View Full Version : Do Contract Agencies earn their cut ?
Contract Agency or direct customer contract ? Do agencies earn their cut once the work has been found, and a reasonable payback period completed or are they simply running your payroll ?
tornado
Alexander
28-01-2008, 10:54
Although my experience of pilot agencies is limited, I know that in other aviation related industries the agent can provide a useful liaison function and simply the cost of payroll administration can be worth the money when you are more concerned with doing a good job and less with bits of paper following you around the globe...
Alex
Contract Agency or direct customer contract ? Do agencies earn their cut once the work has been found, and a reasonable payback period completed or are they simply running your payroll ?
tornado
I have heard some agency horror stories, primarily from Engineers though I would like to compare notes with Flightcrews to see if similar experiences hold.
Let's face it, once you are under contract, the main concern will to be to get paid, on time, for the work you do with minimal overhead...
tornado
Although my experience of pilot agencies is limited, I know that in other aviation related industries the agent can provide a useful liaison function and simply the cost of payroll administration can be worth the money when you are more concerned with doing a good job and less with bits of paper following you around the globe...
Alex
Shagmeister
31-01-2008, 20:00
I've very little first hand experience of an agency though I've heard mixed reports.
Some names crop up time and again as being ones to avoid, ACASS for example. Their reputation is pretty poor.
I have no experience of the company you mention, but I think the recruitmentor contract staffing industry has problems with few barriers to entry - almost anyone can set up - although in some European based companies at least a licence and bond is required . In theory its to protect those under contract, but its often more to protect the unpaid PAYE deductions if applicable when the company suddenly goes bust...
A friend of mine in IT told me some stories about being sent for interview for which there was no job, or the wrong job for which the candidate was not licenced etc. I think the key is to be sceptical until proved otherwise !
Do you find it easier to work as an employee of the operating company or are you set up as your own entity ?
tornado
I feel we have a love/ hate relationship with them, when times are good we feel they are grredy and want to much and yet when jobs are hard to come by and they manage to find us a position, they are life savers!!
Shagmeister
31-01-2008, 20:26
I'm a 'full' employee, PAYE etc. I had a very short contract once of one month that actually worked out quite well. I arrived on day one to be told the aircraft had been sold so I was no longer required. "Fine" I said "But you still need to pay me". They agreed.
They asked if I'd mind positioning the aircraft for them from Zurich to Geneva, a 30 minute flight for which I received one month's salary:D so as you can imagine I have no quarrel at all with that particular agency.
Did they ever find you another position after that experience?
I'm a 'full' employee, PAYE etc. I had a very short contract once of one month that actually worked out quite well. I arrived on day one to be told the aircraft had been sold so I was no longer required. "Fine" I said "But you still need to pay me". They agreed.
They asked if I'd mind positioning the aircraft for them from Zurich to Geneva, a 30 minute flight for which I received one month's salary:D so as you can imagine I have no quarrel at all with that particular agency.
Shagmeister
04-02-2008, 02:10
I didn't need them to. I got myself a full time job. Agency work would be too erratic for me (checks spelling ;) )
To be honest, it sounds quite fair, the way I read the post : if you undertook a contract with one month notice , only to find on day-one they had sold the aircraft (!) then I would expect to be paid estimate earnings for that month. After all you may have given-up or foregone other work to agree this contract...
tornado
Did they ever find you another position after that experience?