Reply to: Asked to train another contractor

[Bee]

What kind of training?

Handover yes, training it's a delivery service that you should be contracted for that propose, and it's more common when the client buys a new product and you are there to give support. Be careful with that.

[SueEllen]

You're old.

You wish.

Your Mum...

[Dante]

This thread is old....

You're old.

[SueEllen]

Am I the only one thinking about this from another way?!

If the other contract wants to be skilled up talking to them about a B2B arrangement to provide some training, if the relationship works well you have a ironclad substitute if you ever need to call upon one.

This thread is old....

[SimonMac]

Am I the only one thinking about this from another way?!

If the other contract wants to be skilled up talking to them about a B2B arrangement to provide some training, if the relationship works well you have a ironclad substitute if you ever need to call upon one.

[KentDogWalker]

You are aware there are different forms of training?

The majority of companies cannot afford to give staff and contractors the sort of training that makes them competent in a job. So unless you a competent trainer and the company is prepared to have that person shadow you for a minimum of 3 months, then they won't be competent.

If those type of contracts common? How much would you say the rate should be to ordinary contractors?

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

No way !!! On so many levels

It cost you a fortune learning these skills
You are creating a local competitor
They will replace you


Point them to a YouTube video

Training somebody in a skill you possess is not creating a competitor. Basic skills knowledge is one thing, you cannot teach experience.

[SueEllen]

No way !!! On so many levels

It cost you a fortune learning these skills
You are creating a local competitor
They will replace you


Point them to a YouTube video

You are aware there are different forms of training?

The majority of companies cannot afford to give staff and contractors the sort of training that makes them competent in a job. So unless you a competent trainer and the company is prepared to have that person shadow you for a minimum of 3 months, then they won't be competent.

[tarbera]

No way !!! On so many levels

It cost you a fortune learning these skills
You are creating a local competitor
They will replace you


Point them to a YouTube video

[eek]

My actual answer to this is that:-

1) I can but it's not included within the job description so would require a new contract and due to the change in requirements it will be at a new rate x, with an extension confirmed now.

2) regardless of 1 even if i trained him / her up they may actually do more harm then good for a little knowledge is dangerous.

Prime examples of that:-

Previous clientco had someone who was going to take over support of the system. Had been on multiple training courses so was fully trained according to client, just couldn't comprehend how the internals of the system worked and just did exactly what he asked to do rather than applying that request to how the system did things. Heck I even told him how to do things the proper way and he would ignore that and do it his way.

Current client (unsurprisingly if you know my current client) have some people who know the internals and how to do things but fail on the other things. Hence the happy paths are fine but basics like documenting how to deploy to a new system, writing defensive code that catches basic errors is missing, even writing custom error messages to tell people how to solve the issue... Granted the above is probably unique to this individual but its something I really wasn't expecting...

[eek]

My actual answer to this is that:-

1) I can but it's not included within the job description so would require a new contract and due to the change in requirements it will be at a new rate x, with an extension confirmed now.

2) regardless of 1 even if i trained him / her up they may actually do more harm then good for a little knowledge is dangerous.

[cojak]

Hmmm. Probably not a replacement strategy. Think about it; they have one skilled resource who presumably has some value to them, but if he goes under a bus or something similar they don't have anyone. If they can persuade the resource to train up a copy of himself, then they have two, which is much less of a risk. Why, then, would they go back to one by ditching the more skilled one? I'm thinking some people need to work on the business skills side...

However the OP is not a trainer and training people is not in his current contract. If he accepts this then bang goes IR35 since he is clearly under D&C.

The correct answer has been given. Negotiate a separate contract schedule at a sensible rate with defined deliverables in terms of the trainee's planned abilities. It is then a simple negotiation: pay me this under these Ts&Cs or it doesn't happen and I will stick with what you are paying me to do.

Or refuse outright since it is weakening your own position significantly - which is what they want to happen of course.

HTH...

There's more to knowledge transfer than just the 'what' - anyone can get the 'what' by reading a book or watching YouTube.

The secret is how to apply the 'what' (remember the plumber and the hammer story?).

Give the other guy some of the 'what', but never give him the 'how'.

And make sure that the spec explains exactly that. Most clients don't understand the difference.

[malvolio]

Hmmm. Probably not a replacement strategy. Think about it; they have one skilled resource who presumably has some value to them, but if he goes under a bus or something similar they don't have anyone. If they can persuade the resource to train up a copy of himself, then they have two, which is much less of a risk. Why, then, would they go back to one by ditching the more skilled one? I'm thinking some people need to work on the business skills side...

However the OP is not a trainer and training people is not in his current contract. If he accepts this then bang goes IR35 since he is clearly under D&C.

The correct answer has been given. Negotiate a separate contract schedule at a sensible rate with defined deliverables in terms of the trainee's planned abilities. It is then a simple negotiation: pay me this under these Ts&Cs or it doesn't happen and I will stick with what you are paying me to do.

Or refuse outright since it is weakening your own position significantly - which is what they want to happen of course.

HTH...

[uk contractor]

They want you out & to train the other contractor before leaving or being asked to leave clearly! You are probably out regardless so perhaps train them slowly to gain a few extra days out of it & start looking elsewhere.

[northernladyuk]

Refer client to suity for training services.