contract going to Permenant after 4 months!

[Joeuker]

Hi Guys,

Its my first post on here and I am trying to get advise from experienced contractors on here.

The scenario is as follows:

Been offered a contract for 4 month and was told in the interview that after 4months it will go permenant which I wasnt to excited about. They didnt state how much the permenant position will pay.

Spoke to the agency who advised that the role will go permenant after 4 month if you decide to take it then good if not then they will look for someone to go permenant.

My main question is: In contracting when a company says this does it really work that way ie: after 4 months be a permenant or go way? or if I say NO I want to contract will they extend? any one had similar scenarios???????

[MonzaMike]

Contract to Perm

I had a gig once where just before going on a telephone interview with the client the agency told me that it was actually a contract to perm role.

Got the job and within a week someone rolled up with a permie (fixed term contract) hoping I'd sign within the 1st month.

I stalled initially saying that having just started I wasn't yet ready to commit. I then told them that the package they were offering was not sufficient. It took them a few more months to get their management to agree to a better package, which was actually not too bad.

However I then got offered another role elsewhere so never did have to take the Permie option. Stayed there almost 6 months in the end.

So I don't think they can force you to take the permie option, expecially if they don't discuss the package until after you've started. Hopefully by that time you'll be well into the role, and they'll be more likely to keep you on.

[TheFaQQer]

Sign the four months. At the end of it, either accept the permie offer, walk, or negotiate a contract extension. They can't force you to take the permie role, so why worry about it until four months down the line.

[mudskipper]

Sign the four months. At the end of it, either accept the permie offer, walk, or negotiate a contract extension. They can't force you to take the permie role, so why worry about it until four months down the line.

I would be worried about the IR35 implications of it being advertised as contract to permanent.

[TheFaQQer]

I would be worried about the IR35 implications of it being advertised as contract to permanent.

Get an IR35 friendly contract.

Get IR35 friendly working conditions. Work to both.

Take out insurance if you're that worried - provided that you work in an IR35 friendly manner, it shouldn't make any difference. Just because the job is advertised as having the possibility to become an employee (and that's all that it is), doesn't mean that you would be inside IR35.

[VectraMan]

It's a 4 month contract. You should never be assuming, or counting on anything beyond 4 months anyway. I'd take the 4 months, and be vague about whether you might to want to stay on.

Contract to permanent means nothing at all (otherwise it'd be permanent from the start).

[Support Monkey]

I have done several contracts where they have stated contract to perm

Did 3 months on one and told them i did not want the perm but they asked me to write the questions for the permanent interviews, they employed a perm and my contract ended after the 3 months

did another 3 month contract and they could not decide when it was going perm and ended up doing 18 months before they employed someone

take the 4 months and see what happens.

[d000hg]

take the 4 months and see what happens.

Yes, why not? Unless they give you some weird contract with a "to-perm" clause, it's irrelevant unless you have a problem taking it with no intention to go perm - you might feel it's a bit dishonest but that's your personal choice. Realistically though you, can say with honesty "I'd consider a to-perm option if the offer was right" and quite likely their offer will not be good enough.

[Joeuker]

Thanks pps..that cleared things up. Unless they offer the same salary then I wont take it, 4 months it is and when it comes then think about it. Peace of mind aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh.

[DS23]

sounds great to me. they will probably struggle with paperwork, politics, budget and general ennui to find a suitabe a perm resource and the contract will roll until they sort themselves out. take it, make non commital noises and say no when they ask in 4 months time.

of course the very opposite may happen - maybe they are on the ball and are looking for the ideal perm resource right now... maybe they get one the very week you start and wave a not particularly fond farewell to you before you've even got a login sorted.

best make slightly better than non commital noises in that case. keep them on their toes.