leave) and then sell themselves to the clients as a managed consultancy and us as their dedicated resource.

Anyway, do you want to work through someone who deducts (and keeps) the VAT element of the expenses on your invoice, for example? Or tells you how to dress and behave?

Not that I'm biased or anything, but I would avoid them at all costs!!

[insight14]

I can't remember the 6 companies on the PSL either - I think Giant & Parasol were on there. The "official" reason was that they could only deal with companies that had been vetted by the Finance Director of Hays. It would not come as a suprise to learn that the vetting process involves a check on the methods of payment to the contractor favourable to HMG.

Worrying trend indeed.

[Lord]

Hays Ltd

I'm working through Hays through my own limited, I wonder if this is for specific clients or just a trend where I started this contract before they began the trend

[WageSlave]

Computer People have been hassling me for a while, as they discovered I might need some contract staff. They trot out the line that they have "contractors ready to go". What, you mean the contractors that respond to the Jobserve advert? That crap won't wash with me, sunshine! You're not a consultancy firm, you're just an agency.

[Not So Wise]

This is hilarious - an agency just called me

Honestly as soon as they said who they were (computer people) i would have just told them to go to hell and put down the phone.

Biggest load of twats i ever came across (and come across a load over of the years) and have always been since i first came across them about 6/7 years ago, people who "contract" though them are not contractors, just overpaid temps, because thats all CP really is, a temp agency.