Reply to: Contract renewal - whats good enough as an offer?

[psychocandy]

It gets worse - I think the agency is playing silly buggers.

Had one month extension last month. Nothing sorted beforehand (in fact, I had the contract for April last friday) and, in the end, I agreed to go in on the basis of an email from the agency.

So, I told them OK thats it now. No more one month extensions will be accepted at the standard rate - it will now be an increased rate. 3 months no problem.

So I get a call from agent end of last week. Good news they say - extension until end June. Hmmm 2 months. In the end I say OK fair enough.

Last day today. Apparently, customer is only starting PO process today. Nice one. OK - told agent if the agent confirm via email this extension until end june then that'll have to do.

What I got was - 'From our side, you can continue your work activities as usual. We will
update you as soon as we receive the PO and will send you the contract
ASAP.' Very nice and vague indeed.

No mention of dates. I emailed back asking them to confirm extension including dates. No reply.
Got a funny feeling that this two month extension was never on the line and agency are trying to blag it. Get me back in the door knowing full well the PO will take weeks and it'll be too late in 3 weeks when they say 'sorry - its one month after all - clients fault!'.

BTW. Can't even get any sense out of the client. Guy who deals never calls me back and is in different country.

Am I only one who suspects this here?

[billybiro]

Never happened to me in 10 years.
There's some right drama queens on here.

Maybe so, however, if the client/agent is dragging their feet over producing the requisite written contract, why not try writing your own one? Obviously, you make sure that everything in it is slightly weighted to favour you, rather than the client - notice terms, payment terms etc. Then you present that to the client/agent.

See if they are as quick to agree to your contract as you would be to do so in the absence of theirs!

[psychocandy]

In my experience it isn´t unusual for paperwork to be held up. If you go and work that is billable regardless of whether the paperwork is in place or not. The only person who really suffers when you don´t go in, is you. People get p**d off and you lose a billable day. The client´s purchasing dept is not going to change its ways because one contractor didn´t go in for a day, and it is not a financial risk because when the client allows you to work that is proof they agreed to the contract.

300-400 quid is a very nice weekend in a plush hotel in the country with a nice slap up meal.

Rather than sitting home and taking flak from the client, I would therefore recommend go into work and when the bill gets paid treat yourself and the misses to weekend away, with the extra dosh.

Agree to a certain extent that it is hassle losing a days billing and most clients will never change.

BUT, you've got to draw the line somewhere. Like I said with my client, if I didnt kick up a fuss it'd end up where there was no contract and they just phoned me every friday to ask me back on the monday - they'd do this if they could.

Also, remember, contract is generally with agent not client. Doesnt matter what client says, its agent that pays you. Do you really want to work for a week then find out that client has decided they've not go the budget after all? Good luck with the agency on that one.

But, with clients you can your best to ask them nicely to sort it out in advance, but you can only take it so far. Tescos are nice as pie to their customers generally and dont want to upset them, but I don't think their positive customer experience would extend so far as to let you take a trolley of shopping home if you promise to sort out payment details later? Would they care if you got pissed off because they wouldnt allow you?

[psychocandy]

Mate, all Im saying is you constantly post about issues you have with your client(s). You need to ask yourself why it is you have these issues. The board is full of your posts saying you've got this issue, that issue, the other issue.

If you keep taking 'iffy' contracts or have 'iffy' situations, there's usually a reason for it.

Agree. In all my years of contracting, these are, without a doubt the worst ever. Unfortunately, this is their MO. They do it to all the contractors and have done for years - although they are getting worse (I know someone who contracted here a few years ago too).

Annoying as they are - its close to home, rate is OK, and its been running almost 2 years now. So its a balancing act. Yeh, Im very tempted to walk but not walk onto the bench. Doesnt stop them causing me hassle though.

[BlasterBates]

In my experience it isn´t unusual for paperwork to be held up. If you go and work that is billable regardless of whether the paperwork is in place or not. The only person who really suffers when you don´t go in, is you. People get p**d off and you lose a billable day. The client´s purchasing dept is not going to change its ways because one contractor didn´t go in for a day, and it is not a financial risk because when the client allows you to work that is proof they agreed to the contract.

