Reply to: 12 Month Maximum for Contractors - Client Rule

[whatif]

Yes pretty well known, via word of mouth rather than spelled out by Citi at the outset of the contract.

Many thanks for your reply. I raised the matter and hopefully the 12 month rule will be communicated to contractors at the outset now.

[Kelstar]

Thanks for this, very useful. Was the rule widely known in your department - was it something which was written down anywhere or something which people became aware of via word of mouth?

Yes pretty well known, via word of mouth rather than spelled out by Citi at the outset of the contract.

[whatif]

Hi - I did a PM role at Citi in 2014, this was the rule then and was rigidly applied!

Thanks for this, very useful. Was the rule widely known in your department - was it something which was written down anywhere or something which people became aware of via word of mouth?

[whatif]

Thanks again to everyone for their replies. Special thanks to ChimpMaster for a very well-considered and thoughtful post.

As I say, I am not new to contracting, and naturally am aware that some banks have limits on how long a contractor can remain. In my experience, where there is a limit it is usually around 2 years. My question was related specifically to any such limits at Citi, as the rule there doesn't appear to be well-known. As I say, my contract will unexpectedly finish earlier than it would otherwise have and I find myself looking for a new contract at short notice.

I try to make any policies affecting contractors my business, and would advise any contractor to do the same. Where appropriate, I give feedback to the client if I believe it will be beneficial.

[MrMarkyMark]

I've been contracting for some time

If so, I'm surprised that you ahve never heard of these time limits.

In banking they are really quite common...

[Clive the 1]

Finding yourself without a contract in a moments notice should be the default state of mind, welcome to contracting...

This is a line from my contract. In the time I have been contracting (electrical, panel wiring & machine build) this doesn't worry me!

"The length of notice requested to terminate assignment, if any:
No notice
(Ideally one hour out of courtesy)"


Welcome to contracting!

[Kelstar]

Hi - I did a PM role at Citi in 2014, this was the rule then and was rigidly applied!

[ChimpMaster]

You seem a bit too desperate to cling to this contract, you better get rid of such mentality if you wish to do contracting. It doesn't matter what someone else's experience with Citi is, rule or no rule it seems that neither the PM/Line manager nor the agent is willing to fight for you. Kicking a fuss will only tarnish whatever reputation you have built with them. Walk out gracefully and maybe ask them to give you a call if they need someone with your skill set further down the line, as you are looking forward to work with them again.

Finding yourself without a contract in a moments notice should be the default state of mind, welcome to contracting...

Easier said than done and it depends to a large extent on the individual’s skillset and what demand there is for that skill. If the individual has spent considerable time locating and winning this contract then surely it is perfectly normal for him/her to want to hold on to it and to maximise the profit his business is going to make from the effort he put into winning that contract. This is even more significant if the individual works in a niche area. There is nothing wrong with this reaction; it is normal, expected human emotion and perception.

So I empathise with the situation in that I have been in a similar position in the past and I did personally find it very difficult to let go. I was taught a very harsh lesson that could only have been learned by going through the process myself: no matter what others say, sometimes you need to go through the systematic de-construction of your expectations yourself, and then build up correctly from afresh.

You can only do what is within your sphere of control and influence. As Sal says, leave with your head held high and leave the client a professional bridge that can be crossed should they need to call upon you in the future. Put as much effort into finding your next contract now and do not let anything stop you taking it on when you find it.

Good luck.

[sal]

Thanks everyone for your replies so far, some good insights.

Does anyone know specifically about Citi and the 52 week rule?

I was led to believe my contract would continue, but it is now not being renewed due to the rule. There are criteria where the rule can be waived, but nobody I've spoken to seems sure about what the criteria are or the reasons for the rule.

I'm now looking for another contract at quite short notice when I had thought I would be in place for a while yet.

You seem a bit too desperate to cling to this contract, you better get rid of such mentality if you wish to do contracting. It doesn't matter what someone else's experience with Citi is, rule or no rule it seems that neither the PM/Line manager nor the agent is willing to fight for you. Kicking a fuss will only tarnish whatever reputation you have built with them. Walk out gracefully and maybe ask them to give you a call if they need someone with your skill set further down the line, as you are looking forward to work with them again.

Finding yourself without a contract in a moments notice should be the default state of mind, welcome to contracting...

[MrMarkyMark]

You work until they don't want you.

This.

All I can advise is, is that in my experience, in banking, going over these limits needs a lot of sign off, up to MD level.
If you are not worth "fighting for" then they will let you go, as it is a lot of hassle to get the extension through, as an exception.

I have had this type of extension twicevthis time around and have subsequently bought someone else in to hand over.

I would spend your efforts on trying to find another contract, rather worry about something that you have little control of.

[northernladuk]

That's my question, is there a procedure, if so I would have thought it would be written down and explained to contractors.

Not the first time I've had a contract finish, I've been contracting for some time, I wanted to try and understand if there was a rule in place across Citi, why, and how widely known and enforced it is. I haven't experienced or heard of a correlation between rate and rules around maximum contract time before.

Not too sure why. You come and do the gig on the contract terms and it ends. Their policy isn't really your business. You work until they don't want you. Granted it would be polite but shouldn't matter.

Wouldn't expectation of work start messing with MoO?

[whatif]

It's impossible to advise with any confidence, even if someone posting here is at Citi or has just finished a stint there, the criteria aren't exactly written down and it's typically a matter of if the manager in charge of the work can talk his management and HR round, assuming he wants to.

Your safest bet is to assume there's no extension, if it's the first time you've felt the joys of being told the role is over then welcome to the realities of contracting, this is part of why you can charge a premium rate.

That's my question, is there a procedure, if so I would have thought it would be written down and explained to contractors.

Not the first time I've had a contract finish, I've been contracting for some time, I wanted to try and understand if there was a rule in place across Citi, why, and how widely known and enforced it is. I haven't experienced or heard of a correlation between rate and rules around maximum contract time before.

[TykeMerc]

Thanks everyone for your replies so far, some good insights.

Does anyone know specifically about Citi and the 52 week rule?

I was led to believe my contract would continue, but it is now not being renewed due to the rule. There are criteria where the rule can be waived, but nobody I've spoken to seems sure about what the criteria are or the reasons for the rule.

I'm now looking for another contract at quite short notice when I had thought I would be in place for a while yet.

It's impossible to advise with any confidence, even if someone posting here is at Citi or has just finished a stint there, the criteria aren't exactly written down and it's typically a matter of if the manager in charge of the work can talk his management and HR round, assuming he wants to.

Your safest bet is to assume there's no extension, if it's the first time you've felt the joys of being told the role is over then welcome to the realities of contracting, this is part of why you can charge a premium rate.

[whatif]

Thanks everyone for your replies so far, some good insights.

Does anyone know specifically about Citi and the 52 week rule?

I was led to believe my contract would continue, but it is now not being renewed due to the rule. There are criteria where the rule can be waived, but nobody I've spoken to seems sure about what the criteria are or the reasons for the rule.

I'm now looking for another contract at quite short notice when I had thought I would be in place for a while yet.

[BolshieBastard]

I know someone who contracted for 25 years at current client co, he has since come back .
Wouldn't like to have that one investigated
Also, my mate did around 6 years at DB, left for 6 months, he has just gone back.

Different rules for different folks, has always been that way.

Depends if he was through a brolly. I know someone who's been at the same client continuously for the last 10 years and before that, he worked for the same client with a month or two off for the last 17 years.