Contract term question

[robin]

I have been offered a new role the contract has turned up its a 3 month contract and even confirmed this with the company during interview but the contract has been set to 4 months but the heading for this is 'Contract expected duration'

I'm not sure where I stand here I have queried it with the agent and waiting to hear but if its a 3 month contract can they put the contract for longer just in case it over runs? what happens if at the end of the 3 months and the contract is over I get another job and the contract is still showing another month could they say you need to give us a weeks notice?

Reminds me of when you take out some fixed rate mortgage products and when the fixed rate ends your still locked in for a while till you can escape and get a new one otherwise it will cost you.

[Wanderer]

I have been offered a new role the contract has turned up its a 3 month contract and even confirmed this with the company during interview but the contract has been set to 4 months but the heading for this is 'Contract expected duration'

Boomed! You get 4 months work rather than just 3, that's a bonus.

I'm not sure where I stand here I have queried it with the agent and waiting to hear but if its a 3 month contract can they put the contract for longer just in case it over runs? what happens if at the end of the 3 months and the contract is over I get another job and the contract is still showing another month could they say you need to give us a weeks notice?

The simple answer is that the contract terms are what is written on the paper you sign. If they said 3 months and send you the paperwork saying 4 months then that is what you are signing up to. Simples.

Give them a shout to say "Hey, did you mean to put 4 months in the contract because you said 3 originally. If you want me for 4 months then that's cool, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a typo.".

As for getting tied into the full term have a good read of your contract. Does it have a notice period? Some do and some don't. Depending on the contract, you may be able to give notice of early termination or you may commit to working the full term. In reality, I would take no notice to mean that I probably negotiate an early exit or arrange for a substitute to do the work if it came down to it.

Other times you or the client may be able to terminate the contract by giving written notice (typically 7 to 30 days). The notice period may also be asymmetric so the client can terminate you without notice but you have to give 30 days. I always try to negotiate equal notice periods where they exist. As for finding something better and jumping half way though, generally speaking my advice is don't do that. If you sign up to do a job then regardless of notice period don't go flitting from place to place chasing a few % extra on your rate. 4 months isn't long, get your head down, complete the contract and then move on to your next one.

Also get your contract professionally reviewed for IR35 (unless you are going umbrella when you'll be paying IR35 rates of tax anyway so it's irrelevant).