Do you sign an extension straight away if well in advance

[robin]

A poster for a thread in General made me think a bit in regards to extensions and when to sign them.

If you are told about a extension well in advance of the end of your contract and the agent as they do gets the paperwork to you really quick wanting it signed asap, do you sign straight away or do you hold out for a while and see what else may come up in the mean time.

I know it depends on the job and whether you really want to stay or not but even in one that is ok, might it be good to wait and see in case something more suited comes up?

If you do delay how do you keep the agent off your back?

[contractoralan]

If you are told about a extension well in advance of the end of your contract and the agent as they do gets the paperwork to you really quick wanting it signed asap, do you sign straight away or do you hold out for a while and see what else may come up in the mean time.

depends on the job and whether you really want to stay or not

but even in one that is ok, might it be good to wait and see in case something more suited comes up?

depends on the job and whether you really want to stay or not

If you do delay how do you keep the agent off your back?

Tell them that you are looking and would agree only if nothing better comes up.

[rd409]

A poster for a thread in General made me think a bit in regards to extensions and when to sign them.

If you are told about a extension well in advance of the end of your contract and the agent as they do gets the paperwork to you really quick wanting it signed asap, do you sign straight away or do you hold out for a while and see what else may come up in the mean time.

I know it depends on the job and whether you really want to stay or not but even in one that is ok, might it be good to wait and see in case something more suited comes up?

If you do delay how do you keep the agent off your back?

First things first, if you are happy with the rate, the work, and the environment, you should not bother delaying the signing. The agents can smell the hesitation from a mile, and they would be looking for a replacement, and if they/client finds a suitable replacement, the extension may be withdrawn closer to the date. So play the game only if you are hesitant. Having said that, if you have reservations about one of the factors, you can delay the extension with many reasons. Just say it is your company policy to sign an extension (n) days before renewal. There are plenty of reasons you can give regarding the company policy. It might be a limited number of contract reviews per year, and you have exhausted your quota of the current year, which is going to be reset on some date.

Most of the agents/clients tend to offer extension only a month before the contract is due to end. Delaying the decision, would not come to the client as a good gesture, and some might feel, you left without proper handover. There have been cases discussed on this forum about contractors not being paid the last invoice due to this. I would keep the client in the loop, whatever you are thinking. If the extension is offered earlier than that, you can always say that you are not ready to discuss the extension as on yet, and will look into the market rate closer to the renewal date, to make sure your contract rates are more realistic.

Hope that helps.