Take a 10% drop or hold off signing contract for better rate still not yet in the bag

[Mincepie]

Take the first gig and go and get smashed tonight, it will all be fine when you start Monday

[ziggystardust]

Take the first gig and go and get smashed tonight, it will all be fine when you start Monday

Probably didn't explain myself clearly: I'm due to start first gig next Monday (date is provisional one pending checks) but they asked me to sign the contract last Tuesday. I sent back comments for them to amend some terms in the contract a couple of days later (Thursday). It's now Monday morning and I haven't heard a peep. In the meantime I have interview lined up for gig two tomorrow.

[Mincepie]

Probably didn't explain myself clearly: I'm due to start first gig next Monday (date is provisional one pending checks) but they asked me to sign the contract last Tuesday. I sent back comments for them to amend some terms in the contract a couple of days later (Thursday). It's now Monday morning and I haven't heard a peep. In the meantime I have interview lined up for gig two tomorrow.

If they haven't responded to your request for contract amends they may be speaking to other people.

[ziggystardust]

If they haven't responded to your request for contract amends they may be speaking to other people.

My IR35 expert reviewed the contract and said there were a number of references to overtime and additional hours that would put me at serious risk of being caught in IR35. Agency also wants to charge me a fee of £25 for a CRB check. The overtime clauses seem so obvious, I don't understand why the agency would include them! They are part of Hyphen by the way, not dealt with these guys before. ..

[Mincepie]

Thats an odd one, i would have challenged it as well

[Boo]

Probably didn't explain myself clearly: I'm due to start first gig next Monday (date is provisional one pending checks) but they asked me to sign the contract last Tuesday. I sent back comments for them to amend some terms in the contract a couple of days later (Thursday). It's now Monday morning and I haven't heard a peep. In the meantime I have interview lined up for gig two tomorrow.

This doesn't sound too bad because at least you'll have had interview at client 2 before you need to decide so you will have some feeling for which will be the better role.

Good luck today and let us know how it all pans out,

Boo

[LondonManc]

My IR35 expert reviewed the contract and said there were a number of references to overtime and additional hours that would put me at serious risk of being caught in IR35. Agency also wants to charge me a fee of £25 for a CRB check. The overtime clauses seem so obvious, I don't understand why the agency would include them! They are part of Hyphen by the way, not dealt with these guys before. ..

People have had fun with Hyphen's lack of IR35-friendliness before. It's almost like they've used an old Office Angels contract (who happen to be part of the same group), rather than the more IR35-friendly Adecco contract. Spring, Modis and CP all part of the same group too.

[ziggystardust]

Well the update is. ..had interview for gig 2 today which went well. Sounds more interesting and is in a better location (plus more money). The downside is that they won't be getting back to me until Thursday. In the meantime the agency for gig 1 has responded to my requests to amend some of my contract, rejecting the crucial one for me which was to expand on a description of my services in the contract schedule, other than just a job title. Here is their response:

'At the request of the Client we only make reference to the job title as the services may be required on other projects at the banks discretion (for example if one project were to end/be reduced in size.) No further detail can be added to this section.'

Don't think I'm comfortable with this. Would you accept it? Not sure if I can hold off on a response for two days until I find out about gig 2....mind you the agency took two days to get back to me. It's a big risk.

[seanraaron]

Spring, Modis and CP all part of the same group too.

Is there a practical reason for having the appearance of being multiple agencies rather than one?

[LondonManc]

Is there a practical reason for having the appearance of being multiple agencies rather than one?

Tax, liabilities, markets, etc.

They may also have different commission models for the agents with some more aggressively aimed at lower basic higher commission than others and it's easier to segregate by company/advertise for staff based on the commission model. At least I'd imagine that's part of it, given the chats I've had with agents that I know well.