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Contractor being furloughed by client

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    #11
    Originally posted by cojak View Post
    It's the term clients give us when they don't want to pay us. Not much can be done about that otherwise people would be asking 'Oh, is that what the client means by furlough?'.
    I'm not convinced this is how it is in general and I think we don't help ourselves by not educating our clients. I've never worked anywhere where it's called a furlough. If the clients would use the correct terms and treat us like contractors, particularly with what should have hit yesterday then this would all be a lot simpler.

    Contractors are as much to blame by not understanding the term either regardless of what the client calls it. Client could call it what we want, if we don't use that term going forward then less confusion.

    I'm just musing, it's been banded about so much now it's too late and the horse has bolted. Just complaining that it's not the correct word and causes more confusion than it helps.
    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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      #12
      Originally posted by Paralytic View Post
      You may think so, you might even be technically correct, but clients have been using to when referring to contractors for years.
      furlough

      noun: furlough; plural noun: furloughs
      leave of absence, especially that granted to a member of the services or a missionary.
      "a civil servant home on furlough"

      verb: furlough; 3rd person present: furloughs; past tense: furloughed; past participle: furloughed; gerund or present participle: furloughing

      grant leave of absence to.
      "furloughed workers"
      But sadly this is true. Just saying contractors should know better. I would have hoped the whole IR35 thing that has just happened might have helped.
      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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        #13
        Cheers for all the replies, useful info.

        I don't like the fact it seems a work around not to pay notice.

        From some of replies it seems the consensus is notice period is worth nothing as the client could always say you can't come in, you haven't completed a day's work and therefore can't bill. Why are they even written into the contract then?

        There's worse problems right now so I understand my moaning is out of place in grand scheme of things.

        Cheers again.

        Comment


          #14
          Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
          But sadly this is true. Just saying contractors should know better. I would have hoped the whole IR35 thing that has just happened might have helped.
          We can all pick and choose from the myriad dictionaries out there. Doing a random search, there is by no means a consistency that it relates only to employees. eg

          furlough somebody to give somebody permission to leave their duties for a period of time, especially soldiers working in a foreign country
          furlough_1 verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

          Many just say "worker" and many refer to the military.

          a period of time that a worker or a soldier is allowed to be absent, especially to return temporarily to their own town or country
          FURLOUGH | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary

          The OED (which many consider a true source) does not allow searching online.

          So, I'm not sure what you want contractors to do. I'd suggest simply asking their contact at the client to stop using the word is going to met with a funny look. Do you want people to ask their client to ask their HR to change their systems to remove the word furlough and replace it with something else?

          Why not just accept that the English language is fluid.

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            #15
            Originally posted by Paralytic View Post

            Why not just accept that the English language is fluid.
            Have you ever heard a company furloughing a proper consultancy?

            Funny day today. I'm getting bashed in one thread about having a permie thinking and bashed in another for trying to think like a business. Weird times we live in.
            'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

            Comment


              #16
              Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
              Have you ever heard a company furloughing a proper consultancy?

              Funny day today. I'm getting bashed in one thread about having a permie thinking and bashed in another for trying to think like a business. Weird times we live in.
              Yep, I've often seen a project delayed a few weeks due to lack of availability of internal staff - in fact I ended up taking a week off last April as Bulgaria closed for a week due to Easter and National holidays falling in the same week so the end client asked for a delay.
              merely at clientco for the entertainment

              Comment


                #17
                Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
                Have you ever heard a company furloughing a proper consultancy?

                Funny day today. I'm getting bashed in one thread about having a permie thinking and bashed in another for trying to think like a business. Weird times we live in.


                The client is furloughing the contractor who has been supplied by the consultancy. But it is an interesting point, as I have been at clients where those engaged via a Managed Service Provider were not included in the end-of-year furlough (#NotAFurlough)

                Comment


                  #18
                  Originally posted by Table View Post
                  Cheers for all the replies, useful info.

                  I don't like the fact it seems a work around not to pay notice.
                  It's one of the main tenets of IR35 defence. Mutuality of obligation (to accept and offer work). You should really know this.


                  From some of replies it seems the consensus is notice period is worth nothing as the client could always say you can't come in, you haven't completed a day's work and therefore can't bill. Why are they even written into the contract then?
                  Who knows? Maybe because it gives the inexperienced a comfort blanket. I don't think I've ever seen MoO invoked permanently and immediately (with the exception of a security incident where a contractor was walked immediately). Furloughing is IME generally considered bad form to invoke from the supplier side, and as others have intoned only generally used as a cost saving exercise at Xmas/Easter/general shutdowns.
                  And the lord said unto John; "come forth and receive eternal life." But John came fifth and won a toaster.

                  Comment


                    #19
                    Originally posted by Paralytic View Post


                    The client is furloughing the contractor who has been supplied by the consultancy. But it is an interesting point, as I have been at clients where those engaged via a Managed Service Provider were not included in the end-of-year furlough (#NotAFurlough)
                    A client can't furlough another company's resource. You are being silly now.
                    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                    Comment


                      #20
                      Originally posted by eek View Post
                      Yep, I've often seen a project delayed a few weeks due to lack of availability of internal staff - in fact I ended up taking a week off last April as Bulgaria closed for a week due to Easter and National holidays falling in the same week so the end client asked for a delay.
                      Correct but they didn't furlough them.
                      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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