Reply to: A bird in the hand...

[gigahoe]

Yeah, right.

Do you want to see my emails? What would be the benefit of me lying about this on an anonymous forum?

[flipFlop]

I have been applying for other roles for the last few weeks and now have two that are in the interview phase.

Yeah, right.

[gigahoe]

Thanks everyone for your feedback, it has helped.

I've checked re one of the prospective new roles and they have agreed that I could start once this one month contract extension is ended if I'm successful there. That lets me have my cake and eat it (mmm cake!) meaning I get the nice new role and my current client gets some proper hand over time and notice to replace me.

The other prospective role is my favored of the three and I don't think I have have it all my own way there as I doubt they will wait and also I don't expect it will all get sorted before I have to sign my extension or leave, which I cannot really risk. But to complain about that is probably me being way too greedy!

[gigahoe]

The fact you believe they are employing you and the fact you are filling a position for a permie under a different renumeration method makes you a hidden perm and inside IR35. Did you consider that?

The current role is in the Netherlands and the others are both in other non UK countries and all would be via an appropriate umbrella company. So no IR35 concerns.

[curtis]

For me it would be all down to whether I am happy in the current role, if not i would interview and go for another if offered and I was happy with it.

If neither interviews come through then I would take the renewal unless I really hated it then I go.

[northernladuk]

Thanks!
The reason the extension is only for a month is because they want contractors to go permie so have also started conversations about that. I made it clear that I'm not that interested but will of course listen. I genuinely believe that if I reject the permie position they will continue to employee me as a contractor and the next extension should be back to 3 months or preferably more.

The fact you believe they are employing you and the fact you are filling a position for a permie under a different renumeration method makes you a hidden perm and inside IR35. Did you consider that?

[sal]

If you are happy with the current role/project/environment and think that there will be likely another extension following the 1 monther - stay

If you are not happy and some of the roles you have interviews lined up look better - I would be frank with the Client or at least the PM and tell them that because they were so late on the extension offer you already have 2 interviews lined up both at better rates/duration and you intend to go through with them and put their offer of extension on hold until you have feedback. The Client/PM won't be ecstatic about it but if they hold a grudge in this situation, you probably don't want to work for them in the future anyway.

As an added bonus this might provoke them to up their offer for extension in order to keep you on board, if your role is so critical.

There is always the risk (rather high chance) of them pulling back the extension offer, but that's part of the risk of doing business.

[gigahoe]

Good luck with the interviews!

If you were to extend your existing contract by another month or so what would you achieve? Will you have delivered something that you can use in the future to sell your services.

Remember if you do really well at the interview and they want you then there is room for negotiation. Both in rate and starting date.

Thanks!
The reason the extension is only for a month is because they want contractors to go permie so have also started conversations about that. I made it clear that I'm not that interested but will of course listen. I genuinely believe that if I reject the permie position they will continue to employee me as a contractor and the next extension should be back to 3 months or preferably more.

[gigahoe]

Long time contractor, or your first contract?

First time.

[psychocandy]

Fairly common that offers get made this late.

What I'd do:-

Go for these interviews. See what happens. If you get offers, do whats best fro your business.
Current client - if it was that important they should have offered earlier.

For instance, I've got 6 weeks left in current gig and been offered extension. No chance to look for something else. Clients need to realise - get in there early and you'll secure. Fanny about and it leaves contractor with options to look around or indeed forces them to,

[BolshieBastard]

You really need an offer from at least one of the two other roles before you can decide to turn down the extension.

If you reject the extension then get no offer from either of the other two, what then? I used to ask my clients 4 to 6 weeks before contract end date if they intended to extend. If they said they didnt know, I made a point of asking again at 4 weeks. If they said dont know again, I told them Id be starting looking at other roles.

IMO, its piss poor for clients to leave extensions until the last minute.

[BlasterBates]

If you want to build up a pool of clients you can keep returning to then a "scorched earth" policy is not a good idea. It's not always the case that you can return but often there are longterm projects which potentially return to. If you leave a PM in the lurch obviously he's likely not to take you on again unless there's no-one else. On the whole clients expect you to renew, and if you go expect a nice long handover.

Generally in any large client there will be one or two big projects which you can work on, so if they're important you don't want to blot your copy book.

Me....I would go along with the renewal, what appear to be exciting new contracts tend to be no different than anywhere else. Exciting contracts don't exist, they just appear that way, before you get into it.

[JRCT]

I think it's worth pointing out that's it's probably fairly common that extensions are offered so late.

[Tasslehoff]

I have been in a similar situation.

If you are offered something at interview stage that is so good you can't turn it down, then your choice is made for you.

However I am of the school of thought that building up a network of happy previous clients is worth much more to you long term, than the short term bump in a slight rate rise.

So if the difference is minimal stick where you are, you never know when your previous/current client will come through for you again.

[sociopath]

Good luck with the interviews!

If you were to extend your existing contract by another month or so what would you achieve? Will you have delivered something that you can use in the future to sell your services.

Remember if you do really well at the interview and they want you then there is room for negotiation. Both in rate and starting date.