Reply to: Is this Agency/Client messing me around?

[northernladuk]

I will.

Before I do, just wanted to gauge the consensus as to when people typically get info regarding first day.

It's happened to me twice in 8 or 9 gigs. They've nearly all been interview Tuesday start following Monday so a mad rush to get ready. Twice I didn't get the information I was expecting. In both cases I knew the guys name from the interview so rocked up at 8.30 and just gave his name. Once I was half an hour earlier than he expected, the other one didn't bat an eyelid so guess it was what he had planned.

Both cases I mailed the agent to point out I hadn't been given my joining mail and they were very apologetic. Thought I'd sent it etc.

Really poor carry on by the agent though.

[sira]

Ring the agency, ask who agent's manager is. Speak to them.

I will.

Before I do, just wanted to gauge the consensus as to when people typically get info regarding first day.

[LondonManc]

Due to start gig next week. Thought I'd try to find out some info regarding my first day i.e. time and whom to report to - last week left the agency an email and 2 calls, but no response.

Is this normal?

In this past whether it be permie or contract, I've always been given some information regarding the first day.

Ring the agency, ask who agent's manager is. Speak to them.

[sira]

Due to start gig next week. Thought I'd try to find out some info regarding my first day i.e. time and whom to report to - last week left the agency an email and 2 calls, but no response.

Is this normal?

In this past whether it be permie or contract, I've always been given some information regarding the first day.

[LondonManc]

I just found it a little shady that they turned it round in 2ish hours? I'm sure its legitimate, but yeah..very fast!

Thanks for the insight re: contract^.

It's very easy to do the equivalent of a mail merge and populate a boilerplate template with modern software.

The downside of this is that you've got a very generic template that will need checking by QDOS or similar as NLUK suggested.

[northernladuk]

I just found it a little shady that they turned it round in 2ish hours? I'm sure its legitimate, but yeah..very fast! .

I doubt there is anything shady. Agents are really just glorified sales people and they work on commission. Once you are roped in and committed the agent thinks its a done deal so isn't making any more money spending time on you. They will move their focus to filling more vacancies and getting more commission. By threatening to walk you've put their income at risk so they'll refocus pretty darn quick, that and looking like an idiot in front of the client.

[sira]

There you go. That's how to do it. Thanks for feeding back.

I'd make sure the contract is checked by QDOS et al and you've got IPSE+ membership personally based on the last few posts but that's your call.

I just found it a little shady that they turned it round in 2ish hours? I'm sure its legitimate, but yeah..very fast!

Thanks for the insight re: contract^.

[northernladuk]

Just to update...I politely threatened to walk away if they didn't sort it out. 2 hours later agency confirmed (in writing) that client checks were complete. So i signed the contract, and they will countersign and send it back.

Would you say its signed and sealed now? I am still attending other interviews to cover myself though.

There you go. That's how to do it. Thanks for feeding back.

I'd make sure the contract is checked by QDOS et al and you've got IPSE+ membership personally based on the last few posts but that's your call.

[sira]

Possibly but I think that would only apply to a very small number of roles. In the others you'd just be filling in for a permie. Same everything until they get back, almost temping but for skilled people.

It would be interesting to see if it is just a shoe filling exercise to see what CEST says. I've got a sneaking suspicion it's so flawed it's going to put the employee outside IR35

Just to update...I politely threatened to walk away if they didn't sort it out. 2 hours later agency confirmed (in writing) that client checks were complete. So i signed the contract, and they will countersign and send it back.

Would you say its signed and sealed now? I am still attending other interviews to cover myself though.

[Lance]

Absolutely not.


You will be doing exactly the same work as an employee using the same working practices by definition.
The only difference is that your tenure is finite. You are precisely what it says on the tin a temporary permanent employee.


TBH it's difficult to thing of a more clear cut case of being inside IR35.

I’d agree with that.
The only way I can see an interim person filling in for someone to have a baby, and be outside ir35, is if the baby bearer was already an outside ir35 contractor.
It wouldn’t be mat leave though.

[Hapax]

Depends on the role too. Specialist perm on mat leave, nobody in the company can do it - outside...

Absolutely not.


You will be doing exactly the same work as an employee using the same working practices by definition.
The only difference is that your tenure is finite. You are precisely what it says on the tin a temporary permanent employee.


TBH it's difficult to thing of a more clear cut case of being inside IR35.

[northernladuk]

Depends on the role too. Specialist perm on mat leave, nobody in the company can do it - outside. PMO analyst shizzle, generally being supervised, directed and controlled - anybody's guess.

Possibly but I think that would only apply to a very small number of roles. In the others you'd just be filling in for a permie. Same everything until they get back, almost temping but for skilled people.

It would be interesting to see if it is just a shoe filling exercise to see what CEST says. I've got a sneaking suspicion it's so flawed it's going to put the employee outside IR35

[LondonManc]

It could open an interesting theoretical debate about the IR35 status of a contractor providing maternity cover though.

Depends on the role too. Specialist perm on mat leave, nobody in the company can do it - outside. PMO analyst shizzle, generally being supervised, directed and controlled - anybody's guess.

[northernladuk]

It could open an interesting theoretical debate about the IR35 status of a contractor providing maternity cover though.

[sira]

You'd assume that would be the case but I've lost count of the number of situations where it didn't work like this. Utter madness but it happens. The world never stops when it happens so just have to plough on.

Yeah...either the rest of the team picks up the mountain of slack for a short while, or they grab a consultant I guess. Absolutely, utter madness.

If I was a senior manager and had a staff member going on mat, I'd want it sorted asap.