Cannot serve the full notice period

[NCOTBAC]

Psychobannedy has made a good point here; talk to the client because you want to maintain a good working relationship with them. Ultimately you're providing them with your service (skills/experience/effort) and the agency is there as a barrier of convenience for you both. One option could be to offer to work extra unpaid hours for the two weeks to get everything done including any handover documentation.

OP has already tried this..

I tried to convince my current client and agent but they are not ready to negotiate on 4 weeks’ notice period.

[LondonManc]

OP has already tried this..

He got the agent involved....

OP: "Hey, agent, I'd like to cut short my gig by two weeks, could you check with client if it's ok?"
Agent: "Yeah, sure, they're usually quite flexible"
Agent goes off and finds replacement cvs, sends out mailshot for new contract available soon, doesn't bother ringing client because he doesn't want to lose out on billing
Agent: "Aww, sorry pal, client won't budge."

Living up to your username nqat

[d000hg]

Suppose you go ill for a month?

Depends on your contract, but probably you are not legally at fault. Although should a B2B contract rely on one person's health - you've promised to deliver a service?

[NCOTBAC]

He got the agent involved....

OP: "Hey, agent, I'd like to cut short my gig by two weeks, could you check with client if it's ok?"
Agent: "Yeah, sure, they're usually quite flexible"
Agent goes off and finds replacement cvs, sends out mailshot for new contract available soon, doesn't bother ringing client because he doesn't want to lose out on billing
Agent: "Aww, sorry pal, client won't budge."

Living up to your username nqat

That's quite an assumption and doesn't really fit with the sentence offered but is a possibility. I would have thought if it's gone this far the client will be more than aware of the situation and made his position clear as well. Maybe the OP could elaborate....

[LondonManc]

That's quite an assumption and doesn't really fit with the sentence offered but is a possibility. I would have thought if it's gone this far the client will be more than aware of the situation and made his position clear as well. Maybe the OP could elaborate....

Agreed. But given the market, agents will be desperate to secure whatever revenue they can. An agent will care more about their relationship with the client than with the contractor in this situation.

[MrMarkyMark]

FTFY

An agent will care more about their relationship with the client, than with the contractor, in all situations.

[VillageContractor]

I'm in a similar situation in that I'm looking to start a new contract a week and half before my current contract finishes.

There's not enough work for me at my current client and hence why I'm moving on and I can't see them wanting to pay me for doing nothing. I'm sure the agent will be pissed at losing some money but it's not an endless gravy train.

[LondonManc]

I'm in a similar situation in that I'm looking to start a new contract a week and half before my current contract finishes.

There's not enough work for me at my current client and hence why I'm moving on and I can't see them wanting to pay me for doing nothing. I'm sure the agent will be pissed at losing some money but it's not an endless gravy train.

If work is running out then front up with your hiring manager. Advise them that your work is nearly complete and that you don't want to fall foul of IR35 regulations (assuming your contract is outside IR35) or cause him unnecessary expenditure. It may even be worth offering to finish a few days earlier than your next contract is due to start in case he wants you there slightly longer than expected.

[bluetoaster]

As for burning bridges - if it's a smallish client fair enough. But if it is a big corporate - does it really stick for a long time ? The clientco's that I've spent time in, people move between departments every few years and there is an internal re-org every few years too. So if you've burned bridges with a particular manager, they may not even be in charge in a few years time. Same goes with agency - agents move about & it probably wouldn't matter in a few years time.

In this case a large corporate that maintains a central black list of people they won't consider in future. The aforementioned numpty did try and go back to a different department at the client to be told in no uncertain terms to go away and not come back. How long that would last I couldn't say.

[MrMarkyMark]

In this case a large corporate that maintains a central black list of people they won't consider in future. The aforementioned numpty did try and go back to a different department at the client to be told in no uncertain terms to go away and not come back. How long that would last I couldn't say.

I have seen this too.
Unsure if it is official, but, have seen people "black balled", on a number of occasions, if they had "disappointed", the client, before.