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[THE GENERALIST]

Hi all

This is my first post and I wonder if you could advise. Sorry it is a long one.

I am currently in a contract through **** with a local PCT. **** have got me a good rate.

I started a couple of weeks ago.

I have had a telephone interview with an agent for another PCT and subsequently was interviewed over the phone by one of the PCT directors and have been offered the post. This in reality means a 50% increase.

I work as a limited company and I am currently signed up with **** via their Terms of Assignment which I signed quite a while back. I don’t have my copy of this as I have misplaced it. I assume that the notice period is one month.

Here is the exam question.

The offer with the new PCT is conditional on me being able to start on 5th January. How do I go on about reducing the notice period? Billing period=Notice period?

On another point my contracted hours at this role are 37.5 per week. Due to my circumstances I start very early and leave early. During the first two weeks I worked more than the contracted 37.5 hours (week 1- 43.75 hours and week 2 41.75 hours). Because my supervisor was not available to sign off the timesheets another business head signed them off and I invoiced and was subsequently paid. However my supervisor spoke to me last week and said that she should only sign off the timesheet and that I should only work 37.5 hours. The timesheet for week 3 was 41 hours and she made me change it to 37.5 hours before she would sign it off. I have now changed it and sent the invoice off to **** for payment.

It was never my intention to milk the PCT but with the workload I felt that the hours were justified.

[eyetie]

PCT?

I'm guessing you were a permie before you went contract.

[Turion]

Dunno about PCT, but tell'em you're leaving at the year end. If they question this (they may not be bothered) tell them you don't like the project and the way you were ripped off over the hours worked. (don't mention the new role - it's like mentioning the war to a German)

No client wants a sour-puss on site, so they'll be glad to show you the door. Hey presto you can walk into new contract.

[pmeswani]

PCT?

I'm guessing you were a permie before you went contract.

It's obvious that you haven't been to a hospital or even watched the News for the past year or two as you would know that PCT stands for Primary Care Trust.

Regardless of whether the OP was permie prior to the current contract is neither here or there.

[eyetie]

It's obvious that you haven't been to a hospital or even watched the News for the past year or two as you would know that PCT stands for Primary Care Trust.

I refer the gentleman to exhibit A: http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/pct
For all I could tell from the context, it could have been a Pest Control Team, a Personal Computer Team or a made-up TLA.

Regardless of whether the OP was permie prior to the current contract is neither here or there.

It just sounded to me like he wanted to have his cake and eat it and then ebay the plate and fork. Apologies.

[pmeswani]

Hi all

This is my first post and I wonder if you could advise. Sorry it is a long one.

I am currently in a contract through **** with a local PCT. **** have got me a good rate.

I started a couple of weeks ago.

I have had a telephone interview with an agent for another PCT and subsequently was interviewed over the phone by one of the PCT directors and have been offered the post. This in reality means a 50% increase.

I work as a limited company and I am currently signed up with **** via their Terms of Assignment which I signed quite a while back. I don’t have my copy of this as I have misplaced it. I assume that the notice period is one month.

Here is the exam question.

The offer with the new PCT is conditional on me being able to start on 5th January. How do I go on about reducing the notice period? Billing period=Notice period?

On another point my contracted hours at this role are 37.5 per week. Due to my circumstances I start very early and leave early. During the first two weeks I worked more than the contracted 37.5 hours (week 1- 43.75 hours and week 2 41.75 hours). Because my supervisor was not available to sign off the timesheets another business head signed them off and I invoiced and was subsequently paid. However my supervisor spoke to me last week and said that she should only sign off the timesheet and that I should only work 37.5 hours. The timesheet for week 3 was 41 hours and she made me change it to 37.5 hours before she would sign it off. I have now changed it and sent the invoice off to **** for payment.

It was never my intention to milk the PCT but with the workload I felt that the hours were justified.

Firstly, find your contract. Failing that, contact the agency and let them know that you need a copy of the contract for record as you have misplaced a copy. Make sure you file it as you will need to present this to HMRC if you ever get investigated for IR35 compliance.

It is bad practice to walk away from a contract unless there is an obvious mutual grievance, in which case, both you and the client need to speak to the agency to get the notice period changed or terminate the contract. Regarding the working hours, if you have agreed 37.5 hours per week, then unless agreed with the client and / or the agency beforehand, the client is within their right to expect you to only charge for 37.5 hours.

If you were not happy with the notice period, you should have changed it prior to signing the contract. Once signed, you are expected to honour it. If you break the contract, the client and / or agency will be entitled not to pay any outstanding invoices as they can claim that the contract was broken by you. The agency may look to claim loss of earnings as a result.

If I were you, I would turn the other contract down and complete the contract you are currently in. If a new opportunity arises nearer to the end of your current contract, then you would be in a position to accept.

You may not get a friendlier response from various people on this forum.

[pmeswani]

I refer the gentleman to exhibit A: http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/pct
For all I could tell from the context, it could have been a Pest Control Team, a Personal Computer Team or a made-up TLA.

If this was a court of law, I would have rejected the evidence as pure madness and would ask to have what you are having.

It just sounded to me like he wanted to have his cake and eat it and then ebay the plate and fork. Apologies.

Well, if the plate and fork is made of pure silver, why not?

[Platypus]

I'm guessing that working at a PCT doesn't pay top money, so the chance of a 50% increase is worth going for.

I agree with the reply who said to grumble about your hours then walk.

But do make sure that the second offer is firm before you do!

[TheFaQQer]

The offer with the new PCT is conditional on me being able to start on 5th January. How do I go on about reducing the notice period? Billing period=Notice period?

Hmmmm - there isn't really a nice way to do it, to be honest. You should give your notice and work that, in an ideal world (imagine if the boot was on the other foot, and how you would feel if they were giving you notice but tell you that you need to finish early).

The easiest way would be to make sure they know you are on holiday from January 5th to the end of the notice period, and then give your notice.

Alternatively, punch someone in the office, and they will make sure that you don't need to work your notice.

On another point my contracted hours at this role are 37.5 per week. Due to my circumstances I start very early and leave early. During the first two weeks I worked more than the contracted 37.5 hours (week 1- 43.75 hours and week 2 41.75 hours). Because my supervisor was not available to sign off the timesheets another business head signed them off and I invoiced and was subsequently paid. However my supervisor spoke to me last week and said that she should only sign off the timesheet and that I should only work 37.5 hours. The timesheet for week 3 was 41 hours and she made me change it to 37.5 hours before she would sign it off. I have now changed it and sent the invoice off to **** for payment.

It was never my intention to milk the PCT but with the workload I felt that the hours were justified.

Are you on an hourly or daily rate? If you are on an hourly rate, and they are only budgeting for you to be working 37.5 hours a week, then having someone overbill can cause problems for them in the longer term. In future, only bill them for what they are expecting to pay for.

[BoredBloke]

Take a bottle of vodka into the office and take regular gulps from it throughout the day. You'll be out of there before you know it, especially if you offer your boss a swig.