Any tips & tricks on how to overlap a new contract on a lengthy notice period?

[fiisch]

Apply for contracts but tell agents you're on a one month notice.
Get offer of a contract starting in a month, give notice in current job and ask to leave early.
If they don't agree to release you early, have a tantrum.

This is the only way to get a contract without handing your notice in first, you may end up leaving on bad terms, and it's not a play I'd recommend, but I've seen it many times.

[northernladuk]

Apply for contracts but tell agents you're on a one month notice.
Get offer of a contract starting in a month, give notice in current job and ask to leave early.
If they don't agree to release you early, have a tantrum.

This is the only way to get a contract without handing your notice in first, you may end up leaving on bad terms, and it's not a play I'd recommend, but I've seen it many times.

Unfortuantely this plan fails in the first sentence. Unless you are super niche or are head and shoulders above everyone else no agent is going to carry the discussion on past the one month notice point. That said lets assume there are gigs that can start in a month.

Chance of bagging the gig when the market is in the doldrums - Pretty slim
Chance of bagging a gig while perm with 100's of contractors applying - Not great
Chance of finding a gig that will wait a month for you to start - Very slim indeed

So chance of finding a suitable gig you can actually win being a perm that will start in a month - Miniscule change at best.

While this is the best option in theory it falls over on multiple points so IMO is a non starter. Try it while you are waiting but if you are hell bent on getting a gig and fairly soon it's a terrible plan.

[WTFH]

Was thinking about this earlier.
It’s not a lengthy notice period, but it relies on you being professional, courteous and good at negotiating.
Whether you are a permie or a contractor, if you act in a professional manner with your employer/client, then they will probably do likewise. If you go in arrogant like you should be on the Apprentice, then you’ve got no chance.
Everything is negotiable, but can you be reasonable and professional?

[Fraidycat]

Hi all,
I've read a lot of old posts about overlapping (even about overlapping multiple gigs) so was wondering if that's the only other options viable...

Only you can assess if overlapping is a viable option. Maybe easy and low risk or hard and high risk. Depends on the roles and the clients.

But really just test the market by applying for gigs without mentioning anything about notice periods, see how much interest you get. See how many agents even phone you back. See how easy or hard it is to get the agent who posted the ad on the phone..

Personally if i found a really good gig and a had perm role with three months notice. I would start the new gig, hand in my notice, tell them i am leaving because of high stress and workload (nearly always true), ask to work a reduced notice period, if refused then take the rest of the notice period off sick due to the same mental health issues.

[ladymuck]

If you have holiday to use up, you could juggle both gigs remotely and take days off from the perm job to attend the clientCo office.

Only you know if you could double dip like that, based on your workload.

[NotAllThere]

Twenty or so years ago! :-o notice periods were hard for employers in the UK to enforce. They couldn't require you to turn up to work due to anti-slavery laws. If you didn't turn up, all they could do is not pay you. As soon as they don't pay you, the employment is over. They could sue you for breach of contract, but it's limited to one payment term - if you're paid monthly, then it's monthly - and the perceived damages that a judge could award are not worth the legal case. There were some exceptions to this, but it was almost impossible for companies to hold you to more than one month's notice. This may still be the case.

In Edison's case, I can't understand the mentality of the bosses. They're not going to get the best work out of anyone who doesn't want to be there! Any handover won't be done with goodwill. It's just daft.

However, I do not recommend shafting your notice period.

[MyUserName]

I did something similar with my last contract. I arranged for it to be changed from 40 hours a week to hours worked and that I could pick any hours I wanted as long as the work was done. I then got another 40 hour a week contract with a different client.

When the initial client realised that me picking any hours I wanted would mean I would not necessarily always be available in the standard working day they threw a tantrum and refused to pay my outstanding invoices etc.

You can negotiate these things but once clients see them in action they can change their mind pretty quickly and make life awkward.

[DodgyAccountant]

Twenty or so years ago! :-o notice periods were hard for employers in the UK to enforce. They couldn't require you to turn up to work due to anti-slavery laws. If you didn't turn up, all they could do is not pay you. As soon as they don't pay you, the employment is over. They could sue you for breach of contract, but it's limited to one payment term - if you're paid monthly, then it's monthly - and the perceived damages that a judge could award are not worth the legal case. There were some exceptions to this, but it was almost impossible for companies to hold you to more than one month's notice. This may still be the case.

In Edison's case, I can't understand the mentality of the bosses. They're not going to get the best work out of anyone who doesn't want to be there! Any handover won't be done with goodwill. It's just daft.

However, I do not recommend shafting your notice period.

A quick search came up with

"The employer must also be able to demonstrate a causal connection between the employee’s refusal and any financial loss suffered by the business because of that, not to mention being able to demonstrate to the court that attempts were made by the employer to mitigate those losses. As such, suing an employee for breach of contract is only ever an option of last resort."

If the notice is 3 months, you could try to negotiate it down to one knowing you had a strong hand.

[escapeUK]

I know nothing of your skillset or sector but a lot of people are struggling at the moment to find contracts so unless you have done your research I would think long and hard before jumping ship.

I think this is very good advice. We are clearly heading towards some very tough times, we are already in tough times and its going to get much worse. If you are in a role that is secure, I think its time to work hard and keep the money coming in. A lot of people are going to wish they had done so.

Imagine if you leave for a 6 month contract and then get nothing after that.

[dsc]

I think this is very good advice. We are clearly heading towards some very tough times, we are already in tough times and its going to get much worse. If you are in a role that is secure, I think its time to work hard and keep the money coming in. A lot of people are going to wish they had done so.

Imagine if you leave for a 6 month contract and then get nothing after that.

Imho unless you are in some niche market and / or getting regular emails / messages about relevant contracts, you'd be mad to be leaving a perm position now. There seems to be close to no contracts out there atm and perm positions are regularly getting 100+ applications within the first few hours, there also seems to be loads of dead job ads which are simply not going anywhere and are getting recycled constantly. The whole market seems to be moving to laying people off or hiring freezes, rather than creating new opportunities, so even if you land something, don't be surprised that the budget will be pulled and you'll be benched anyway.