Pre-employments checks after contract already started

[sfrj]

I am currently in a 6 months contract with my new client.
This time I don't have any middleman/agency, is just me and my client.

I am there for 3 weeks already, work is going smooth all seems fine. I recently received an email from some external background checking company that asks me for 3 references.
Do I have to answer to this? They claim to act in behalf of my client but I think that if my client.
I have already signed and I am working, why are they asking me for references now? I did all other sort of background checks all went well but I just don't fancy doing this referencing because I don't want to bother my previous clients. I am not even sure if companies provide references for contractors.

Any thoughts on this, what do you think I should do?

[NotAllThere]

What does your client say?

[GreenMirror]

Why rock the boat? Just do it.

Are they after personal references or job references?

Once when asked for a personal reference I got one from a very shady character with a dodgy background. Not that they minded - as long as the referee did not sink low enough to be a CUK mod.....

[northernladuk]

What does your client say?

/thread

[simes]

Never heard of either;

1. Starting and Then being asked for references, or
2. An external agency asking for references, especially if the scenario is just client and contractor. What industry are you in?

Gingerly nursing my conspiracy theories, sfrj, are you sure the external agency are genuinely linked up to the client you're working for and has this been corroborated by said client?

Once assured, asking 'why now?' won't hurt, but then as above, why rock the boat. You can always go back to the agencies that placed you before for date-type references and not bother previous clients and managers.

[northernladuk]

Never heard of either;

1. Starting and Then being asked for references, or
2. An external agency asking for references, especially if the scenario is just client and contractor. What industry are you in?

Had exactly this at Barclays.

There would be a lot more complaining if people got the gig and then had to wait three weeks for checks before they can start.

[BoredBloke]

Had exactly this at Barclays.

There would be a lot more complaining if people got the gig and then had to wait three weeks for checks before they can start.

It was 4 weeks for me at HSBC - from being told I'd got the gig to the proposed start date. I was offered a different gig while they were still dragging out their checks. By way of comparison, RBS 2 days!