Agencies to avoid....

[northernladuk]

The opting out thing - a few agencies try this. Ranges from an email telling me "I've forgotten to fill in the form" to "every other contractor opts out" to "if you dont opt out your inside IR35". Sometimes they keep asking even when you say no thanks.

Even had one who send an arsey email saying I couldn't continue unless I opted out. Then is the time to ignore/screen calls. They are not going to drag you out of a client just because you refuse to opt out. Ignore them.

They won't drag you out, and it's too late by then anyway, but then can refuse to deal with contractors that don't want to opt out. I'm not sure ignoring them is the best option. I certainly wouldn't even think about jeapordising a potential gig over opt in/out status.

[psychocandy]

TEK Systems do that as well - they will not agree to provision a contract until you sign a questionare which states, and is legally binding, that you opt out of the agency and working hours regulations.

When I tried to opt into both, as is my right, the harassed me with calls and emails to wear me down until i did sign . In the end I gave up. Kept a record of the original submissions.

TEK also make you state YES to all questions they ask on their questionnaires which go to your skills and experience (e.g. You guarantee that you have all the skills and experience for the role). Well no one can answer 100% YES to that when the deliverables, project plan, issues, etc etc are all unknown up front. So all you can say is 'Yes, I assure I can do the role within the skills and experience I bring to the role based on my CV and qualifications etc etc'. No way, has to be a YES or NO answer (well clearly NO means you don't get the gig). So when you say YES and aren't allowed to qualify that (keeping in mind you got a 20 minute interview for the role so its hardly much to go on) then answering YES only puts you at risk (and not TEK). Sufficed to say they wear you down on that too. Its all about them, not about fairness or 'good faith' in terms of contract law.

have now reported it to the BIS AR Compliance unit citing bullying and harassing conduct (not to mention unlawful)

The opting out thing - a few agencies try this. Ranges from an email telling me "I've forgotten to fill in the form" to "every other contractor opts out" to "if you dont opt out your inside IR35". Sometimes they keep asking even when you say no thanks.

Even had one who send an arsey email saying I couldn't continue unless I opted out. Then is the time to ignore/screen calls. They are not going to drag you out of a client just because you refuse to opt out. Ignore them.

[AussieDigger]

That's illegal, and they now owe HMG £5000. Report them to the BIS AR Compliance unit.

TEK Systems do that as well - they will not agree to provision a contract until you sign a questionare which states, and is legally binding, that you opt out of the agency and working hours regulations.

When I tried to opt into both, as is my right, the harassed me with calls and emails to wear me down until i did sign . In the end I gave up. Kept a record of the original submissions.

TEK also make you state YES to all questions they ask on their questionnaires which go to your skills and experience (e.g. You guarantee that you have all the skills and experience for the role). Well no one can answer 100% YES to that when the deliverables, project plan, issues, etc etc are all unknown up front. So all you can say is 'Yes, I assure I can do the role within the skills and experience I bring to the role based on my CV and qualifications etc etc'. No way, has to be a YES or NO answer (well clearly NO means you don't get the gig). So when you say YES and aren't allowed to qualify that (keeping in mind you got a 20 minute interview for the role so its hardly much to go on) then answering YES only puts you at risk (and not TEK). Sufficed to say they wear you down on that too. Its all about them, not about fairness or 'good faith' in terms of contract law.


have now reported it to the BIS AR Compliance unit citing bullying and harassing conduct (not to mention unlawful)

[AussieDigger]

Tek Systems is some sort of subsiduary of Allegis. Tek Systems seems to handle the sales relationship with the client and Allegis handles the contractual/payment side. This all adds to the confusion. I remember the agent saying he didn't have visibility of either the work order or purchase order, I forget which.

yes this is quite true.

TEK do the sales bit and sell the opportunity, Allegis do the commercials. The two sides don't communicate or coordinate and you end up in a confusing awful mess as the contractor. As a result, they are completely inflexible on pretty much anything to the point it completely distracts from your contract delivery and you just want to leave to get out of that agency relationship (not that the client cares).

Added to that, TEK do the stupid dumb unlawful thing of letting you start your contract with the client - do no checks at all - and then harass and chase you throughout your contract for compliance information from CRB and DS checks to agency ref checks and all that - all of which should be done BEFORE you start the contract (even though they told you at the start of the contract they didn't need to any of that) . Its a complete mess up to the point that they often threaten to either terminate your contract if you don't give them what they constantly demand OR they withhold payment until you do so, both of which are illegal.

Anyone who goes into a contract with TEK without all boxes ticked is just taking an awful risk and trusting that when things don't work right, the agency will back you. They won't. They write their contracts in such a way that regardless of whether the situation is their fault or not, it will always work out badly for you. They don't go into contracts in 'good faith' to make it work, only to ensure if it fails, its not going to fail for them and its all your fault (even if it was their mis-management that caused the contract to fail).

And don't me started on their ridiculous 'we must meet you first before we put you to the client' policy - sitting in front of some junior hack who is barely out of Uni trying to make you think he's been around the houses more than you have trying to be all impressive and the like because he knows the client yada yada - please - give me a break.

[AussieDigger]

Have you had a bad experience of them or something ?

Yep

More ways than one can count. Not just one office either. Bunch of bullies.

[kaiser78]

Been speaking to an agent about a couple of opportunities through Empiric.

Has anyone contracted through them before and what are your thoughts if so ?

[javadude]

Oh. So there are 2 agencies taking a slice of the cake.
That's always difficult. Are you contracted to Tek and they then whore you out to Allegis, and then to the client?

Tek Systems is some sort of subsiduary of Allegis. Tek Systems seems to handle the sales relationship with the client and Allegis handles the contractual/payment side. This all adds to the confusion. I remember the agent saying he didn't have visibility of either the work order or purchase order, I forget which.

[Lance]

It's partly the individual agent but a lot of it is down to the company eg the change of contract terms, high turnover of admin staff, the agency having lots of meetings on a Monday so it's near impossible to get hold of anyone to sort out problems, the relationship with Allegis which adds an extra communication link into the mix etc

Oh. So there are 2 agencies taking a slice of the cake.
That's always difficult. Are you contracted to Tek and they then whore you out to Allegis, and then to the client?

[javadude]

everyone in Tek? Or just one agent?
Experience tells me that all agencies have some idiots and some good 'uns.

It's partly the individual agent but a lot of it is down to the company eg the change of contract terms, high turnover of admin staff, the agency having lots of meetings on a Monday so it's near impossible to get hold of anyone to sort out problems, the relationship with Allegis which adds an extra communication link into the mix etc

[SeanT]

It can sometimes be a cultural thing within an agency.

Yeah, some agencies don't have any