Warning for a mucky new Agents' habit

[Ignis Fatuus]

I have had an agency (K2) ask me to agree before being put forward that I would be available for a contract and would accept it if it were offered. I have always refused to agree to this, mainly on the grounds that the client and I have not interviewed each other yet and it's always possible that one of us might like the other, while the other didn't - the client wouldn't agree in advance to offer the contract if I wanted it, so why should I agree in advance to accept it?

I'd take the same view of this trick: a one-way commitment is not something I'm in business to make.

[Mich the Tester]

I have had an agency (K2) ask me to agree before being put forward that I would be available for a contract and would accept it if it were offered. I have always refused to agree to this, mainly on the grounds that the client and I have not interviewed each other yet and it's always possible that one of us might like the other, while the other didn't - the client wouldn't agree in advance to offer the contract if I wanted it, so why should I agree in advance to accept it?

I'd take the same view of this trick: a one-way commitment is not something I'm in business to make.

Yes, and there are still some agents who wonder why we call them 'pimps'.

[nomadd]

Some are trying to enforce a 1,000 euro fine...

How about asking them to 'go Dutch'?

[darmstadt]

Surely you should your own addendum that unless they procure you the contract and you turn down any other offers then you should be compensated. See how they like that...

[Mich the Tester]

Surely you should your own addendum that unless they procure you the contract and you turn down any other offers then you should be compensated. See how they like that...

I'll discuss that with the solicitor; they hide their condition in little writing in the middle of a whole load of guff, so I suppose I can do the same. Except I'll demand 10,000 instead of 1,000.

[KentPhilip]

Just tell the agent that you'll guarentee to accept the contract, but also that you'll "guarentee" to give them notice one day later. The client won't like that, so it is unlikely the agency will hold you to it.

[psychocandy]

I have had an agency (K2) ask me to agree before being put forward that I would be available for a contract and would accept it if it were offered. I have always refused to agree to this, mainly on the grounds that the client and I have not interviewed each other yet and it's always possible that one of us might like the other, while the other didn't - the client wouldn't agree in advance to offer the contract if I wanted it, so why should I agree in advance to accept it?

I'd take the same view of this trick: a one-way commitment is not something I'm in business to make.

Yeh, I've had that too. Piss take or what?

[Mich the Tester]

Yeh, I've had that too. Piss take or what?

Indeed a piss take and seriously open to abuse by the agent.

I've found out more; yes, it's legal, nothing in the law (in NL) to prevent this, unfortunately. But I also know now that it is a condition that's been put on the agent by his client, a government agency that supplies temporary personnel to other government agencies.

You can see how many people respond to the ads on freelance.nl, and it strikes me that there's been only one response to this one; I won't respond as I have an interview tomorrow so would possibly have to pull out of the procedure.

I noticed during the last recession (or the one before it, we seem to have them every year now) that many (primarily government) clientcos start dreaming up very dirty tricks when the market's poor; last time the tax office started demanding people worked for 2 weeks at zero-rate (yes, free!). That collapsed when they tried to do a Dutch version of IR35 on one of their own contractors, who told them thhat if they went ahead and defined him as an employee he'd press charges for making him work below minimum wage; a criminal offense over here! So that trick was quickly ended. But yep, it's the mucky-money-grabbing bastard season again where desperate agents and clientcos will grab money from anywhere to keep financing their bloated management pyramids and oversized unnecessary office buildings.

[jmo21]

I have had an agency (K2) ask me to agree before being put forward that I would be available for a contract and would accept it if it were offered. I have always refused to agree to this, mainly on the grounds that the client and I have not interviewed each other yet and it's always possible that one of us might like the other, while the other didn't - the client wouldn't agree in advance to offer the contract if I wanted it, so why should I agree in advance to accept it?

I'd take the same view of this trick: a one-way commitment is not something I'm in business to make.

I've had a few agencies say, both before putting me forward for interview, and after an interview "would you accept the role if they offered you it?"

this is a crazy extreme version, I'd never sign anything that said that.

[petergriffin]

This might be common in the UK, might not be, but I'll warn you for it;

Right now some agents in NL demand you sign an 'exclusivity contract';

I find it hard to believe that all the Dutch agents do this. Not that they're not nasty klotzakken. They are.

Just do this: do a whois of the agents' domain. I'm pretty sure their headquarter is in London.