PCG contracts - question

**oracleslave** · 21 January 2008, 16:18

From my understanding of your situation the 'free' one should suffice although as documented on this forum in other Threads it may well be the content of the other contract that determines your IR35 status if it goes legal.

**malvolio** · 21 January 2008, 16:52

Originally posted by kate_nz View Post

Hi -
I am negotiating a contract with a service provider company, in which I will be working as a member of their team with one of their clients.

I am looking for a contract template to use (IR35 friendly).

The PCG website has several. Some are free, others are for members only. I'm not sure which of the following I need:

1. Service provider-agency agreement (free)
2. Direct service provider-client agreement (member only)

Can anyone clarify which is the appropriate template for my situation? (The first looks like it is intended for use when contracting through an employment agency, not my situation; but then, I am not contracting direct with an end client either.)

And yes, it would make sense to ask this question on the PCG forum, but until I figure out whether I need to join up, I can't use their forums. And I know there are a bunch of PCG members on here.

Thanks.

Hmmm - want to use the contracts but can't see the value of joining...

Believe me, you really do need to join! However, you can still ask them questions - give the office a call and they'll tell you the precise answer. OK, they might try and sell you a membership at the same time, but that's a no brainer anyway IMHO - it's only £120 a year.

The free one will be OK if there's an agency in the chain. If you're going direct, you'll need the members-only one, since there are different risk profiles in the two contractual chains.

**zathras** · 21 January 2008, 22:12

Originally posted by kate_nz View Post

Hi -
I am negotiating a contract with a service provider company, in which I will be working as a member of their team with one of their clients.

I am looking for a contract template to use (IR35 friendly).

The PCG website has several. Some are free, others are for members only. I'm not sure which of the following I need:

1. Service provider-agency agreement (free)
2. Direct service provider-client agreement (member only)

Can anyone clarify which is the appropriate template for my situation? (The first looks like it is intended for use when contracting through an employment agency, not my situation; but then, I am not contracting direct with an end client either.)

And yes, it would make sense to ask this question on the PCG forum, but until I figure out whether I need to join up, I can't use their forums. And I know there are a bunch of PCG members on here.

Thanks.

If you give the Office a call they will be able to give you a more definitive answer.

It sounds to me that the direct contract would be the best one

**expat** · 22 January 2008, 10:40

Originally posted by malvolio View Post

Hmmm - want to use the contracts but can't see the value of joining...

No. want to know whether it's worth joining, but can't find out until after you join.

As they say, experience is something you get just after you need it.

FWIW I am a member. Can't see anything I get out of it but I am sure that some people will.

**malvolio** · 22 January 2008, 11:31

Originally posted by expat View Post

No. want to know whether it's worth joining, but can't find out until after you join.

As they say, experience is something you get just after you need it.

FWIW I am a member. Can't see anything I get out of it but I am sure that some people will.

Someone did a value analysis on the cost of PCG membership in the last copy of Freelancing Matters. To get the same benefits package for normal and Plus membership would cost somewhere between £300 and £700 a year extra. Of course you won't use all the options, but things like tax and legal helplines, Agency Insolvency insurance and Jury service cover (the last two free with PCGPlus) on top of the all embracing PEI coverage you get anyway are absolute no-brainers.

Plus access to the fora and a pile of discounted services... how can you possibly refuse

**expat** · 22 January 2008, 13:04

Originally posted by malvolio View Post

Someone did a value analysis on the cost of PCG membership in the last copy of Freelancing Matters. To get the same benefits package for normal and Plus membership would cost somewhere between £300 and £700 a year extra. Of course you won't use all the options, but things like tax and legal helplines, Agency Insolvency insurance and Jury service cover (the last two free with PCGPlus) on top of the all embracing PEI coverage you get anyway are absolute no-brainers.

Plus access to the fora and a pile of discounted services... how can you possibly refuse

I was prompted to join for the jury service cover, so it is true that I have "used" at least one of the benefits (albeit the jury service as not come up so far). I seem to have missed Agency Insolvency insurance but I'll hunt it and read. I've been close to suffering from that before so maybe that's worth it too.

Other available features may well be worth a lot to those who use them, but it can be hard to tell whether one will or not, before joining to see what they are.

As for the fora, ISTM that they have basically the same people and the same discussions that you used to find on uk.consultants, not something new that PCG created.

**malvolio** · 22 January 2008, 14:04

Originally posted by expat View Post

I
As for the fora, ISTM that they have basically the same people and the same discussions that you used to find on uk.consultants, not something new that PCG created.

Some of them are the same, but then the PCG was started by around 500 committed, long-term contractors partly via the names on uk.consultants, so that's hardly surprising. Probably not the same discussions though; in my experience, we tend to focus on what's going on now.

**Ardesco** · 22 January 2008, 14:13

I must agree that the PCG forums are horrid. Every time I think of looking in and starting to post my eyes start to bleed and my head wants to explode.

Make them get vBulletin Mal, please.....

**51st State** · 22 January 2008, 14:44

How about the Contractor Alliance -- how does their membership rate?

PCG contracts - question