300-400 quid is a very nice weekend in a plush hotel in the country with a nice slap up meal.

Rather than sitting home and taking flak from the client, I would therefore recommend go into work and when the bill gets paid treat yourself and the misses to weekend away, with the extra dosh.

[Wanderer]

Terms are not an issue - they stay the same as the original contract. Its just a renewal so all that gets issued is a revised schedule.

Bat the ball firmly back into their court.

They verbally agreed an extension so don't sit around waiting for them to pull finger. Knock up a revised schedule document, sign it and send it to the agency with a note that you have accepted their offer of an extension to the contract and here is the revised schedule. If they wish to withdraw the offer of the extension then they are free to do this by giving you and the client written notice before you start work on the extension. Allowing work on the extension to begin constitutes acceptance of the revised schedule.

They aren't required to sign the amended schedule - a contract doesn't need to be signed, they might think they are big and clever by not signing it but the law is clear on this one. If you are allowed to start work then the contract has been accepted.

Mate, all Im saying is you constantly post about issues you have with your client(s). You need to ask yourself why it is you have these issues.

A fair point.

[BolshieBastard]

Please explain BB. What exactly do I do wrong here?

Mate, all Im saying is you constantly post about issues you have with your client(s). You need to ask yourself why it is you have these issues. The board is full of your posts saying you've got this issue, that issue, the other issue.

If you keep taking 'iffy' contracts or have 'iffy' situations, there's usually a reason for it.

[psychocandy]

I don't see an argument, I see a statement that is all. No point arguing.

OK. So how does - Stop complaining about it and deal with it or walk. add anything to this discussion at all? Again, if you'd read the post, I wasn't so much complaining, merely asking for opinion/starting debate about legalities.

[northernladuk]

Seriously. Its amazing how you can turn every discussion on here into an argument about how you're way of doing things is right and everyone else is wrong.

If you'd read the original post, which it appears you aint, you will have discovered I'm attempting to discuss the legalities of whats OK and whats not regarding contract extensions and not the right of wrongs of whether I should walk or not.

See the last paragraph also.

I don't see an argument, I see a statement that is all. No point arguing.

[psychocandy]

Honestly, it's not that tricky. Just say you can't go in without a formal contract because it voids your insurance. Unless they are willing to indeminify your work, you are unable to attend site without at least an email confirming an extension as per the existing T+Cs.

I was due to start a contract with a big consulting company. I told the agent I would not attend site without a signed contract. Day #1 came, and I didn't have a signed contract. The agent called up asking where the feck I was. I replied, where the feck is my contract. It was with me inside 60 minutes.

Which is what I currently do - insist on email.

[psychocandy]

Stop complaining about it and deal with it or walk.

Seriously. Its amazing how you can turn every discussion on here into an argument about how you're way of doing things is right and everyone else is wrong.

If you'd read the original post, which it appears you aint, you will have discovered I'm attempting to discuss the legalities of whats OK and whats not regarding contract extensions and not the right of wrongs of whether I should walk or not.

See the last paragraph also.

[b0redom]

Honestly, it's not that tricky. Just say you can't go in without a formal contract because it voids your insurance. Unless they are willing to indeminify your work, you are unable to attend site without at least an email confirming an extension as per the existing T+Cs.

I was due to start a contract with a big consulting company. I told the agent I would not attend site without a signed contract. Day #1 came, and I didn't have a signed contract. The agent called up asking where the feck I was. I replied, where the feck is my contract. It was with me inside 60 minutes.

[northernladuk]

Please explain BB. What exactly do I do wrong here?

Stop complaining about it and deal with it or walk.

[psychocandy]

I can honestly say that in over 15 years of contracting, I have never had such dramas as this particular poster has.

Maybe its because he sails close to the metaphoric wind all the time?

Please explain BB. What exactly do I do wrong here?

[BolshieBastard]

I think in this case its the client and agency at fault. Between the two of them some document should exist telling him that its ok to go into clientco and that he will be paid.

I can honestly say that in over 15 years of contracting, I have never had such dramas as this particular poster has.

Maybe its because he sails close to the metaphoric wind all the time?