Umbrella company not disclosing assignment

[Oliver N]

I ask you for an advice, because the situation I am in it's completely new to me.

I had an interview with a Client (known worldwide) through an agency (well known as well), which I successfully passed. Therefore I was selected for a role which involves a lot of travelling in Europe, weekend and night work.

I agreed because I thought it was directly related to the Client, that is a direct employee-employer relationship even if temporary.

Well, it wasn't so! On Friday afternoon, it turned out that everything was through an umbrella company. Since I have always worked directly with an employer the situation is completely new to me.
Anyway, I was told that the first step was to opt-out from EEA 2003 and then I was told to join the umbrella company.

I did the former, but then I stopped.

Actually I received a login for the umbrella company, but I have not accepted their terms and conditions yet.
First of all it was not possible to see the assignment/contract before joining the umbrella company and I don't know exactly the services they ask me to do (data collection), how the expenses will be paid (they told me the Client or the Agency should pay for them), the contract terms (first it was 3 months, then 6 and now is just 1 month) and the working hours. Then, I don't agree with the fact that I cannot be hired by the Client for at least 6 months, but this is a minor problem. Finally I feel very disappointed by the way the Agency treated all the situation and they seem to be too much pushy...

Anyway my questions are: is it my right to see the contract first? Is there something that I should be aware of from your experiences?
The assignment should start early next week and as I've written, they told me about the umbrella company only on Friday.

Thank you all for your replies!

Oliver

[cojak]

You have to receive the contract first before you can sign it (or not, depending on whether you like the look of it).

I would refuse to do anything until they show you the contract/schedule. You could be signing up to lose money if expenses aren't included in the contract, and the umbrella won't care.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

The umbrella company will be your employer in this situation and they will have a business to business contract with the recruitment agency; as with any other employer they should fully disclose details of your assignment before you arrive on site.

[Oliver N]

Well, I have the contract. There's nothing written about expenses on it, though.
Expenses should be covered by the Client and I mostly rely on the fact that the Client is very well known.
I have asked about this to the Agency and I have emails saved that state that.

Thanks for your answers.

You have to receive the contract first before you can sign it (or not, depending on whether you like the look of it).

I would refuse to do anything until they show you the contract/schedule. You could be signing up to lose money if expenses aren't included in the contract, and the umbrella won't care.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Well, I have the contract. There's nothing written about expenses on it, though.
Expenses should be covered by the Client and I mostly rely on the fact that the Client is very well known.
I have asked about this to the Agency and I have emails saved that state that.

Thanks for your answers.

So are you saying that you have emails from the agency that confirm that the client will reimburse you for your travel expenses or were you advised by the umbrella company that you would be able to claim expenses??

[Oliver N]

The first situation. I have emails from the agency that confirm that the client will reimburse me minor expenses or pay in advance major expenses. So that the umbrella company doesn't really play a role here.

So are you saying that you have emails from the agency that confirm that the client will reimburse you for your travel expenses or were you advised by the umbrella company that you would be able to claim expenses??

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

In that case it should be built into the business to business contract that the agency have with your umbrella company