Reply to: Parasol or contractorUmbrella ??

[Epiphone]

ContractorUmbrella.

Helpful, you get a named contact, they know their onions.

[Svalbaard]

Whilst I realise that I'm probabaly a little late to the party with this thread, my experience with Parasol was good to start with but then went downhill rapidly alongside their service levels and attention to detail - coincidentally alongside a series of price hikes. I concur with a previous poster who stated that their attitude became "we're right, you're wrong." I even spoke to HMRC who also stated that they were wrong - but would they listen???

Anyway, not wanting to sound like an advertising hoarding, but I have been with Contractor Umbrella now for about 3 years and have been very happy with service levels and costs from the start.

[northernladuk]

No major problems with Parasol so far. Only issues that I have had is with the £35 CHAPS payment when Giant do not charge this. Also had issues when the contract renewal fell in between the recruitment agencies pay calendar and I got charged two admin fees

But the pay comes in on time as long as you have the timesheets done and I like how they ask for all of your receipts so you only deduct what you are entitled to.

Haven't been with the other company but I can definitely recommend Parasol.

After three years I think he will be sorted by now

[czar1]

No major problems with Parasol so far. Only issues that I have had is with the £35 CHAPS payment when Giant do not charge this. Also had issues when the contract renewal fell in between the recruitment agencies pay calendar and I got charged two admin fees

But the pay comes in on time as long as you have the timesheets done and I like how they ask for all of your receipts so you only deduct what you are entitled to.

Haven't been with the other company but I can definitely recommend Parasol.

[newbee]

Never parasol

parasol messed up big time when I was with them, charged me weekly fee when actually I submitted timesheets monthly. To set it right it took quite a few calls and was escalated to manager to set it right. I was furious enough, added to this they didnot pay me for 1 month, saying agency had not paid invoice. which was actually mistake on parasol's part and not agency, since they had paid invoice.
Parasol did apologise for mistake by which time I had enough of them, rest you can imagine..........

[Archangel]

I didn't realise it was mostly reclaimable - that obviously makes all the difference.

I seem to recall that it didn't used to be reclaimable for anything other than a small employer.

It depends on the Class 1 NI contributions an employer has made. If they are < £45k themn all SMP is recoverable. Above £45k then 92% is recoverable.

[ASB]

All true but 92% is recoverable from the Inland Revenue so the cost to the business is not as high as you think.

I didn't realise it was mostly reclaimable - that obviously makes all the difference.

I seem to recall that it didn't used to be reclaimable for anything other than a small employer.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

That is what I knew the answer would be. But I don't see how that fits into the business model particularly well.

Ultimately if you have a lady on your books at a grand a week then you are exposed to a potential 5.4k in SMP (I believe it is 6 weeks @ 90%). If your charges for your umbrella services are 20 quid a week that is a lot of other people who are going to be effectively funding that.

All true but 92% is recoverable from the Inland Revenue so the cost to the business is not as high as you think.

[Ardesco]

Morning Guys

With regard to SMP it is the same for umbrella companies as with any other employer - it is payable and it is a cost of business to the umbrella company.

HTH

Looks like I was wrong then, I can see this as something that could potentially be abused on a massive scale though...

[ASB]

Morning Guys

With regard to SMP it is the same for umbrella companies as with any other employer - it is payable and it is a cost of business to the umbrella company.

HTH

That is what I knew the answer would be. But I don't see how that fits into the business model particularly well.

Ultimately if you have a lady on your books at a grand a week then you are exposed to a potential 5.4k in SMP (I believe it is 6 weeks @ 90%). If your charges for your umbrella services are 20 quid a week that is a lot of other people who are going to be effectively funding that.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Morning Guys

With regard to SMP it is the same for umbrella companies as with any other employer - it is payable and it is a cost of business to the umbrella company.

HTH

[Ardesco]

I've highlighted this before and it met with silence. The fact is that terms and conditions cannot take away SMP rights.

However, as you say, there is no funding for it. The size of the umbrella is likely that it won't get anything back from the government and will just have to bear the payment on the chin.

Obviously the will impact the umbrella and all other users of it. Ultimately it can only lead to the umbrella effectively withholding enough to cover SMP from fees earned and then distributing that as a bonus of some description.

If you are a permanent employee I would agree, however you are not a permanent employee with an umbrella. If you were they would not be able to stop paying you when your contract stopped paying you money, they would have to give you some form of notice. Secondly how would they be able to charge you for being their employee?

I'm not with an umbrella so I don't know what the T&C are but I suspect they have written up some sort of a contract where you pay them for a service and are not actually classified as a real employee. I guess the only way we will get a real answer is if somebody like Lisa from Contractor Umbrella comes and clarifies it for us.

[malvolio]

Ultimately it can only lead to the umbrella effectively withholding enough to cover SMP from fees earned and then distributing that as a bonus of some description.

Now that could be fun. Do women sue on the grounds of gender discrimination because they have to pay up front for it and men don't, or men becase the umbrella is offering a scheme on the basis of gender only, or men (and perhaps women over a certain age) because they are having to pay into a scheme that can never benefit them?

[ASB]

I don't know how the umbrella's have their terms and conditions set out but I can't see them paying you maternity pay. In order to pay you money they need to have money coming in, and if you aren't working because you are giving birth/coping with a new baby there won't be any money coming in.

You will still be eligible for SMP but it isn't that much, about £112 a week. If you don't have any of your contracting money saved up for a rainy day you really need to start saving now.

I've highlighted this before and it met with silence. The fact is that terms and conditions cannot take away SMP rights.

However, as you say, there is no funding for it. The size of the umbrella is likely that it won't get anything back from the government and will just have to bear the payment on the chin.

Obviously the will impact the umbrella and all other users of it. Ultimately it can only lead to the umbrella effectively withholding enough to cover SMP from fees earned and then distributing that as a bonus of some description.

[irresponsible]

I don't know how the umbrella's have their terms and conditions set out but I can't see them paying you maternity pay. In order to pay you money they need to have money coming in, and if you aren't working because you are giving birth/coping with a new baby there won't be any money coming in.

You will still be eligible for SMP but it isn't that much, about £112 a week. If you don't have any of your contracting money saved up for a rainy day you really need to start saving now.

It's going to be a rainy year - as i understood it this money comes from the government rather than from the Umbrella company itself?