Juggling contracts

[BigRed]

If you have a renewal offer at a low rate but long duration and a 4 week notice period, effectively making yourself unmarketable until the end of the contract, do you:

a: sign and sit it out
b: request a shorter notice/contract period
c: tell them you are not interested
d: sign and walk out when a better deal comes along

If d:, do you say sorry, what do I owe the agency in terms of lost fees for 4 weeks or push them for unpaid invoices and tell them to take you to court for leaving early?

This is more to do with the agency than the client by the way, no real pressure of work.

[yasockie]

D, as long as you don't screw the client.
Unless you contract says sth specific about this, you don't owe anything to the agent.

[northernladuk]

D is a dangerous path and one that should be used sparingly. You will at some point in your future depend on your reputation to get more work. Being mercenary and binning clients off regularly is poor form and will catch up with you. I know others have had experience of this on here and I have seen it with other contractors in the past.

What are your reasons for wanting out of the extension? You expect to jump as soon as someone offers you £10 a day more or just general covering bases should the worst happen? Why would you want to be marketable before you finish the gig? Surely it can't be just because you are unhappy with the agent?

There might be the chance of negotiating your way out after you sign but still, not something to be done too often.

Personally I would do B) and then C) until I get B) then do A).. In between all that I would negotiate a rate rise so I wouldn't need to go look for another gig.

[SueEllen]

B and C and only A if desperate.

[Scrag Meister]

Most sensible clients will sit out a month notice for someone who can do the job well, I have never had an issue with notice.

So I would sign up and work and give notice when you line something else up.

[psychocandy]

D but only if it is significantly better. i.e not £10 a day more. If its got better long term extension prospects, closer to home, better contract etc. If so, then I will do it with no problems at all.

But ONLY for good reason. As someone said, its not cool to do so should be done sparingly.

Anyone who says they won't ever do it even if current 3 monther is for crap client, crap rate, miles from home, no chance of extension, and one £100/day more, 6 months, 10 miles from home, good prospects comes it and still wont do is lying or stupid.

I've only ever done it once. This was when promised 'only 6 weeks at location A - miles from home then you'll be based in location B - 10 miles from home' kept turning into 'just two more weeks'. Went on for 3 months then I canned it because something 10 miles from home did come up.

Nearly canned current one due to hassles involved but that was mainly due to personal situation and family illness. In this instance, if necessary, I would have canned without a thought to client/agent. Sorry my family comes 1st. As it was I've managed to stay till the end.

[BigRed]

In reply to some comments, £135/day more but current one is on my doorstep, others are staying away in the week.
Current one is a bit of a dead end, already 1 release behind, soon to be 2 releases behind. No chance of a rate increase, to be honest the work doesn't justify it.

Regarding a client waiting 4 weeks, you must move in different circles. When agents call me it normally goes along the lines of:
(agent) Good morning, I've come across your CV on jobserve/linkedin and you look an excellent match for a position I'm recruiting for. What is your current situation?
(me) Well I'm in a contract with a 4 week notice period but I might be able to finish earlier
(agent) Ok, when does it end, I'll get back to you around then

[SarahL2012]

OR

say to the agent "the rate is too low for me to agree to a 4 week notice period. I'll do 1 week"

[kingcook]

In reply to some comments, £135/day more but current one is on my doorstep, others are staying away in the week.
Current one is a bit of a dead end, already 1 release behind, soon to be 2 releases behind. No chance of a rate increase, to be honest the work doesn't justify it.

Regarding a client waiting 4 weeks, you must move in different circles. When agents call me it normally goes along the lines of:
(agent) Good morning, I've come across your CV on jobserve/linkedin and you look an excellent match for a position I'm recruiting for. What is your current situation?
(me) Well I'm in a contract with a 4 week notice period but I might be able to finish earlier
(agent) Ok, when does it end, I'll get back to you around then

So you terminate your contract there and then?

[Justin Control]

..... You will at some point in your future depend on your reputation to get more work. ....

You may want to believe this but there's no real evidence to support it.

Most contractors have too low a profile to warrant any reputation, good, bad or otherwise.