Is there any legal limit on how big a cut an agency can take

[kingcook]

2. After the client came back with the offer I should have opened up the salary negotiations straight away.

Rate?

I'm pretty sure I'm getting done for 50%.

How do you know for sure? If you can tell just by the eagerness of the agent, you're a better man than me!

[Wanderer]

The client holds the most sway in this situation. They can actually demand to know how much the contractor is getting or specify the amount - if they know how agencies work.

I've had clients to this. They say how much they are paying and the agency is on a fixed margin.

I wish more clients would do business this way, open and transparent. Agencies have played their game as a middle man ripping off clients and contractors alike for far too long.

[dogzilla]

Rate?


How do you know for sure? If you can tell just by the eagerness of the agent, you're a better man than me!

The PM is on £900 a day. He flashed his time sheet accidentally.

I'm on £350 a day. Speaking with some of the other technical chaps and the level at which I've been introduced into the company I'm pretty certain. The agent was just too eager. The company made £150m profit last year and I seem to be steering a major project, at least on a technical level. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but I highly doubt that the agent is billing the company any less than £650-700/day.

[Wanderer]

I highly doubt that the agent is billing the company any less than £650-700/day.

If the PM is a fellow contractor then ask how much they are paying the agency for you, they may be sympathetic and help you get a pay rise out of the agency.

[kingcook]

If the PM is a fellow contractor then ask how much they are paying the agency for you, they may be sympathetic and help you get a pay rise out of the agency.

^^ This ^^ definately.

Worked for me (after buying a couple of lunch beers one day)

[d000hg]

The PM is on £900 a day. He flashed his time sheet accidentally.

I'm on £350 a day. Speaking with some of the other technical chaps and the level at which I've been introduced into the company I'm pretty certain. The agent was just too eager. The company made £150m profit last year and I seem to be steering a major project, at least on a technical level. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but I highly doubt that the agent is billing the company any less than £650-700/day.

You'd have to be doing something special to be getting the £500-600 that would normally imply.

But then if they're paying the PM £900/day maybe they have money to burn!

Why does the PM show his rate on his timesheet?

[ZARDOZ]

You'd have to be doing something special to be getting the £500-600 that would normally imply.

But then if they're paying the PM £900/day maybe they have money to burn!

Why does the PM show his rate on his timesheet?

Could it be that he starts at 09:00 every day?

[Sockpuppet]

I've always thought that is a truly stupid argument. Being ripped off is being ripped off.

I've always though it was a valid point.

[Wanderer]

I'm afraid you misunderstand the nature of the contract. They are not taking a cut of your contract, they are giving you a cut of theirs

I have never agreed with this.

The contract could continue to exist without the agency, but the contract could NOT exist if if were not for the relationship between the client and the contractor.

Therefore, the agency is a parasitic partner in the relationship and as a business person I don't accept that the parasite that owns the contract. Fair enough, the agencies do match contractors with the vacancies but I don't see that this should make us forever beholden to them. There should be an introduction fee and once that is paid off, the contractor is free to do business as they see fit without these restrictive covenants so beloved of agencies.

[d000hg]

I've always though it was a valid point.

If you bought a car for £50k and were happy with the price, and the next week they dropped the price to £40k, you'd not kick yourself?