Reply to: Contract extensions - which notice do companies normally give?

[Scrag Meister]

It varies an awful lot.

Some have waited until a few days before the end of the contract to renew.

Current ClientCo has been a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the end for each of the 3 renewals I have had, the most punctual I have known.

Had a meeting the other day and was told that they would confirm there plans re renewal by 1st Feb, 6 weeks ahead of contract end.

Looking very likely at the moment.

[Old Greg]

I've also worked "at risk" for this client - two weeks of being told that the extension was in the pipeline and was waiting final sign-off, so I kept working. I had nothing else to go to, and was working from home, so if the extension hadn't come off I'd have lost nothing really. The delay was mainly down to management trying to work out what I did...

I have worked at risk with clients I know very well.

[SuPaStA]

Current client told me 3 weeks into a 6 month contract they want to extend. Others have been a few days before the end of the contract.

[DirtyDog]

I've also worked "at risk" for this client - two weeks of being told that the extension was in the pipeline and was waiting final sign-off, so I kept working. I had nothing else to go to, and was working from home, so if the extension hadn't come off I'd have lost nothing really. The delay was mainly down to management trying to work out what I did...

[GillsMan]

So here's what I did, when this came up early on in my contracting career:

I assumed the work was until the end of the contract unless otherwise advised (tbf, I worked towards doing handovers/knowledge transfers towards the end of my contractual period). I wouldn't mention anything to the client. Usually, I would know about an extension 3-4 weeks in advance.

When I had a client who started discussions in the final week, I advised that I had agreed to do a "little bit of work for another client", but that I could provide services around my other commitments. And thus began my transition from a bum-on-a-seat contractor to a company director with multiple clients.

I'm not saying this is the best approach, because you have to be careful not to leave your original client in the tulip. And I'll be honest and say that I've been lucky with a number of large clients who have been OK with me having multiple clients and coming and going as I please, so agreeing extensions to fit around other clients has always been OK.

[Old Greg]

Depends. Had one client where more than 2 hours before end of Friday was good. Couple of times I had frantic phone calls on Friday evening trying to sort it all out. Once or twice it even ran into monday and they were even more frantic when I didnt show up.

This was despite me warning them two weeks before, one week before, two days before, one day before, rejecting meeting requests etc.

I wouldn't reject a meeting request as I want to be in their diary. I always accept tentatively with an appropriate comment referencing the extension.

[psychocandy]

Depends. Had one client where more than 2 hours before end of Friday was good. Couple of times I had frantic phone calls on Friday evening trying to sort it all out. Once or twice it even ran into monday and they were even more frantic when I didnt show up.

This was despite me warning them two weeks before, one week before, two days before, one day before, rejecting meeting requests etc.

[Manz]

They normally tell me 2 months before, however once they told me 15 days before it was supposed to end.

[aoxomoxoa]

At my last clientco I had two extensions, and the last one (which was only for a month to finish off some project activities) was agreed with my sponsor at least two weeks in advance. Usual practice was that Procurement would process extensions pretty rapidly, but at the last minute they decided my extension would be a useful opportunity to get revenge on my sponsor for the fact he'd pissed them off over some process infraction a few weeks earlier. Net result was a lot of hoops to jump through meaning that I didn't have a formal agreement in place until just before the extension ended!

Luckily I had email cover from my sponsor that confirmed the T&Cs from the previous extension were still in force, and even more luckily there wasn't an issue with getting paid.

[Old Greg]

My experience is between 30 and -4 days before end of contract.

[northernladuk]

Depending on what you are doing you should be able to gauge if you are going to get extended or not. If you are working on large projects and the work isn't finished there is fair bet they will keep you, same if you are in an enduring role and they have made no move to put a permie in. If you are close to finishing the piece of work you are doing then you are on a wish and a prayer.

[Bellona]

A month out, I'd have a quiet chat with whoever is going to sort the paperwork out - explain that you are interested in staying (if you are), but if there isn't going to be an extension that you need to plan an orderly handover before you leave. Two weeks out, give them a more serious nudge that the handover needs to be happening.

+1 . Sage advice

[eek]

Current clientco I didn't get confirmation of a 1 month extension until after that extension finished.

They are hyper security conscious tho, so the fact I was allowed on site gave me 100% confidence that the invoice was going to be paid...

[Crash]

Agreed, it depends on the client. I have had occasions of knowing 4 weeks beforehand at least one occasion where I had driven home, some 250 miles, just walked in the door to be told, via the telephone, that I should return on Monday.

Currently I am working on getting my current boss to agreebtoi an extension that is due at the beginning of May.

On other word of caution, don't believe it until you have it in writing.

[DirtyDog]

When you're in a contract that you were told is likely to be extended, how long in advance do the company/agent contact you to discuss the issue before the contract end date?

Anything from a few weeks to a few hours - I've had clients who eight weeks from the end sorted out an extension because they knew they needed me and they knew I'd get other work easily (at that time). I've had clients wait until they receive the "I'm off, nice knowing you" email at 4pm on the Friday before they panic and rush around trying to get something sorted for the following week.

A month out, I'd have a quiet chat with whoever is going to sort the paperwork out - explain that you are interested in staying (if you are), but if there isn't going to be an extension that you need to plan an orderly handover before you leave. Two weeks out, give them a more serious nudge that the handover needs to be happening.