Suggestions on how to tackle notice period...

[GJABS]

I'm sure they will be more than happy to make it 4 weeks. They are well aware if there is no work to do you can't get a signed timesheet and so will not be paid as per the clause in your contract.

Are you sure about that?
As discussed on another thread today, there are many contracts that due to disorganization give you no work for days or weeks after you start, and you spend time sat at your desk doing nothing. Are you saying the client could turn round and say that as you had no work to do you are getting paid nothing for those days.
Which would be bad because your time is nonetheless being taken up with attending the client site.

[base]

Whilst in contract you are obliged to carry out work offered as per the contract. Saying you are unavailable during notice is pretty thin and not going to be difficult to prove breach. You'll have a pretty crap time with a really angry agent and client, you could be sued for breach and not get any money that is currently owed to you.

Understood thank you. Would the same hold if you are unavailable to provide services, e.g. sick or jury duty, and you are unable to find a replacement?

My question is more general rather than confined during the notice period. What is the safest option of guaranteeing no repercussions for not providing services during a certain period. Obviously the first choice is to speak to the client contact and agree with them, notifying the agency. Otherwise, if you have reason to believe the client might not be totally indifferent to you not being available to work, what would you do (in order to secure the time off)?

[northernladuk]

Are you sure about that?
As discussed on another thread today, there are many contracts that due to disorganization give you no work for days or weeks after you start, and you spend time sat at your desk doing nothing. Are you saying the client could turn round and say that as you had no work to do you are getting paid nothing for those days.
Which would be bad because your time is nonetheless being taken up with attending the client site.

Ah, that's a little different. The minute you turn up at a client you are available for work and IMO you should get paid for it. If they tell you there isn't any work don't come in then you can't bill for that. In your example there maybe some argy bargy to get paid but you should. I don't think any client manager would be stupid enough to take you on, give you no work and then throw a stink about it. He's making himself look like an idiot.

One is poor management by a client, the other is not offering work which is different.

[bullseye]

Does the agency name rhyme with cash ?

Guys,

Would like some opinions/advice please.

Current contract, is that agency gives me 1 weeks notice, I have to give 4 weeks notice. I am coming up for contract renewal and wish to even up this clause, especially as others through the same agency on the same account have 4 weeks and 4 weeks.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to tackle these type of conversations pls?

Thanks,

[indianabones]

Rather than open a new thread, just bumping this one.

It seems as if from several threads including this one, that the notice period for contractors is a joke. Is the 4 weeks notice period you have to give them common? If it is, then that changes the ball game entirely and I may have to re-consider whether I should be making the jump.

I was thinking about starting a short term contract (<6 months) but continue to apply to permament positions and if a suitable role came along, hand my notice in and move on. Perm positions in IT usually take 6-8 weeks from initial application to offer anyway.

[HugeWhale]

All too often there is no notice period at all. You sign up to deliver three month's work, you're expected to deliver it and not walkout halfway through.
Also 6 months is not a short contract.

You're still thinking like a permie.
Try to adopt the mindset of the builder in the yellow pages. If he signs up to build a house extension that will take 6 months, you wouldn't expect him to walk away before the job was complete.

[northernladuk]

I was thinking about starting a short term contract (<6 months) but continue to apply to permament positions and if a suitable role came along, hand my notice in and move on. Perm positions in IT usually take 6-8 weeks from initial application to offer anyway.

As HW says. For exactly this reason, no notice periods are becoming more and more common. Thanks for helping the fight

Forgive us if we aren't very sympathetic to your plan.

[CoolCat]

I always prefer zero or one days notice, at least on your side, puts you in a much more powerful position, and gives you a way out of any craziness starts (say they hire a new boss who is a nutter), or you need to leave due to family circumstances

etc

[LondonManc]

Are you sure about that?
As discussed on another thread today, there are many contracts that due to disorganization give you no work for days or weeks after you start, and you spend time sat at your desk doing nothing. Are you saying the client could turn round and say that as you had no work to do you are getting paid nothing for those days.
Which would be bad because your time is nonetheless being taken up with attending the client site.

No - they have the right to send you home, but if you've been present and reading their documents, you've been working billable time for them (PWDs, hours, whatever).

What NLUK is saying is that your notice period means jack - especially if there's no MoO clause. They can turn round and tell you that the project has been canned, sorry, no work for you. They'll sign off the timesheet for the day that you're in then that's yer lot; it matters not whether you've got one week, four weeks or four months on your notice clause on your contract if there's no work for you and no MoO clause.

[mattfx]

If you think 6 months is short term, think again. Some infrastructure contracts can be as short as 4 weeks. More commonly they're 3 months though.