Lessons learnt - dont trust anyone. Advice for any newbies.

[psychocandy]

Maybe I'm not cut out to be a contractor. LOL.

Valuable lesson learnt this contract about trusting client and not bothering to add stuff to contract. At the time, seemed a bit pedantic to go through all the rigmarole and gentlemans agreement seemed to suffice. Shifts were mentioned at interview but nothing was ever put into contract.

To be fair, at the beginning, client seemed to be dealing OK. Offered 1.5 for 12 hour shifts etc. But then it started to go wrong.

Client seemed to think they owned contractors for duration of contract. This led to them thinking that any changes (nights, weekends, 12 hours etc) could be done with as little notice as they saw fit (sometimes within 12 hours). Didn't happen to me but one guy turned up night shift at 8pm - they'd left note with security guard to tell him he wasn't needed that night after all!

They also seemed to think that 'additional' days were compulsory and not optional. i.e. If you worked mon-fri then they wanted you for the saturday then if they asked 3pm friday you could not say no.

Worst of all though. Seem to think that even if they did shift rota, you turned up to work the full shift, they could a week later say - we didn't need you to work 12 hours that day we're only signing timesheet for standard day. Even though no-one was told.

Next time I hear the words shift, I will be making sure I add the following to contract:-

1. 12 hour shifts are paid at a premium not a standard day.
2. Any changes to shifts must be notified at least 7 days in advance.
3. Any changes not communicated will be subject to payment as planned.

Sad that its come to this but it seems there are clients who cannot be trusted. :-(

[eek]

You are opted in. Were you paid an hourly rate or professional daily rate?

The answer to that question tells us whether you've been shafted or not.

[GazCol]

Maybe I'm not cut out to be a contractor. LOL.

Valuable lesson learnt this contract about trusting client and not bothering to add stuff to contract. At the time, seemed a bit pedantic to go through all the rigmarole and gentlemans agreement seemed to suffice. Shifts were mentioned at interview but nothing was ever put into contract.

To be fair, at the beginning, client seemed to be dealing OK. Offered 1.5 for 12 hour shifts etc. But then it started to go wrong.

Client seemed to think they owned contractors for duration of contract. This led to them thinking that any changes (nights, weekends, 12 hours etc) could be done with as little notice as they saw fit (sometimes within 12 hours). Didn't happen to me but one guy turned up night shift at 8pm - they'd left note with security guard to tell him he wasn't needed that night after all!

They also seemed to think that 'additional' days were compulsory and not optional. i.e. If you worked mon-fri then they wanted you for the saturday then if they asked 3pm friday you could not say no.

Worst of all though. Seem to think that even if they did shift rota, you turned up to work the full shift, they could a week later say - we didn't need you to work 12 hours that day we're only signing timesheet for standard day. Even though no-one was told.

Next time I hear the words shift, I will be making sure I add the following to contract:-

1. 12 hour shifts are paid at a premium not a standard day.
2. Any changes to shifts must be notified at least 7 days in advance.
3. Any changes not communicated will be subject to payment as planned.

Sad that its come to this but it seems there are clients who cannot be trusted. :-(

I think you've had a bit of a common sense fail here. Get anything that's been agreed before the contract takes affect down in writing and stipulated within the contract. I don't know anybody, even outside of the industry, that would take on work with terms that only have a spoken promise to back them up - especially when it involves losing out on money.

[sirja]

Sounds like a Bob outfit!

[northernladuk]

I think you've had a bit of a common sense fail here. Get anything that's been agreed before the contract takes affect down in writing and stipulated within the contract. I don't know anybody, even outside of the industry, that would take on work with terms that only have a spoken promise to back them up - especially when it involves losing out on money.

Absolutely this and I would add is yet another example of why you act more like a permie than you do a contractor. You are a business, you don't work for the client. You agree everything with the client from working times to payments to whatever in writing before it is done. You are delivering work and have to detail that. To turn up and just get on with it as you have is permie mentality not small business mentality. Everything you mentioned at the bottom of the mail should have been detailed in advance or the second you knew it was going to happen. Emails, contract change whatever. It is a change to business so document it.

I would say nearly everything that has gone wrong here was you not dealing with it properly. Yes the client will try take the piss, that is life. I try to take the piss when my builder comes round to do a job, I try to take the piss when my car is in for a service. They just point out the T&C's, discuss cost for doing it and then it is up to me to agree. Why would this be any different? Might be the tulipty end of the stick granted but that is contracting for you. It just seems a little odd that you seem to get the tulipty end of the stick all the time and that is where I think there are lessons.

[d000hg]

If you had it in writing, even by email from someone in authority, kick up a huge fuss to the agency and client? Continue to invoice them on whatever basis was agreed and tell them you will chase them on it. Potentially, tell the agent you'll walk if they don't pay up.

Also:

Maybe I'm not cut out to be a contractor.

Save us the effort and make this your sig... or maybe a moderator can make "not cut out to be a contractor" your custom title.

[MaryPoppins]

Absolutely this and I would add is yet another example of why you act more like a permie than you do a contractor.

I agree. You do seem to expect too much from your clientco - they don't owe you anything. Take control.

[psychocandy]

Absolutely this and I would add is yet another example of why you act more like a permie than you do a contractor. You are a business, you don't work for the client. You agree everything with the client from working times to payments to whatever in writing before it is done. You are delivering work and have to detail that. To turn up and just get on with it as you have is permie mentality not small business mentality. Everything you mentioned at the bottom of the mail should have been detailed in advance or the second you knew it was going to happen. Emails, contract change whatever. It is a change to business so document it.

I would say nearly everything that has gone wrong here was you not dealing with it properly. Yes the client will try take the piss, that is life. I try to take the piss when my builder comes round to do a job, I try to take the piss when my car is in for a service. They just point out the T&C's, discuss cost for doing it and then it is up to me to agree. Why would this be any different? Might be the tulipty end of the stick granted but that is contracting for you. It just seems a little odd that you seem to get the tulipty end of the stick all the time and that is where I think there are lessons.

NLUK - to be fair you're right. Mistake on my part. But having spoken to a few of the contractors here no-one else got it in the contract either.

Problem I've experienced before. If other contractors are willing to take it then you look like the awkward git.

[psychocandy]

And for this particular contract it did pan out that client wanted contractors who acted like permies. End of. Luckily it was only short term.

At one point, they even told people what to wear in to the office. Seriously.

[Pondlife]

Not having a pop PC but it looks like both you and the client had a difference in expectations. My question is, what is it you do (role) that might require a dress code other than PPE (HSSE) requirements?