Clients wanting contractor then treat them like employees

[BolshieBastard]

WTF!? I can honestly say that in 15 years contracting, I've only come across one client who wanted to treat contractors the same as their employees.

Clients supposedly want a contractor to cover either a skills shortage or short term body count. They dont want to pay employer's NI, pension contributions, sick pay, holiday pay, employees bonus etc, etc. (Or do they!?)

Has some reservations about the current client, a global security biased organisation. They are having what they call a 'roadshows' for employees to keep them abreast of changes within the business etc. Attendance is compulsory and is a 2 hour love in (not!)

So, I didnt put myself forward as Im not an employee. Yesterday, HR sent me a mail saying I havent booked. Replied saying as Im not an employee and in any event, my co's contract is with agency XYZ, I wouldnt be attending.

Got another email this morning, HR had discussed with IT Director and he has indicated he would 'like' me to attend.

So, sent a response to him and HR asking for a meeting to discuss this as I am not an employee and attending such roadshows could open client co up to claims for them paying employees NI, sick pay, holiday pay (the whole IR35 scare tactic) etc etc.

Ah well, there's only one way this will go. Thankfully the 13 week contract is due to end in 4 weeks so I wont be renewing but, seeing as I've only had 8 days work in the proceeding 9 weeks, I'd be surprised if they did offer an extension!

So, wtf do some clients go to all the length of hiring a contractor so they dont have to pay employer NI etc, etc, then, want to treat said contractor as an employee!?

[SussexSeagull]

Bit of a mystery really. Not having a HR overhead must be one of the savings of getting a contractor in.

[psychocandy]

Why not go though theyre still going to pay you?

So what if they want their contractors to be up on the changes within their business?

[kingcook]

Why not go though theyre still going to pay you?

So what if they want their contractors to be up on the changes within their business?

As a contractor, i would not be interested with changes to my client's business -- just the running of my own business. This would include meetings about a project i am working on for the client.

I would not be interested if ClientCo have appointed Mr Bloggs as Some Director, nor if they have found some new market they want to sell to, nor if next years sales target are going to be tough (but are achievable if "we" all muck in)!!!

If i were hiring an electrician to re-wire my house, i wouldn't expect him to join me for christmas dinner with the family to watch the Queen's speech and discuss how it will affect us in the future!

[TheFaQQer]

As a contractor, i would not be interested with changes to my client's business -- just the running of my own business. This would include meetings about a project i am working on for the client.

I'd be interested - there might be an opportunity to spot more work and get in there first!

[kingcook]

I'd be interested - there might be an opportunity to spot more work and get in there first!

I hate to say it, but good point. IR35 is an arse

[BolshieBastard]

Why not go though theyre still going to pay you?

So what if they want their contractors to be up on the changes within their business?

Because its the thin edge of direction and control. No doubt they will have these 'roadshows' at least 2 or 3 times a year. They also do 'back to the floor' and quarterly appraisals for the permies. It doesnt take a great deal of thought that if you agree to one roadshow, they'll expect you to attend all the others. Next step is they'll want you, the contractor, to have quarterly appraisals and a 'back to the floor.'

Thanks but no thanks. I can see the way attending the roadshow would pan out and, HMRC would be rubbing their hands with glee.

I'd be interested - there might be an opportunity to spot more work and get in there first!

Nope. The first week I was on site, they had a 'communications meeting' that everyone (and I mean, everyone) had to attend. The finance director said they wanted to reduce their reliance on external contractors and consultancies.

[ChrisPackit]

Bolshie, you can relate to this one at my current ClientCo, but spent a day and a half doing online Training Courses telling me how I should sit in a chair and how to hold my pen correctly etc.

[Support Monkey]

As a contractor, i would not be interested with changes to my client's business -- just the running of my own business. This would include meetings about a project i am working on for the client.

I would not be interested if ClientCo have appointed Mr Bloggs as Some Director, nor if they have found some new market they want to sell to, nor if next years sales target are going to be tough (but are achievable if "we" all muck in)!!!

If i were hiring an electrician to re-wire my house, i wouldn't expect him to join me for christmas dinner with the family to watch the Queen's speech and discuss how it will affect us in the future!

I am with you on that one, I am all for looking for other avenues of work but these kind of corporate hugging and backslapping events are the kind of thing that made me become a contractor in the first place

[craig1]

The place I'm at had a new contractor turn up yesterday to cover for someone else who left, he was told that he had to do the induction course for two hours today and he threw a right strop about being an independent supplier, not an employee, and that he wasn't doing it. Email came out last night telling us that we'd have to wait a bit longer for the replacement as the company were now looking for a replacement for that replacement.

If he'd have thought to ask a couple of questions before throwing the strop he'd have realised that the induction he was getting was the one that everyone in the building for over 1 week gets, be they employees, clients, contractors or huge suppliers. I've got a small team of suppliers in now from a major software company doing some work for 2 weeks and they had to do the induction. No induction means that you have to be escorted everywhere in the building for safety reasons. Company's rules, either abide by them or go elsewhere.

I wonder if he feels happy that although he's on the bench that he stood up for his rights.