Client not honouring notice period

[northernladuk]

P.S if you try a search first using even your post title you'll get 207 threads asking exactly the same question and all having the same answer.

https://www.google.com/search?q=clie...hrome&ie=UTF-8

If you narrow it down to client notice period you'll get over 700

https://www.google.com/search?q=clie...4dUDCA4&uact=5

[northernladuk]

Just had an ugly one pulled on me. Was contracted at least until the rest of the year, however the project has been delivered early and a week after I'm now told that I'm no longer needed. Just like that. The US based end user (with a UK site) the consultancy (based in the US but through a UK/US based recruiter) a bunch of untruths to try and avoid having to pay me any notice period. Horrible.

Only horrible because you don't understand notice periods and contracting. Should be a shrug of the shoulders at worst. Notice periods mean nothing. Length of your contract means nothing.

You are a supplier to a client. A client holds the purse strings so is always in control. It's not a level playing field. They contract you to do work and if that work ends so do you. It would be the same at home. Would you pay a builder for 6 weeks if they finished it in 4? So if you can get your head around that we can move to how they can do this.

Firstly there are notices, people moan when they are pulled on them but don't think twice about pulling it on the client, but, it's much more likely the client pulls them because the work you are required to do ended. It's part of the client/supplier relationship. It's also a very big part of your IR35 defence. If they pay you just to honour the contract then you've failed one of the biggest pillars of your defence which is MoO or lack of. Once the work is done, you are done. Period.

Secondly even the notice doesn't matter. In your contract will be a statement about not being paid unless there is a signed timesheet. If they don't offer you work, you can't get a signed timesheet. You are still in contract, you are just not working as per your T&M contract. They can contine the contract until the end of the year but if you don't get given any work then you can't earn another penny. Effectively instant termination. You signed up for it so you should understand it and not be too upset if it happens.

The fact they have to come up with untruths (in your opinion) is a bit daft but they probably don't know the details of the contract. A savvy client would just pull the work and quote the relevant term in the contract. I bet that will hurt even more that untruths though.

Welcome to world of contracting.

[cojak]

Par for the course for contracting.

Start looking for you next contract.

[Fred Bloggs]

No work, no gig. Simple.

And some folks seem to never learn the contractor's art of looking incredibly busy whilst appearing to be super helpful and completely indispensable. Whilst in reality doing as little as possible and working to extend the duration of the gig. A vital skill to learn.

[PerfectStorm]

What's the alternative? You want to be given 'work' or worse, paid, when there's nothing to do? Are you outside of IR35 and presumably wanting to avoid mutuality of obligation?

There are lots of legitimate reasons to reach the effective end of a contract, you've just hit one of them. Consider yourself lucky if you've been (or will be) paid for the days you've actually worked up until now.

So, apparently I was wrong abut notice periods - if I want to end I have to play the waiting game. But if the end user wants to end it's an instant-job done thing. What's the point of even having it on a contract then?

Consider the contract a vague intention of what will happen that can be broken in either direction - sometimes they extend, sometimes they stop early. You don't find many contractors arguing that extensions weren't in the contract, funnily enough...

[ApeShape]

So, apparently I was wrong abut notice periods - if I want to end I have to play the waiting game. But if the end user wants to end it's an instant-job done thing. What's the point of even having it on a contract then? Then I get an incoherent rant about performance just to add injury to insult.

Don't get me wrong, if I have to go I'd GO. I just hate the BS rather than just being told thanks sorry bye.

[eek]

Project finished, all work done - time to move on to the next project.

At least it's still early November so you should find something before the Xmas shut down.

[SuperLooper]

Welcome to being a contractor.

[zonkkk]

Nothing to do, no pay. Consider yourself on notice with nothing to bill on, as there is no more work.

[ApeShape]

Just had an ugly one pulled on me. Was contracted at least until the rest of the year, however the project has been delivered early and a week after I'm now told that I'm no longer needed. Just like that. The US based end user (with a UK site) the consultancy (based in the US but through a UK/US based recruiter) a bunch of untruths to try and avoid having to pay me any notice period. Horrible.