How much stuff!!

[Hot Mess]

They don't need all the crap completed before you start though do they? I think references and a credit check will get you through security on your first day for most jobs. The rest can follow later.

[Gravy Train]

I've been asked to provide around 10 documents for a first meetin with an agency (at a cafe of all places as they're located miles away but do get contracts in the city I'd work in)
It is very much OTT in my opinion and I can't understand why they'd need 2x proof of address amongst other things but no copy of my PI insurance

I'm tempted to cancel the meeting - why do certain mainstream agencies need the bare minimum once you've actually got a contract with them and this smaller two bit agency need chapter and verse?

[stek]

Just for contrast on my current role despite it being SC I've signed nothing nor given them anything except my DOB and the previous holder of my SC.

They've sent me contracts to e-sign, which I never bothered to and even sent me a form to fill in and sign so I can go on their self building scheme which I never bothered with. They put me on it anyway....

Reason I'm so ambivalent is because I never fancied this one from the start, felt rushed, I was on holiday for the 'urgent' start - client not expecting me, series of 4 week contracts, and I was enjoying doing nowt...

I know turning up means I accept the contract, still invoicing, still being paid so at the end of the day what's point in all the bumf? Client happy, agent happy, me just unfussed...

Previous role was a nightmare though, BPSS forms, they even wanted a scan of the front and back of my passport, not the internal pages (them as well!) but the red cover outside bit, I mean, what for? I reckon the faffing on that contract cost me two days just filling crap in and digging out and sending more stuff....

[Gravy Train]

Well, the agent has cancelled on me this morning and offered to meet at their office later in the week, some 30 miles away - all for an initial meeting which i'm not prepared to do at this stage.

Why should i waste a morning and who knows how much £ so an agent can see what i look like. I've an extensive contractor's CV and a 100% hit rate from interviews, some of which were via the mainstream agencies. Surely that should be enough for them to 'risk' putting my cv forward to a client ffs.

There really should be an industry standard for agency requirements so everyone knows where they're at. It's not that difficult.