Are companies starting to get "it"?

[Sockpuppet]

Just started at client co (big retailer) and from the last one its amazing breath of fresh air in terms of how contractors are viewed.

- Nice friendly IR35 compliant contract - B&C didn't want to change anything in it. I'm not named just My Co.
- They ask me what I can do - nice working term. "Are you ok for all 5 days next week or are you on other projects".
- Given client co e-mail address, originally resisted but then they explained I'll be set up as a contractor. They don't allow non client e-mails do the confidential nature of project. Internal address book lists me as Contractor and employed by My Co.
- Site H&S induction given - entirely separate induction for contractors. No employee benefits chaff but lots of hot work permits and removal of waste. Given copies of all of these that even say "this is not the same as the employee induction".
- Access card has a nice big "CONTRACTOR" stamped on it as well as my co's name.

Am I just being spoiled here or are companies starting to get the difference between contractor and employee.

[craig1]

Some are getting it, especially if they've had AWR briefings but many are still wildly inconsistent.

For example, one client I was at earlier this year had the IT Security manager brief me on my responsibilities as an "employee". She refused to accept that I was a 3rd party with 'if you were from a third party company then I wouldn't allow you on our systems, you're a fixed-term employee". It took a substantial amount of negotiation, including threats to walk, until they buckled on the substantive points. It didn't help that there were plenty of other contractors there who had just blindly signed and started work, acting like and being treated like employees; I had more than a few comments about being difficult when refusing to join in with employee-only things such as all-hands benefits briefings.

I think the first time a big company gets hit with AWR claims and it gets publicised will be when changes happen. The problem is that the changes are likely to be agency driven and I doubt contractors will get anything other than the crap side of the deal in most areas.

[Wanderer]

are companies starting to get the difference between contractor and employee.

That's good news, it will encourage contractors to be more business like and take on other projects too rather than feeling stuck in a permietractor rut.

[Clippy]

Just started at client co (big retailer) and from the last one its amazing breath of fresh air in terms of how contractors are viewed.

- Nice friendly IR35 compliant contract - B&C didn't want to change anything in it. I'm not named just My Co.
- They ask me what I can do - nice working term. "Are you ok for all 5 days next week or are you on other projects".
- Given client co e-mail address, originally resisted but then they explained I'll be set up as a contractor. They don't allow non client e-mails do the confidential nature of project. Internal address book lists me as Contractor and employed by My Co.
- Site H&S induction given - entirely separate induction for contractors. No employee benefits chaff but lots of hot work permits and removal of waste. Given copies of all of these that even say "this is not the same as the employee induction".
- Access card has a nice big "CONTRACTOR" stamped on it as well as my co's name.

Am I just being spoiled here or are companies starting to get the difference between contractor and employee.

Sent from my Blackberry in contractor heaven.

FTFY.

[northernladuk]

We have the same but in a large corporate that is very contractor heavy and most of the rest of the people are Accenture, Infosys etc so they have the time, the need and the money to spend on this level of segregation. Not all companies rely so heavily on contractors or can spend time/money on the differences.

You are very lucky with that set up though and its a huge relief when they are like this.

[hyperD]

Add into the mix the new Agency Workers Regulations starting in Oct and HR will be going into maximum overdrive...

[bobspud]

I think this sums it up...

AWR reveals the true cost of IR35 to employers

An unexpected result...

[MikeToml]

Potential downside?

I have already posted once speculating that AWR may align the interests of clients and contractors, which I would welcome.

However, there has been - totally unofficial - chat at my current client's office today that it may go the other way, the client will essentially view all contractors as a potential AWR risk and refuse to deal with contractor limited companies. I have no idea how well founded that is, but would welcome any thoughts on it.

[stek]

My current one is the most compliant I've ever seen, like they've gone out of their way to 'make it so'

Even got one week notice from me!!

[bobspud]

However, there has been - totally unofficial - chat at my current client's office today that it may go the other way, the client will essentially view all contractors as a potential AWR risk and refuse to deal with contractor limited companies. I have no idea how well founded that is, but would welcome any thoughts on it.

That will be fine (and very short lived). They obviously never wanted real freelancers in the first place and never understood what they were buying as a service. When they loose their key members of contract staff or face the demand for massive rate increases to cover the financial impact of their action. They will come back to your way of thinking or run to the government to ask for offshore visa's