I would like to ask you gents your opinion on a dilemma I have.
A while ago, I was working agency temping day to day. I got thoroughly ■■■■■■ off with it, so I got myself a permanent job. It’s not perfect, but it’s regular. It’s £2.50 per hour less than I was getting on agency and it means traveling Ashby to Leicester every day. I have about 2 to 3 times as many drops as well, but I’m learning where they are, so that’s not as bad as it sounds.
I am settling into it, and getting on well. Then comes the phone call off the agency today… the job I was working on, wants me back temp to perm! Hardly any travel as it’s in Ashby, £2.50 per hour more, starts an hour and a half earlier but finishes earlier too and less drops all local, some of which I know, some of which I don’t.
I don’t want to let my current employer down, but if both were on the table at the same time, I would have taken the agency job… it’s not that simple now, I have to give a week notice and lose out on a perm job to trust an agency.
Any thoughts you have I would like to hear. What would you do?
Agencies lie my friend. We all know this. But even if you speak to the company directly they might give you lies too. It’s happened to me.
I left a permanent job for what I was told by an. Agency was a permanent job that paid better.
The agency said they were told it was permanent. The company also said it was.
A week later I was told on a Friday morning that it was my last day and they didn’t need me as the guy I was covering for was back off holiday.
Basically I guess it depends if you like the job you have. Or are you willing to take the chance. I would chance it but my situation is probably different to yours
All good advice, I’m going to ring them tomorrow. Yes agencies lie, I’m just trying to decide if they are on the level this time. I’ve been in the same… well similar, position where I’ve turned down work for a long term position which turned out to not be the case.
I was working for 8 different agencies at the same time, doing a week here, a week there… it was temping in general that I got ■■■■■■ off with, not one specific agency or one particular firm. It was a case of I was looking on indeed, seeing an advert that looked promising, going to register with the agency in question, then the work either was not there, or just bits and bobs. Before I realised what was happening, I was bouncing between 8 of them, fielding calls of “what is your availability this week?” And can you work at such and such on Wednesday, can you work at such and such on Friday?
I was making a comfortable living, don’t get me wrong. But one particular week, I worked for 3 different agencies in the same week!!! Most of the time I was working for the same agency all week but it wasn’t unheard of working for 2 in a week. It was the whole situation that I was unhappy with, it was like being self employed and I figured that if I did it for long, I would be heading for problems with tax and ni. Which is why I started looking at companies directly. The job I am doing is low paid by comparison, but is at least secure. I am tempted with the better terms and conditions, but I am also dubious of the potential pitfalls.
I would skip the agency and go direct to employer yelling them you’ve heard on the grapevine theres a vacancy. If they immediately say no then you know its crap from agency.
If yes then introduce yourself and point out that you’ve not worked for x agency for months so any release fees aren’t applicable, and just employing you direct would be a lot cheaper (by 1000s).
This is where you find out if the wages are crap too as they might pay X for agency, but less or PAYE on books.
Any hesitation on taking you on fulltime shows its likely to be crap between them and agency and you’d be dropped after the 13 weeks. Esp if agency route involves LTD or self employed as company is saving a ton on tax.
Wouldn’t jump until you have a fulltime job direct secured and even then I’d be cautious.
Wise words indeed Trev. As it turns out with a bit of detective work, the job doesn’t exist. One of their drivers keeps taking time off sick, and they are looking into replacing him, that’s where the agency comes in… the whole thing stinks! Besides, I’m settled where I am.
