Nwe contract

[TheFaQQer]

Thanks, your right, would it bother me normally?

Oh, and you're!!!

[greyanatomy]

Oops!!!

Thanks for the advice, I havent signed contract yet, have negotiated a start date the day after decission, but how c****y would it be of me to say no on start date??!!!

Not professional and not normally my style, but does the end goal always justify the means?

They are a very big client, so I assume if I did do this and effectively leave them in the lurch, they would 'forget' after a period of time?

Do you think the agency would keep a record of this and effectively blacklist me from future work with them?

[TheFaQQer]

Oops!!!

Thanks for the advice, I havent signed contract yet, have negotiated a start date the day after decission, but how c****y would it be of me to say no on start date??!!!

Not professional and not normally my style, but does the end goal always justify the means?

Ah - the eternal contractor question. I'll pre-empt any debate here....

Some people will tell you that you need to look after number one, and stitch up anyone and everyone to get the better role. You're in business, so act like it.

Some will tell you that you give contractors a bad name, and once you've agreed the contract you should stick to it.

They are a very big client, so I assume if I did do this and effectively leave them in the lurch, they would 'forget' after a period of time?

I wouldn't bet on it. Depending on the work you do, you may find that the world is smaller than you expect and people will hold a grudge. I know of a long-running Oracle project that I've no chance of getting on, because the guy running it is a **** and won't have me on the team. Just because he holds me responsible for him being made redundant about 9 years ago (which wasn't entirely my doing, but I wasn't sad to see the back of him!)

Do you think the agency would keep a record of this and effectively blacklist me from future work with them?

Most agencies will forget about it quicker than the client. If they need you, then they will come back to you when they have a matching role (or in the case of Computer Futures, when they have any role whether it matches or not!). Some agencies I know do have a black list - but it tends to be for people that they have had feedback on their work rather than for not starting.

My guidelines above give you the wriggle room to get out if you want to. Particularly if you have a contact with the client - you can get your story in first, and blame the agency for not agreeing the contract with you.....