"Gaps in employment"

[northernladuk]

They say a picture paints a thousand words. Sadly in your case neither option makes any sense to anyone.

[MrMarkyMark]

And it's exactly what I thought but didn't know how to phrase it in case this does end up in the professional area.

Unfortunately an issue when you have a perm trying to advise contractors, when they have scant knowledge of it.

[SueEllen]

Unemployed in the UK has a particular meaning.

You aren't unemployed if you are drawing a salary, a pension or are a student who has a student loan. If you live of someone else e.g. are a housewife or a househusband you are also not unemployed. Likewise if you take voluntary unpaid leave from a permanent workplace or a carer looking after someone.

This is because in all those circumstances you cannot claim unemployment benefit e.g. job seekers allowance.

[ShandyDrinker]

You've got nothing until you are sat at the clients desk (or even until the first invoice is in). The fact it is subject to anything means it's not concrete. It's also possible, as we seen on here, it can evaporate between now and him turning up at site. We even had a guy a year or so ago that was sitting in client reception on the first day to be told it had all fallen through. I was being a bit pedantic yes, but still, I wouldn't be resting on my laurels at this point.

I agree. As a contractor you have to get used to the fact that no contract is ever really concrete although once invoices start getting paid you know things should proceed as planned. I'm sure many of us on here have seen budget cuts or at least know people who've been through them.

If a vetting DIDN'T raise a 6 week gap I'd be questioning whether the vetting process is up for the job. Depends on what level of vetting he is going through but if that 6 weeks was spent at a nice camp site somewhere in Afghanistan they might want to know.

I don't have a problem with vetting as such although it can be time consuming and an unnecessary period not invoicing while waiting for clearance (I know some places allow you to start while vetting is ongoing). The only reason I'm usually happy to entertain it is because the rates are typically better.

What I am curious to know is if I worked for a Consultancy such as KPMG and worked in a city based bank (for example), would there be any vetting and would it be so rigorous? In this example the trip to Afghanistan may well slip under the radar...

[Jagoico]

Are you? Do you have an explicit contract of employment? Are you subject to working time directives and minimum wage rules?

What you are is an officer of your company who takes a salary. It makes absolutely no difference to the point about continuous "employment" (in the wide sense) but it's as well to be clear on the legalities.

This doesn't make any sense. By that logic my entire contracting career would have an unemployed status because in order to be IR35 compliant you cannot have an employment contract with any of your clients.

[MrMarkyMark]

I agree. As a contractor you have to get used to the fact that no contract is ever really concrete although once invoices start getting paid you know things should proceed as planned. I'm sure many of us on here have seen budget cuts or at least know people who've been through them.



I don't have a problem with vetting as such although it can be time consuming and an unnecessary period not invoicing while waiting for clearance (I know some places allow you to start while vetting is ongoing). The only reason I'm usually happy to entertain it is because the rates are typically better.

What I am curious to know is if I worked for a Consultancy such as KPMG and worked in a city based bank (for example), would there be any vetting and would it be so rigorous? In this example the trip to Afghanistan may well slip under the radar...

You are usually straight in to the bank with a consultancy.
I have found the checks to be very similar if the route is You > Consultancy > IB.

The only difference is with the consultancy you are very likely to be able to start straight away.

[LondonManc]

You are usually straight in to the bank with a consultancy.
I have found the checks to be very similar if the route is You > Consultancy > IB.

The only difference is with the consultancy you are very likely to be able to start straight away.

Correct. The consultancy generally has an overarching risk clause where they carry the can for anyone that subsequently fails vetting, which is done concurrently with the contract, rather than before its commencement if you have the traditional Ltd > Agent > Bank route.

[northernladuk]

This doesn't make any sense. By that logic my entire contracting career would have an unemployed status because in order to be IR35 compliant you cannot have an employment contract with any of your clients.

Oh dear oh dear....

[Jagoico]

Oh dear oh dear....

Please help

[LondonManc]

This doesn't make any sense. By that logic my entire contracting career would have an unemployed status because in order to be IR35 compliant you cannot have an employment contract with any of your clients.

He meant a ltd co contract of employment.

As an officer of your ltd co, you have a different relationship to the company than a consultant would to Accenture.

If you're a perm, there's a mutuality of obligation where you're expected to turn up.

You're overthinking this and getting the wrong conclusion; if you're a contractor and not in a contract, they want to know what you were up to and make sure that it was nothing sinister (doing time, bomb-making, etc.)