Sidevalve:
Lesson here for all those who complain that they’re badly treated on agency as HGV drivers. Try doing industrial, warehouse or catering work for a bit. You’ll soon realise that drivers are treated like royalty by comparison.
It shouldn’t be that way, but sadly it often is.
Inside work has always been worse than driving that’s one of the reasons why people choose to be drivers.It seems that in addition to mainly being lumbered with the type of zb driving jobs that most drivers don’t want the ‘driving’ agencies are now looking to place drivers on inside type jobs which are even worse.Which just defeats the whole object of going to them for a driving job.
There is actually a driving agency (it has Drivers, plural, in the name) which stopped doing PAYE in 2011 because of the new agency worker regulations. I was working for them and had to leave because I wasn’t willing to go through the rigmarole of setting up limited company to do what they should be doing themselves, i.e., paying my wages and taxes. You don’t have to be self-employed under an umbrella; some of them do PAYE, but you get a fake pay rise which is compensated by no holiday pay and umbrella company fees.
mine keeps trying to go to there umbrella scheme ,and come out with the usual ‘you will be better off tax wise,than PAYE’…well all the time I been on PAYE, I take the notion that if I paid too much they have give me it back,and going of the crack on here,a lot of folks are in for an unpleasent surprise in the future,being on umbrella
For a months work she’s telling you you’d have to be a Moran to stay paye?
Right. There’s a misconception you somehow manage to pay less tax self employed. You CAN work it to pay less tax but only by showing less profit. That is offsetting genuine expenses. You still have to pay class 2 NI, you still have to pay tax above your tax code, you still have to pay ‘proper’ NI contributions on profit above threshold. There are differences if you set up a ltd company. For a month rather than being better off you would most likely lose money going onto self employed due to costs of getting an accountant to file a return for the sake of one months sole trader pay, unless you’re into accounts. Many are, it’s not my thing. This sounds definitely under the remit of IR35 if she’s even suggesting you could do it paye. Walk.
Okay just to add some clarity - and probably of no interest to anyone.
I’m not doing the work.
When I was originally called I was told £7.50 with no mention of me having to go in an umbrella. When I said I didn’t want this I was told £6.90 paye. Then I get an email saying they had got the numbers wrong and it’s gone down again to £6.80 and that they hope it’s not a problem.
I emailed back saying I am not willing to work for that as the price has gone down twice. So I get an email back saying that is the most they can pay, so I need to call the out of hours number “if you really don’t want to do it”.
Called the out of hours number - and was told by someone he wanted to speak to a manager to see if they could do anything about it. Then this morning got a message on the answering machine saying it was that rate because I had chased to go paye and over 98% of our workers use jpa (their umbrella). Was also told that if I don’t call them by early afternoon they will notify company I can’t do it.
No big loss. Agency was in Southampton, and if you link the umbrella company with that you can work out who they are if you are interested.
Overall I don’t blame them for trying to make as much money as possible, but I just feel like it’s not the sort of outfit I am comfortable working for. I was worrying about getting my money before I started, I wasn’t given ppe, I have no idea who I was meant to be asking for tomorrow at the warehouse - and generally I just had a ■■■■ feeling about it.
The one line that did stick in my throat on the phone was “I am surprised you would rather do nothing than work for something”. Whilst ever they have that attitude I will never entertain another driving agency again. The high street general ones are much better. I’m sure they will fine someone desperate or stupid enough to do it, but that isn’t me.
