Delayed start date and

[Zsat01]

Hi there

I'm new to contracting, just resigned from a permanent job and took a contract.

I was asked by the recruiter to give a short notice to my employer so I can start early. I did as they told me and signed the contract for 13th of March.

On the 9th of March they told me there is a delay of 2 days and then it carried on to 2 weeks. And they said no to any compensation. The recruiter doesn't reply promptly to my emails or calls in the last 2 days. That's is the situation I'm in, very stressful to say the least.

I've few questions

1) Can they just say no to compensation ?

2) In two weeks time if they say I'm not needed at all ? Where do I stand legally? Any chance of compensation?

3) Is it common to delay contract start dates ?

Thanks

[eek]

Hi there

I'm new to contracting, just resigned from a permanent job and took a contract.

I was asked by the recruiter to give a short notice to my employer so I can start early. I did as they told me and signed the contract for 13th of March.

On the 9th of March they told me there is a delay of 2 days and then it carried on to 2 weeks. And they said no to any compensation. The recruiter doesn't reply promptly to my emails or calls in the last 2 days. That's is the situation I'm in, very stressful to say the least.

I've few questions

1) Can they just say no to compensation ?

2) In two weeks time if they say I'm not needed at all ? Where do I stand legally? Any chance of compensation?

3) Is it common to delay contract start dates ?

Thanks

Its common for contracts to disappear before you begin and common for contracts to disappear one or two days after you begin.

Welcome to the world of contracting - you are only safely in a contract when the first invoice has been paid

[BackupBoy]

1) Yes.

2) a. That's contracting. b. Zero.

3) Yes.

Can you rescind your resignation?

[LondonManc]

Hi there

I'm new to contracting, just resigned from a permanent job and took a contract.

I was asked by the recruiter to give a short notice to my employer so I can start early. I did as they told me and signed the contract for 13th of March.

On the 9th of March they told me there is a delay of 2 days and then it carried on to 2 weeks. And they said no to any compensation. The recruiter doesn't reply promptly to my emails or calls in the last 2 days. That's is the situation I'm in, very stressful to say the least.

I've few questions

1) Can they just say no to compensation ?

2) In two weeks time if they say I'm not needed at all ? Where do I stand legally? Any chance of compensation?

3) Is it common to delay contract start dates ?

Thanks

1) Yes they can. Do you have any business interruption cover through your insurance?

2) See 1

3) It isn't common - get applying for other contracts or go direct to the hiring manager and be polite about it; the agency could be trying something on.

[BrilloPad]

I am tempted to ask what your contract says, however it makes no difference. No work = no invoice.

Sadly they can just junk you. They might give you notice. However its no good to you if there is no work so no invoice.

This is your first post on here - why not ask BEFORE you handed in your notice?

I am currently permanent. Last week I was offered a very lucrative contract back in the city. I am not handing my notice in until they complete all the background checks as they can take 6 weeks. They have tried saying to me "what have you got to hide"!

So now they are trying to push the process along as fast as possible.

However, I do have some sympathy as generally you need to be available to get a contract. There are ups and downs. Keep looking round - and learn from your mistakes: -
1. Put yourself first
2. Ask on CUK before you do anything rash.
Good luck!

BP

[northernladuk]

Tsk tsk.. Some people are just so unhelpful on here. Let me have a go.

1) Can they just say no to compensation ?

You need to read and understand your contract. Every single line. If you don't understand a clause post it on here and we can advise. Better still try the search method as explained in the link below. It will have been asked before.
http://forums.contractoruk.com/welco...uk-forums.html

But to answer your question. Somewhere in your contract will be a clause saying you don't get paid without a signed timesheet. You are effectively on a Time & Materials basis. That means if you don't work they you won't have a signed timesheet and you don't get paid. We generally do not get paid for work we do. There is no compensation due. The same could, and does, happen during the contract. They don't want you to work so will ask you not to come in. It's fairly uncommon to be out of the blue but xmas is a good example. They don't want you on site during the break so you don't get paid. You don't get paid when you are unavailable for holidays as well. More or less the same thing. Same if a project get's canned or finishes early. They can ask you just not to come in as they have no more work for you.

That's contracting I'm afraid. You'll find quite a few posts from people in exactly the same situation.

2) In two weeks time if they say I'm not needed at all ? Where do I stand legally? Any chance of compensation?

Nope. They will probably just cancel the contract but they can just serve you notice and you don't work during it so no pay. Effectively instant termination and not a penny due.

3) Is it common to delay contract start dates ?

Not common no, but it does happen.

One rule we have and has already been mentioned. You have nothing until you are sitting at the clients desk/got your first invoice in/been paid. Take your pick. Keep applying for roles until one or all three of those is satisfied.

Get IPSE+ membership as soon as you can. You could have claimed a few grand against business interruption which covers you against the agent messing you about and not honouring contracts. Not sure they'll honour it in this case if you get membership now though for obvious reasons.

[quackhandle]

Hi there

I'm new to contracting, just resigned from a permanent job and took a contract.

I was asked by the recruiter to give a short notice to my employer so I can start early. I did as they told me and signed the contract for 13th of March.

On the 9th of March they told me there is a delay of 2 days and then it carried on to 2 weeks. And they said no to any compensation. The recruiter doesn't reply promptly to my emails or calls in the last 2 days. That's is the situation I'm in, very stressful to say the least.

I've few questions

1) Can they just say no to compensation ?

2) In two weeks time if they say I'm not needed at all ? Where do I stand legally? Any chance of compensation?

3) Is it common to delay contract start dates ?

Thanks

Three times!



qh

[CapnAHAB]

I'm a permie. What I have learned from lurking here a while is unless you've got a signed contract, you have nothing. And even when you have a signed contract, you're only in a marginally better position as you could be binned / not paid with virtually no notice. Not for the fainthearted this contracting malarkey.

[Zsat01]

Thanks everyone for replying.

The contract which is 10 pages, says I'll get paid only when I fill the time sheet and it also states that the supplier can cancel the contract, if the client says there is no work.

I need to find another job and I think contracting isn't my kind of thing I should stick to permanent jobs.

Thanks again.

[northernladuk]

When you do don't forget to tell your fellow permies about this. Also...

the lack of any benefits like holiday/sick pay etc,
the effort to run our businesses,
HMRC bumming us at every turn,
bench time,
having to (in some cases) travel up and down the country for work,
paying for our own training,
crap gigs where we are hated and made scapegoats
having to deal with agents.

Maybe some of the permies won't hate us for what we earn and appreciate it's not a walk in the park.