Reply to: Declining contract for better offer?

[Untouchable1]

Take the extra money!

[uk contractor]

Thanks for the feedback. The lower daily rate is with an Indian agency.

This changes everything go for the 150 a day higher. Indian agencies are notorious for getting a resource onsite to land the role then dumping you for someone cheaper they manage to get in from the indian sub continent @ 100 a day max!

You must be very new to this or naïve its been going on for ages now their tactics are quite blatant.

[Old Greg]

That puts a very different picture on it. I would be avoiding the Indian Agency if they were offering £150 a day more given they are the one paying less it's a complete no brainer.

Just say you've got a family issue and the location is sadly no longer practical...

Or sub the first contract to a gent from the subcontinent.

[madame SasGuru]

Thanks for the feedback. The lower daily rate is with an Indian agency. Not that it should matter but weary based on what I’ve read. The higher rate is the same as what I’ve been on for past couple years in other roles. I wasn’t sure on the situation of the market so took the first role offered in an attempt to keep earning until something better came along. That happened sooner than expected.

That puts a very different picture on it. I would be avoiding the Indian Agency if they were offering £150 a day more given they are the one paying less it's a complete no brainer.

Just say you've got a family issue and the location is sadly no longer practical...

[Eirikur]

Just use some lame excuse, like sorry my personal circumstances have suddenly changed and I won't be able to start the contract. Done it several times, agencies will moan a bit, but for 150 per day you just don't care

[man]

Thanks for the feedback. The lower daily rate is with an Indian agency. Not that it should matter but weary based on what I’ve read. The higher rate is the same as what I’ve been on for past couple years in other roles. I wasn’t sure on the situation of the market so took the first role offered in an attempt to keep earning until something better came along. That happened sooner than expected.

So they offered significantly under market and now they're going to lose the contractor?

[fatJock]

Put yourself first .....you’re the only one who will and you’re not a charity. Do whatever gives you the easiest time.

[MrButton]

The question really is ‘should you take a pay cut you’ve committed to, or not?’

Agreed. It changes the dynamic of the question a bit.

[Lance]

Thanks for the feedback. The lower daily rate is with an Indian agency. Not that it should matter but weary based on what I’ve read. The higher rate is the same as what I’ve been on for past couple years in other roles. I wasn’t sure on the situation of the market so took the first role offered in an attempt to keep earning until something better came along. That happened sooner than expected.

The question really is ‘should you take a pay cut you’ve committed to, or not?’

[simplicity]

Thanks for the feedback. The lower daily rate is with an Indian agency. Not that it should matter but weary based on what I’ve read. The higher rate is the same as what I’ve been on for past couple years in other roles. I wasn’t sure on the situation of the market so took the first role offered in an attempt to keep earning until something better came along. That happened sooner than expected.

[1manshow]

I think that's a pretty poor assumption.

As a blanket statement I don't completely agree with this either. In some cases with mitigating factors about technology and uplift in the type of work maybe but for doing the same role there can be a wide range of rates. Just because one client paid top end it doesn't mean another will.

Nothing is ever guaranteed either way, so I'd take the £20k uplift.

[Glencky]

It's a tough call. To be honest, and not to have a go at you, I think it's the kind of situation where it's almost pointless asking for advice (though I get that reading the responses will help you think it through) because it's so specific to the clients and your and their situation.

I'm a PM and my rates can vary easily by that much and more depending on location, and there really isn't always any direct correlation between content and level of role and rate a lot of the time! so what I'm prepared to take depends on multiple factors. Similarly in this situation what I would do would depend a lot on the specifics, but in general I think I'd be looking for reasons to make myself OK with the lower rate I'd already committed to, as I don't like breaking commitments and I think if you get a reputation for that, you're screwed. But then, financial services is a relatively small world in the UK, and that's where I work.

If it was £150 a day more AND a lot more convenient AND appeared to be 'safe' (though no contracting role is safe...) that would make it almost a no-brainer for me... but by the sound of it, it isn't that so it's a tricky call!

There are worse problems to be faced, but it's still a dilemma! You have to bear in mind that if you dump the first client in particular you'll likely be blacklisted for at least a period either from the client or the agency or both. I once failed to get a role I was very well qualified for after what seemed to me to be a near-perfect interview, because I think somebody who had taken agin me for complicated and boring reasons (that weren't a lot to do with me or my performance) in a past life, I think blackballed it after the interview. I won't go into the ins and outs of it here, not least because I could never be certain, just 'pretty sure' - but it does happen.

You need to think about not just one contract, but your whole future revenue stream.

[northernladuk]

No matter the other factors, go with the £150 extra a day. If you're getting paid that much more, you'd hope that means you are doing more meaningful work

I think that's a pretty poor assumption.

- if not at least it sets you up for future roles with being able to get similar or higher rates.

As a blanket statement I don't completely agree with this either. In some cases with mitigating factors about technology and uplift in the type of work maybe but for doing the same role there can be a wide range of rates. Just because one client paid top end it doesn't mean another will.

[Old Greg]

No matter the other factors, go with the £150 extra a day. If you're getting paid that much more, you'd hope that means you are doing more meaningful work - if not at least it sets you up for future roles with being able to get similar or higher rates.

As for which has potential for extension etc, all of these are non-guaranteed either way so I would just go with the one which pays more (unless the amounts were trivial, then I may factor in other factors).

As for what to tell them, I guess you may as well be honest. Not like they will try plead for you to take a £150/day pay cut, nor would a client want someone who doesn't want to be there. I'd also not worry about any breach of contract suing.

If there's any breach of contract talk, offer to send in a sub...

[1manshow]

No matter the other factors, go with the £150 extra a day. If you're getting paid that much more, you'd hope that means you are doing more meaningful work - if not at least it sets you up for future roles with being able to get similar or higher rates.

As for which has potential for extension etc, all of these are non-guaranteed either way so I would just go with the one which pays more (unless the amounts were trivial, then I may factor in other factors).

As for what to tell them, I guess you may as well be honest. Not like they will try plead for you to take a £150/day pay cut, nor would a client want someone who doesn't want to be there. I'd also not worry about any breach of contract suing.