It's called symbiosis, unless you can survive outside the host body (Agent) but they are there to distance the client from you and IR35, not just skim "your" day rate....
More time posting than coding
It's called symbiosis, unless you can survive outside the host body (Agent) but they are there to distance the client from you and IR35, not just skim "your" day rate....
My post count is Majestic
I would argue both these points are wrong. They are not there to distance you, they are there to provide a valuable service to the client so all the crap is with the agent not client. Bar changing your contract to suit the agent has absolutely no impact on your IR35 status. He does not dictate working conditions at the client site and how the client controls you, all he can do is re-word your contract to make you look out of IR35.Originally Posted by Dearnla
I would also attempt to argue the symbiosis but my heritage does not permit me to be able to read, let alone understand clever long words.
'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!
Super poster
Just wait until you meet the guy who doesn't have any further education quals, does less work than you, and earns 4x your day rate
Fingers like lightning
Just wait until you meet the guy who doesn't have any further education quals, does less work than you, and earns 4x your day rate@lasers
Nervous Newbie
Its not about having further education qualifications or not.... If you're smart and you work hard then great!Just wait until you meet the guy who doesn't have any further education quals, does less work than you, and earns 4x your day rate
I left uni 5 years ago. But I just started contracting and I'm pretty shocked to realise that I'm contracted to a bloody recruitment consultant who did 5 minutes work to match me with this client, yet gets to basically earn money from my day rate for the next year. I go out and work and he watches the £ rolling in!
There's just something that seems very wrong about that to me!
Anyway, congrats to those (degree or not) who have skills and go out and work hard every day. Shame on the parasites who sit on their backsides watching the money roll in whilst others go out and work for it!
My post count is Majestic
How do you know they did 5 minutes work?
Agents do a lot of networking, cold calling and a**licking to get clients.
As I said before if you don't like the agent then you should do the same yourself.
Banned
Instead of getting all exercised about this you've got a few options.
In short grow up, you're far from the only contractor with a good degree or degrees in the case of more than a few that post on CUK.
- Be completely unprofessional and quit
- Grin and bear it while the unqualified scrounger bends you over and doesn't even bother to ask if you bought lube
- Accept that the contract with the client is with the Agency and they have subcontracted the work out to you at the rate you agreed. If you have the skills then negotiate the rate at renewal time.
Unless you're willing and able to do your own sales, credit control and have sufficient cashflow to stand not being paid for months on end you're stuck with contracting via agencies which means that part of what the customer is willing to pay goes to them.
Should post faster
You can ask your agent to reduce their cut but the only way it's likely to succeed is if you play hardball and threaten to leave if your chosen rate isn't paid. Most likely they can find a hundred replacements easily with the market as it is now and will just let you go.
Be happy to have a contract at all, especially with relatively little experience. 75% of £400 is better than 100% of nowt.
Super poster
Cuts both ways though - taking a big margin, that agent isn't going to be on a PSL or an exclusive supplier. So what's the chances that the agent would be able to get a replacement contractor on site? With all the contractors looking for work, there are going to be agencies all over this vacancy like flies around tulip so the agency will have a hard time getting a replacement in for you.
A really vindictive person could give the agent an ultimatum, "pay more money and it's coming out of your margin". Agent refuses, so contractor quietly goes looking for another job and "accidentally" lets slip to every agency they speak to that they were moving on and leaving a vacancy - well before their own agent knew they were leaving.
My post count is Majestic
Added to the fact the client takes people direct. So you could also ensure no agency gets a look in by spreading the word around yourself to the other contractors on site.Cuts both ways though - taking a big margin, that agent isn't going to be on a PSL or an exclusive supplier. So what's the chances that the agent would be able to get a replacement contractor on site? With all the contractors looking for work, there are going to be agencies all over this vacancy like flies around tulip so the agency will have a hard time getting a replacement in for you.
A really vindictive person could give the agent an ultimatum, "pay more money and it's coming out of your margin". Agent refuses, so contractor quietly goes looking for another job and "accidentally" lets slip to every agency they speak to that they were moving on and leaving a vacancy - well before their own agent knew they were leaving.
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