Taking "part and parcel" to the extreme

[Wombat14]

I recently embarked upon a new contract. Had the paperwork reviewed by B&C and, as I expected, the working conditions put it squarely inside iR35 to the point that it wasn't worth trying to get out of it. I took the gig anyway because the rate's decent (even with the IR35 hit) and the work looks interesting.

So, I've accepted that I'm inside IR35. The other contractors, as far as I know, haven't. I discovered in a team meeting that all staff, explicitly including contractors, must have monthly one-to-ones with their line manager. That was swiftly followed by the instruction that all contractors are expected to have objectives and appraisals. And shortly after that, I was informed that I would need to attend a formal probation meeting three months after the start of my contract.

I was taken aback by the first two, but the third is hilarious - like the rest of you, I don't have a probation period and the notice period (or lack of it) is specified in the contract, so I'm struggling to see the point of that exercise. I mean, I'm OK with being inside IR35 on this contract so if they want to pay me to sit in a meeting room for an hour that's fine with me, but I've never met an end client more determined to make contractors feel like part of the permanent workforce. And yes, they do think they're doing us a favour with their warm and fuzzy HR hug. My attempts to demonstrate otherwise have so far been fruitless.

Anyway, has anyone else come across anything like this?

[LondonManc]

Never heard of anything like it. Surely one of the benefits of contractors is that you don't need to do the whole huggy feely bit with them? The appraisal should be similarly simple - you're extended or you aren't.

[SussexSeagull]

What a load of nonsense. Part of the value of bringing in contractors is they need little or no HR management.

[SueEllen]

Start looking for a new gig.

However go to the appraisal. Ask them if they know what
a freelancer is, then tell them politely but to the point why they are wasting their time.

There is a difference between doing a team talk to encourage people, and to try to manage freelancers careers.

[SueEllen]

"Where do you see yourself in five years time?"

The obvious reply is "Doing your job."