Where does the agencies control end?

[jmo21]

With the exception of payment, as far as I'm concerned the agent doesn't exist once I'm on-site and have a relationship with the client.

This (also for extensions)

I have never told an agent I was sick or on holiday!

And also this.

[NotAllThere]

"I work through you - not with you, and not for you. The extent of your job as far as I'm concerned is ensuring that my invoices are paid on time. Now don't bother me with trivialities again."

I can't recall in 20 years of dealing with agents that one of them has ever been under the delusion that I work for him or her.

[psychocandy]

OP - This is just insane. As others have said, once on site the only person I need to keep happy is the client. Not the agent at all.

I think theres an ulterior motive here by the agent. They will be thinking of themselves not you. Perhaps someone higher up in the company has moaned about WFH so, to be on the safe side they're trying to make all contractors go in regardless (to safeguard they're cut).

Think about it:-

1) Contractor never works from home and is always in office = agent gets his cut for every day and there is no chance of moaning client.

2) Contractor occasionally works from home with clients agreement = miniscule chance that someone will moan at client end and affect their cut. End result - agent wants all contractors in.

Personally, I would tell agent to FOAD. What are they going to do? Not exactly going to pull you off site are they and lose money for themselves?

Imagine that conversation:-
AGENT: Billy didnt tell us about his holiday so we've pulled him off site.
CLIENT: You mean the one he told us about and we didn't have an issue with?
AGENT: Yes but he didnt ask us permission first.
CLIENT: OK. Terminate the contract we'll sign Billy up through someone else who doesnt cause us grief

I've had similar. One pimp said I had to ask them to "agree" days off. I told them to do one, that I would take time off as discussed with client, but if they really wanted to know I'd let them know.

They said no way can I take time off without permission from them. Yeh right. So next holiday sorted with client, emailed agency -BTW wont be in next week - just letting you know.

I got an email back - yes ok we can authorise that. I suppose in their eyes they were still in control.

Went on like this for the 2 years I was there. At least they thought they were in control lol.

[psychocandy]

"I work through you - not with you, and not for you. The extent of your job as far as I'm concerned is ensuring that my invoices are paid on time. Now don't bother me with trivialities again."

I can't recall in 20 years of dealing with agents that one of them has ever been under the delusion that I work for him or her.

Never?

I've had a few who think they're my boss once they get me a contract..... And a lot who use the term "working for us".

[czakky]

Ignore him.

+1

Unless the client has specifically asked for you on site, just do as you are. If your agent still has these stupid controlling demands for no real reason, speak to his boss and your end client and explain; these demands will quickly go away.

On a side point, what retard asks someone who is ill to go into site?

Finally - I do ask about holidays from my contractors, just so I can accurately forecast revenue. Again, it's down to the client to be ok with it, but shareholders do like to know exactly what the business will make.

[MrMarkyMark]

FTFY

I've had a few who think they're my beeech once they get me a contract..

Seriously mate, you really need to grow a pair.

The initial engaement with agency / client should be as transparent as possible from the very start.
Some people may call this a type of hardball approach, I call it managing expectations.

Remember in a business relationship, everything is negotiable, even in the perm world.

I, for one, have not had a fraction the problems you have experienced and widely communicated on here.

[WTFH]

Never?

I've had a few who think they're my boss once they get me a contract..... And a lot who use the term "working for us".

I can beat "working for us"...
I have used an agency in the past who, in their contracts, refer to their staff as "consultants" and refer to the IT consultants that they put on client sites as "representatives".


So, the sales rep who pimped me is a consultant, and me, the consultant, is a rep.


It was just a way to muddy the waters so you could never be sure if an email was about you or about their staff.

[northernladuk]

I can beat "working for us"...
I have used an agency in the past who, in their contracts, refer to their staff as "consultants" and refer to the IT consultants that they put on client sites as "representatives".


So, the sales rep who pimped me is a consultant, and me, the consultant, is a rep.


It was just a way to muddy the waters so you could never be sure if an email was about you or about their staff.

With the current state of affairs you could say this guy was a bit of ahead of the game

[northernladuk]

From what I can some of my contracts included clauses about letting the agent know before 10am if I was unable to be on site etc. I forget the actual detail.

Funny thing is people are probably contractually obliged to tell their agent about time off etc.....

[MrMarkyMark]

Funny thing is people are probably contractually obliged to tell their agent about time off etc.....

Recently, I had a contract amendment sent through which stated that contractors had to give 30 days notice of time off / holiday .

I refused to sign it and told the agent, especially as my working practices now or in the past have never been that way.
I have since extended on my original terms, then the contract amendment mail was triggered again, which I have ignored.

Obviously, though, in the background the agency <> client contract has been changed.
I have read somewhere that all this work we do having things amended etc. will not count for much if the agency <> Client contractual relationship is different to the one we signed.

Comments?