Anyone left a job due to an agency?

[robin]

I have eventually started my next contract still pretty new to the contract world but I have been here a few weeks now and am paid weekly through my Umbrella but still have not been paid.

I'm ok for now but will kick up if it takes much longer but I've been reading these forums for a while and have read some posts where people have been messed around with payment from agencies and its been weeks or months where they have not been paid.

Has anyone ever left a contract due to the agency being terrible and messing them around? Obviously due to clauses agencies have you can't just swap agencies so it would only mean you would have to leave the job. I always assume if ever I had to leave a job it would be due to the work, managers, people etc but its kind of made me think that if the agency was that bad maybe I might have to leave a job becasue of them!

[Another Agents View]

I would definitely be concerned if an agency isn't paying you when you expect to be paid.

Steps I would suggest (in this order):

1. Speak to the consultant who placed you and ask why you haven't been paid yet.

2. Speak to the accounts dept at the agency - ask them why you have got paid. I've known some consultants to be bad at admin and not done something that is needed so their accounts team wont pay.

3. If this is the case - look to speak to the consultant's manager. They should see bigger picture view (want a happy client - thats you and cleintco) and be responsible to make sure consultant is doing what's needed. Get a timeframe from him when things will be sorted - get him to email this to you.

4. If still not given a satisfactory answer over payment or within agreed timeframe - escalate at agency to managing director of agency and if still no joy mention to your manager at clientco - "how well do you know the agency? I'm a bit concerned they haven't paid me yet".
Clientco show be able to apply pressure to get problem rectified asap as they want you to be focused on the work not worried about payment.
Warning : If you haven't worked a month yet they may not be sympathic as most permies are paid monthly.

Good luck.

[RichardCranium]

Step 1: What does your contract say about payment terms? In one of my contracts, it was eleven weeks before I saw any money and that was because of how the ratbags arranged their 'monthly' payroll and incompatible '4 weekly' timesheet systems.

How much delay does the umbrella add? In my last role where the agency paid weekly, it was 3 weeks and 3 days between the Friday signing of the timesheet and me having the corresponding money in my current account on a Monday.


PS: Don't walk out. That will not help.

[robin]

I'm not intending to walk but it made me think if an agency messed you around so much like not paying you every week/month on time and you constantly having to chase or deal with their tulip would it ever be enough for you to say 'enough! I can't work here any longer working with this agency, its too much hassle and would rather go somewhere else through another agency.

[configman]

I have eventually started my next contract still pretty new to the contract world but I have been here a few weeks now and am paid weekly through my Umbrella but still have not been paid.

I'm ok for now but will kick up if it takes much longer but I've been reading these forums for a while and have read some posts where people have been messed around with payment from agencies and its been weeks or months where they have not been paid.

Has anyone ever left a contract due to the agency being terrible and messing them around? Obviously due to clauses agencies have you can't just swap agencies so it would only mean you would have to leave the job. I always assume if ever I had to leave a job it would be due to the work, managers, people etc but its kind of made me think that if the agency was that bad maybe I might have to leave a job becasue of them!

Yes I left a contract in 2000, I successfully got a recruitment consultancy into the High Court petitioning for insolvency, the money arrived in full on the day of the final hearing. Won't name them as unfortunately an unrelated recruiter stupidly has re-used the same name since.

2 months ago after an agency like wastEland kept defaulting I used the termination clause in my contract. The last payment was about 8 weeks late.

[VectraMan]

I recently had a problem with my agent not paying after a renewal, because they hadn't received the contract from the client yet. After 4 weeks I was ready to tell them I wasn't going back until I started receiving the money, but it didn't actually come to that. Of course there's no justification for them witholding money for that reason.

Have you spoken to them?

[Wanderer]

Has anyone ever left a contract due to the agency being terrible and messing them around?

If the agent has introduced you to a client, it's not easy to switch agents as your existing agent is getting a cut of your fee and isn't going to give up the cash cow (you) that easily. Leaving the contract smacks of cutting your nose off to spite your face, especially in today's business environment.

Yeah, I've been pretty angry with various agents over the years but hey, I had a row with my wife the other night - does that mean I'm going to divorce her?

As satisfying as it is, getting pissed off Agents doesn't help that much, unfortunately. I've found that be best way to do business is to sort your problems out the old fashioned way - by talking to the people. Not always easy to keep your cool because you are often dealing with idiots who couldn't care less but you need to talk to them and try and sort the problems out (which are usually a minor cock up rather than some systemic abuse).

I have also found that having a word with your client works wonders, but only do that if you are certain that the agent is bang to rights and you've given them a fair opportunity to sort their tulip out. You don't want to been seen as telling tales or running to the boss because you can't sort your own tulip out.