Contract extension sent 2 and a half months before my contract ends

[Tractor Trace]

I have never heard of giving this much notice to renew. I'm only 3 and a half months into a 6 month contract and yesterday my agency sent me a contract renewal through asking me to sign it as soon as possible.

My contract doesn't end until mid January and although it is 1 month's notice either way I feel it is too early for me to make a decision, particularly as the hiring manager is making promises about the work she has planned for me in the coming months, which I take with a pinch of salt. She has made a number of "commitments" previously which she never stuck to hence the gig not turning out as it was sold to me at interview stage.

I don't want to sign up to another 6 months so early when I am not certain about the work ahead of me, whilst putting myself out of the market for any other opportunities. At the same time I do not want to refuse as they may decide to withdraw and I could potentially bed left with no options or gig to go to. How do I handle this? Anyone else experienced a lengthy notice of a contract renewal?

[northernladuk]

Means nothing. Signing and carry on. If you want to leave you just give notice on whichever contract is in effect and if they want to bim you early they will anyway. At this point it's nothing more than a paperwork exercise and you've nothing to worry about until the month before the current one ends and new one starts at which point you need to decide if you give notice on the new one or not.

If the work doesn't appear they will just fall back on the no work no pay clauses.

EDIT : What's your thoughts on the work you are doing. Does it have the legs the agent thinks or are they just producing meaningless contracts. I'd be trying to find out if the client knows they are doing this but quietly.

[eek]

Are you inside or outside IR35?

As if you are "outside" this line fills me with dread...

She has made a number of "commitments" previously which she never stuck to hence the gig not turning out as it was sold to me at interview stage.

[Tractor Trace]

What's your thoughts on the work you are doing. Does it have the legs the agent thinks or are they just producing meaningless contracts. I'd be trying to find out if the client knows they are doing this but quietly.

The work is of a more junior, support role. Would be ok if that's what I was initially going for but it wasn't and yes... less of the real work that I was expecting to do as permies seem to be doing it instead

[Tractor Trace]

Are you inside or outside IR35?

Inside.... unfortunately.

[quackhandle]

Pimp isn't RocSearch by any chance?

They did this with around 50+ contractors however main client had not signed anything off so very cheeky on the agency part.

I just said we'll discuss again (including rate) when I come to end of current contract.

And then a month later they ended mine early by four weeks.

I still get email updates from their timesheet app telling me to sign that contract.

qh

[Tractor Trace]

Surely it would be a major no-no for agent to send a contract renewal without the client's knowledge... and how would they justify panning you for not responding quick enough? That implies agent then lying to client about why contract was ended.

[Lance]

sign it. You can still give a month's notice even before it starts. Your commitment is the notice period only. And even then that's not really true since slavery was abolished in the 18th century.

[northernladuk]

Surely it would be a major no-no for agent to send a contract renewal without the client's knowledge... and how would they justify panning you for not responding quick enough? That implies agent then lying to client about why contract was ended.

Nope. The contract is between you and the agent. Nothing to do with the client, just as the contract between the client and the agent is nothing to do with you. You can be contracted the agent regardless of what is happenining with the client. It's a bit stupid but it can be done. Agents will often offer contractors a 12 month contract because it sounds sweet but really they are on a three month contract period with the client. Agent knows if the work dries up then they've got a clause covering no pay so no come back on them at all.

[Tractor Trace]

So, say I sign the contract extension that starts in January, but in December, a month before the current contract ends, I decide I want to leave. Will I technically still need to give 1 month's notice because I have already signed up for another 6 months to start right after?

Also, could the agency turn around and say I am obliged to give 1 month's notice from January because I have legally entered into a contract extension before the current one has ended?