'Paid when Paid' clause

[MaryPoppins]

Please don't flame me for this post - I'd like to check my sanity on something, and would appreciate some thoughts!

I've been offered an interview with a consultancy, next week - via an agency. The agency are the only ones recruiting for this consultancy.

The agent in question has always been, frankly, fantastic. He's candid, knowledgeable, and is senior enough within his agency for me to take him seriously-ish.

I've discovered that my friend, and ex boss, has just accepted a role on the same programme of work, with this same consultancy - which has helped the agent feel the role is in the bag for me, if I'd like it.

Lovely. I ask him again what the name of the consultancy is, and he tells me. I've never heard of them, and a quick google doesn't turn up any results. Odd.

We have a second chat, and he tells me that he 'needs to let me know that the payment terms on this one are slightly odd....because the consultancy are so new.....the payment terms will be that I don't get paid until 'they' get paid.' There was some more waffle, but I heard what I needed to hear.

I ask him to confirm that my contract will be with his agency, and not the consultancy, which he does.

Am I right to listen to the very loud alarm bells I can hear? Or is this something people have accepted before?

[tractor]

...

Dear MP,

Listen to your head. Honestly.

Hope you make the right decision

[MaryPoppins]

Dear MP,

Listen to your head. Honestly.

Hope you make the right decision

Thank you.

My head usually wins out.

[sal]

I've discovered that my friend, and ex boss, has just accepted a role on the same programme of work, with this same consultancy - which has helped the agent feel the role is in the bag for me, if I'd like it.

Can't you just ask your friend what is it like?

Personally i would steer away from anything that requires me to share the risk of not being paid with the client (consultancy), but not the rewards. If someone started a consultancy and is so skint that must offload that risk to the sub-contractors it's not instilling confidence.

[MaryPoppins]

Can't you just ask your friend what is it like?

Personally i would steer away from anything that requires me to share the risk of not being paid with the client (consultancy), but not the rewards. If someone started a consultancy and is so skint that must offload that risk to the sub-contractors it's not instilling confidence.

She doesn't start there for another two weeks. I did email her to share my concerns and she was incredibly blase about it. To the point where I'm not sure she knows who her business relationship is with. She feels 'it will probably be Ok'.

[d000hg]

Have you tried the obvious - lean on the agent and say you're not prepared to work on that basis with a company you've never heard of?

Is such a contractual clause actually legal in the UK assuming you opt in/out (whichever it is, I always forget)?

Can't you get insurance against this sort of risk? Although if you could, I suppose the agency would have it?!

Sounds dodge to me too.

[sal]

'it will probably be Ok'.

Famous last words...

If you have to pick between bench time and this, it might be worth taking a leap of faith and secure short notice like 1 week and first payment no later than 30 days after the start and keep looking. If whoever is running the consultancy signed a contract with no interim milestone payments but only at the end of the contract, you probably don't want to work for such person.

[BlueSharp]

Please don't flame me for this post - I'd like to check my sanity on something, and would appreciate some thoughts!

I've been offered an interview with a consultancy, next week - via an agency. The agency are the only ones recruiting for this consultancy.

The agent in question has always been, frankly, fantastic. He's candid, knowledgeable, and is senior enough within his agency for me to take him seriously-ish.

I've discovered that my friend, and ex boss, has just accepted a role on the same programme of work, with this same consultancy - which has helped the agent feel the role is in the bag for me, if I'd like it.

Lovely. I ask him again what the name of the consultancy is, and he tells me. I've never heard of them, and a quick google doesn't turn up any results. Odd.

We have a second chat, and he tells me that he 'needs to let me know that the payment terms on this one are slightly odd....because the consultancy are so new.....the payment terms will be that I don't get paid until 'they' get paid.' There was some more waffle, but I heard what I needed to hear.

I ask him to confirm that my contract will be with his agency, and not the consultancy, which he does.

Am I right to listen to the very loud alarm bells I can hear? Or is this something people have accepted before?

What terms are the agency on? I would never go over monthly billing and 30 day terms.

[MaryPoppins]

Have you tried the obvious - lean on the agent and say you're not prepared to work on that basis with a company you've never heard of?

Is such a contractual clause actually legal in the UK assuming you opt in/out (whichever it is, I always forget)?

Can't you get insurance against this sort of risk? Although if you could, I suppose the agency would have it?!

Sounds dodge to me too.

Hello doogle.

I think I'm going to interview with the consultancy, as I'm loathe to pull out at this stage. If they offer - which they will, because I'm amazing - I will try your suggestion.

I think, from what I can tell, it is legal.

[MaryPoppins]

What terms are the agency on? I would never go over monthly billing and 30 day terms.

I've no idea, but I'm assuming they are on the same clause hence them attempting to pass it on.