Can I side-step an agency in the recruitment process?

[d000hg]

I can see the client might not be interested, but the agent doesn't seem to have a leg to stand on here. If they got him the gig and then he turned them down and went direct or through another agent, then for sure they might come after him.

[Wanderer]

What would be the ethics and practice behind going to the client direct for employment or alternatively looking at the job via a different agency? I know the client will not want to sour relations with the agency if they hired me direct, but surely this could be kept quiet? Has anyone experience with this?

You will probably find that the client actually wants to hire someone through an agency. Some options:

1. Try and get the umbrellla to argue your case to the agency for you.
2. See if the agency will strike a deal with another agency to represent you to the client
3. Take a deep breath, form a LTD company again and get yourself a really good accountant who will keep you on the straight and narrow. You'll save a lot of money in tax too....

[Scrag Meister]

As previously said, many clients won't take you directly. I went direct to current main ClientCo and they inserted an agency anyway.

Its working fine. So I'm happy except for the monthly invoice and 3 week payment terms but they are paying so far (8 months) so no issue really.

Why are you avoiding running an Ltd? Because you don't trust yourself or cos you aren't permitted to run a company after your previous problems?

Get an accountant to manage it, and stick to the processes. Pay salary and check with accountant before extracting dividends.

It really isn't that hard.

[TheFaQQer]

Get an accountant to manage it, and stick to the processes. Pay salary and check with accountant before extracting dividends.

Wouldn't that make the Ltd an MSC, which can have tax implications?

[Taita]

You will probably find that the client actually wants to hire someone through an agency. Some options:

1. Try and get the umbrellla to argue your case to the agency for you.
2. See if the agency will strike a deal with another agency to represent you to the client
3. Take a deep breath, form a LTD company again and get yourself a really good accountant who will keep you on the straight and narrow. You'll save a lot of money in tax too....

This is sensible advice. If the agency are concerned about AWR they should be reassured by the umbrella (the big brollies believe they have AWR covered). If they are still worried it won't take them much time to persuade the client that AWR applies equally to the client!

Don't ever believe you can keep side-stepping an agent a secret. Most of the time their relationship with the client is quite good. Even if it is not, they will be suspicious about you turning down the opportunity and can very easily check. You don't do yourself favours by being underhanded.

[Wanderer]

Wouldn't that make the Ltd an MSC, which can have tax implications?

I don't think so, so long as you are the director, only shareholder and you control the company and it's bank account, I can't see that it could be a MSC.

Lots of companies delegate all the book keeping to an accountant, there is nothing dirty or wrong with that.