Advice - no work to do, client sending me home

[Cookielove]

They don’t want to pay they’ve said if it is still going on next week may get something ...but no guarantee of what it won’t be a full day’s pay and won’t cover the days lost...do I call their bluff and say pay me or I am looking elsewhere ??

[RandomContractor]

As soon as I'm told I'm not being paid with no fix date in sight, I am searching for a new contract and I will be immediately available.
I'm not going to sit around waiting for an undetermined amount of time unpaid.

[d000hg]

Even if you're not actively, I'd tell your client "obviously I am looking for another contract".

Also - if they are this much of a shambles do you really want to work there? How are they even around if they can't fix IT in this timeframe?!

[northernladuk]

Quite right. For all the people saying "suck it down, you're a contractor" - many of you also like to go on about how we need to see ourselves in a similar way to builders etc when approaching contract work. Next time you have a builder in for a month of work on a time and materials basis, try asking him to take a random week off in the middle on no pay. He might be reasonable about it and have some other work he can do in the mean time, or he might (also quite reasonably) explain that he has booked you in for a month and consequently has no other clients on the go, and no other source of income - so you can either pay him to come in and work or pay him to sit at home. I know what my most recent builder would have said.

Yeah I get what you are saying but that's not the best example. It's down to the contract in place and you wouldn't engage a builder on the same contract we have so a bit apples and pears. It's there in black and white in the contract and you signed it. It's extremely unfortunate and annoying but it's there. It isn't in the contract you have with a builder. In fact it's unlikely there is a detailed contract in place with your builder so not a fair comparison.

[Cookielove]

It’s crap all round, still not being paid...client won’t pay. Wants us to wait it out..it’s not right in my book.mattster agree that’s how it should be. My view of client is am over it....not even a gesture and some pay...

[mattster]

All well and good what NLUK says. Hes right of course but most of us have the expectation that if the gig is for 3 months we'll get paid for every day we're there with none of this. Of course they can do this but its not right in my book.

Quite right. For all the people saying "suck it down, you're a contractor" - many of you also like to go on about how we need to see ourselves in a similar way to builders etc when approaching contract work. Next time you have a builder in for a month of work on a time and materials basis, try asking him to take a random week off in the middle on no pay. He might be reasonable about it and have some other work he can do in the mean time, or he might (also quite reasonably) explain that he has booked you in for a month and consequently has no other clients on the go, and no other source of income - so you can either pay him to come in and work or pay him to sit at home. I know what my most recent builder would have said.

[d000hg]

Still off Cookielove ?

[northernladuk]

All well and good what NLUK says. Hes right of course but most of us have the expectation that if the gig is for 3 months we'll get paid for every day we're there with none of this. Of course they can do this but its not right in my book.

Unless there are bank holidays and you won't be expected to be paid for them? Depends on what you mean by expectation really as well. If you are dead set on that expectation then you are heading for disappointment at some point. Expecting it but only being slightly disappointed if it happens because it's what we do would be fine.

I had hassle with the "other contractor" years ago. This other person decided it was fine to work for 6 weeks at renewal time (and not get paid) while the client "sorted the budget". I refused and looked like the akkward one.

If it was me, I'd be looking for another gig working for a client who doesn't behave like this.

Can't argue with that really but there are situations that if you read properly this isn't as big an issue as it appears. It's a risk for sure but if the option is sitting on the bench doing nothing then it's not the worst option. 6 weeks is really pushing it to be fair though.

On a similar note, I've been working for current client for 4 weeks now. Massive screw up with my SC (not my fault) and its still not sorted. Client let me start a month ago knowing my usefullness would be limited until SC was sorted. OK they didn't think it'd take this long.

I seem to remember you weren't squeeky clean in the whole carry on by not checking your own SC status and making sure you knew what was going on? And they think your usefullness is limited until SC. Imagine their disappointment after it's sorted

[psychocandy]

Been there 3 months.
The conversation was pre empted by the other contractor volunteering to take time off unpaid as we couldn’t fully operate. This set the bar so to speak ...it gave them the out to say ok stay at home cheers for offering. I was then told do the same ...they are not paying.
it could be a while ‘til things are fixed ...?
I need to work the other person apparently doesn’t need the £ ...there actions have impacted me rightly or wrongly ...we might have been told to take the time off but not quite so soon and may have been able to negotiate if it wasn’t volunteered so quickly with no thought ...

All well and good what NLUK says. Hes right of course but most of us have the expectation that if the gig is for 3 months we'll get paid for every day we're there with none of this. Of course they can do this but its not right in my book.

I had hassle with the "other contractor" years ago. This other person decided it was fine to work for 6 weeks at renewal time (and not get paid) while the client "sorted the budget". I refused and looked like the akkward one.

If it was me, I'd be looking for another gig working for a client who doesn't behave like this.

On a similar note, I've been working for current client for 4 weeks now. Massive screw up with my SC (not my fault) and its still not sorted. Client let me start a month ago knowing my usefullness would be limited until SC was sorted. OK they didn't think it'd take this long.
Point being if they'd said, don't come in until its sorted, I'd have no choice, financially speaking, but to do something else (not needing SC). I guess client knows this and is sucking up the waste of money for now. Yours obviously would prefer to save a few quid.... This is the type of client though who will call you all names under the son if you call their bluff and leave.....

[cojak]

I thought you'd gone permie? Must be out of date. Do you sign up for the tax indemnity clauses then?

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