Push back on a rate cut

[MPwannadecentincome]

. Did you opt out of the Agency Regs? Did you opt out before you started working for the client?

I thought you had to opt out before being introduced by the Agency to the client?

[paddytheirishman]

I'm in a similar situation, been contracting through an agent for the same client for almost three years. Got new contract till end March with major rate cut. Agent says there is no negotiation with client with regard to rate, so I have decided to accept for now, and start actively looking for another contract. I think after being in the same place for nearly three years, its time to move to pastures new.

[cojak]

In these straitened times you can only negotiate hard if you have specialist knowledge/experience and would be difficult to replace.

It might stick in the throat but no-one would call you a fool* for accepting and waiting for better times.

*Except for BolshieBastard perhaps...

[Fred Bloggs]

I'm in a similar situation, been contracting through an agent for the same client for almost three years. Got new contract till end March with major rate cut. Agent says there is no negotiation with client with regard to rate, so I have decided to accept for now, and start actively looking for another contract. I think after being in the same place for nearly three years, its time to move to pastures new.

Agreed, good luck. Sound strategy.

[meridian]

Great strategy, all you fellas start walking, hopefully that'll free up some contracts for the rest of us.

The reality is unless you work for an IB then your client is feeling the pinch so they (understandably) want to cut costs. You can either accept it, or move on and let someone else who will accept it take over.

Unless you're a specialist, saying to the agent 10% of something is better than 20% of nothing just won't work - the agent will probably have another contractor lined up who will gain him 30% and will walk away laughing.

[chicane]

I recently pushed back on a mid-contract rate cut initiated by the client rather than the agency. The client backed down and agreed to keep the rate unchanged for the remainder of the contract.

I wouldn't recommend this approach to everybody though - you have to be confident that the client needs you more than you need them.

[youwhut]

You need to gauge the situation. A 10% rate cut was imposed on me way back in August 2008. I know that the other contractor I was working with was awkward about the situation and I believe he may have retained the original rate. I was still fairly new to contracting (1 year ish) and felt that I should take the rough with the smooth so accepted the cut. I was given continuous work throughout 2009 whereas the other contractor was nowhere to be seen.

We all like to play hard ball but everyone's situation is different.

Of course, if you feel the agency is playing up then balls to them.

[stillooking]

Spring used to be reasonable to deal with a while back but as time progresses they really are just in the same mould as Hays etc.

They used to be flexible with contract terms but now they have an in-house legal dept that are totally inflexible. btw the std contract terms are within IR35 etc

Added to which the staff are generally t**ts