Veritas-IT - unpaid invoices.....

[NotAllThere]

...we...are none the wiser as to whether we can start at another company or whether we have to wait to hear a decision from the administrators

If you are a permie employee, then as soon as your pay check doesn't reach your account you are free to walk. hth

[WindyAnna]

Who are you through at the moment?

Sounds like you're a bloody curse!!

Been through it 4x? Can you keep us updated with your current agency? That way we'd know who was likely to collapse next...

Beginning to feel like I am the angel of death - almost took a contract through Veritas about 6 months ago ...

[WindyAnna]

Up until wednesday we also worked for veritas but are now unsure who our employers are, whether it be veritas or the unamed administrators. We were told to leave the premises on wednesday afternoon ...... are none the wiser as to whether we can start at another company or whether we have to wait to hear a decision from the administrators. We were due to be paid at the end of this month and it looks like that isnt happening either. We havent been able to gain entry to the offices since wednesday

As your employer they are preventing you from carrying out your role by excluding you from the premises and there is not an employment tribunal in the land who would find in their favour if they tried to sue you for leaving and going elsewhere. Take some legal advice but I think you are free to go.

In terms of who your employer is - it's still Veritas but the company is being run by the administrators.

I have to say that in all my experience of administration I've never known the name of the administrator not to come out very quickly, partly to reassure the creditors that something is being done. This could mean it is not administration - insolvency / liquidation / voluntary liquidation??

In terms of your money you a protected to a degree ... if you are considered to be redundant and the employer cannot pay then you can claim minimum redundancy from the National Insurance fund, it isn't quick and it isn't much. There are probably Prosperity4 employees on here than can point you in the right direction. In addition the NI fund will also pay out for any lost income up to a maximum of about £300 a week but I think that the administrators have to say that they can't pay you before any of this can happen.

[funkyd]

If the staff have been sent home then doesn't that apply it's game over?

If there was a hope that the business can be rescued then they wouldn't send the staff home.....

Helpless: Were you actually sacked or put on garden leave/holiday etc?

I assume there was some kind of letter given to you or was it really a case of grab your coat and frog-marched out of the office?

If you're all so concerned then why aren't you in contact with the people who you worked for i.e. clients and contractors? I find the silence more dissapointing than anything else....

[Candela Media]

Mixed Advice

Well, reading the posts its clear there are a lot of worried peeps out there.

I think the best advice from WindyAnna is don't make a snap judgement.

For helpless, I would advise seeking another job asap. As mentioned previously we're taking on recruiters but not in your area.

However the market is pretty good for recruiters at the mo. Don't hang around in the expectation of a pay out as in my experience you will be low in the list of creditors.

Contractors, please heed WindyAnna's advice. The administrators may indeed hold you in breach if you walk. Someone, either an agent like us, or the contractor will have to PAY to get the contract moved or quashed. The administrators have a legal responsibility to maximise the return to creditors and your contracts have a sizable residual value.

So, my advice to contractors (at the risk of getting flamed again!)

1) Keep appearing at your clients site
2) Take legal advice (PCG is good, we have already been talking to them)
3) Find the adminstrators/liquidators names. As creditors you have a LEGAL right to these details.
4) Figure out what you can do. Some clients will be happy with a direct contract. However, you or they may have to buy out the agency side AND there may well be IR35 issues if you have been or will be around for a while. As I said TAKE ADVICE!.
5) If your client is not happy to go direct, which is quite likely in todays environment of inferred employment liabilities, you will have to find either an agency appointed by the liquitors (which is why I want to speak to them) or another agency you have found yourself who will buy your and your clients contracts out.
6) if you are buying your own contract out remember that as a creditor you can offset this against the amount you are owed. This works for the administrator as it reduces the overall debt and works for you as it means you may not have to use your pocket to pay for it. Bear in mind that if you keep the debt you will be lucky to see 20p to the pound.

Be aware that all the above is just my opinion and I am NOT qualified to give legal advice. Go to someone who is!

Hope it goes well for you all

[bigD]

I've just called Companies House and no one has contacted them regarding administration/liquidation of Veritas. It may therefore not be in the hands of the administrators. Can anyone confirm that Veritas IT is in administration since Companies House couldn't? All Companies House said was that the company has been dormant and probably should not have been trading since the 'dormant' status. If anyone is interested, you can also purchase the name and address of all the directors of Veritas IT from Companies House for only £3.

[Bluebird]

I see that Jobserve still has a load of Veritas jobs available - posted Wednesday PM....

[consultant]

Not wanting to make excuses but I also am an ex veritas employee (at least I assume so!) Us recruiters can pre-post adverts to appear throughout the week and also they still show for 7-14 days so the fact that jobs are still advertised is irrelevant (we can set the date and time they get posted for the future)
We were told to leave the building at 4.00pm Wednesday. No letter, or ability to access the database, print details or send emails. And we have not been contacted since even by letter. Thank you for the helpful advice on pay and, for what it's worth, rest assured we do feel for you all but have no means to contact you or even sure we are legally allowed to.

[chuey]

As one of the contractors who is losing out (or already lost out) in 6 weeks pay, I feel for these recuiters as they are now without jobs also. I'm sure those guys/gals are just as worried about their future as we are. (Fellow Veritas contractors, please do not shoot me for saying that!)

My contract with Veritas is due to end this week anyway so my main focus is to find another contract (no joy so far though). However, my client may indicate soon that they have found another agency to take us on from 19th Sept to the end of Sept. 18th was when Veritas was closed down, so a new contract with a new agent starts on the 19th. I am definitely on for some paid work from 19th to end of month but I am still within the Veritas contract until the end of the month. However, with what have said so far, does anyone know whether I am OK to have the new contract because the client has changed agency and asked me to move, without being sued by Veritas based on the following grounds:

1) Breach of contract for not completing the work with Veritas until the end of contract?
2) Working for the same client through another agency within a certain period set out in the Veritas contract?

Even though the client is changing to a new agent and asking me to move over, this is no protection that my contract is still valid with Veritas and that the client would not care about my Ltd company gets sued or not. It is up to me to get legal advice whether this move is possible. Anyone out there know the answer to that?

[Sockpuppet]

Just move. Looks like veritas have no money to search for what you are upto now.

If they ask just tell them you have moved on as you needed to get piad. Dont tell them where.